4th Sunday of Easter –A–

Today’s trend is on consumption and consumerism. Consumption and consumerism reflect that one’s quality of life depends on the quantity of one’s financial assets, savings or money. If one has enough money, then he can buy what he wants. In getting what he wants, he can live a quality life. Adversely, if one has no money, then he cannot buy anything. If he cannot buy any thing, then his life is miserable. This trending has also affected the way we live with our faith. In the church, those who have money can make a list of their intentions and forward it to the parish office to be read within the mass. Those who lack money seldom make a list of their intentions to be prayed over during the mass. In some parishes, there are many couples who are not married in the church. They say it is expensive and they cannot afford to pay the expenses for a church wedding. For them, they have to spend what they earned for something else. It is all about money.
It is true that we need money especially that consumption and consumerism are at a high cost. But today’s Gospel reminds us that our life must not be based on the money that we have but on God who has everything in His hands. In John 10:11-18, Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd; I know mine, and mine know me." This is what some Catholics forget. Though we may not have enough money, we can rely on God for our needs. We think of the world which sells us air as we use our electric fan, but we forget to think of God who has given us, rich and poor, air for free. We think of the world which sells as water as we buy a bottled water, but we forget about God has provided us water for free. Yes, God is a good shepherd. He knows what we need and He knows how limited we are, thus He provides us what is best for us. We need only to trust Him. Our life cannot depend on money because money may come and go. It is only in God that we can entrust our life because He is constant, He will always be with us as our Good Shepherd.