WSC Reflection Guide: 5/9/2025

A BLESSED EASTER TO ALL!           "FEED MY LAMBS, TEND MY SHEEP, FEED MY SHEEP!!!

Word Sharing Circle (WSC) Reflection Guide

3rd Sunday of Easter

Community Word: The joy of Easter renews us to be shepherds in the likeness of Jesus.

Theme: We are shepherds in the likeness of Jesus when we affirm our love for Him and care for His flock. 

Promise: “You changed my mourning into dancing.” (Ps 30:12) 

Reflection:    

We dedicate this reflection to our beloved Pope Francis, our good shepherd in the likeness of Jesus. 

The life of Pope Francis manifested the image of the Good Shepherd through his pastoral actions, emphasizing compassion, mercy, and spiritual leadership. He encouraged the faithful to be like Jesus who loves and seeks out those who have strayed, rather than regarding them as enemies. His message would always highlight the importance of listening to God's voice and following Him, emphasizing the loving bond between God and individuals.

The late Holy Father cared for the well-being of the Church (his sheepfold) and its members (his flock) especially the vulnerable and marginalized. He demonstrated this through his humility, giving emphasis on boundless mercy. He boldly spoke out against discrimination and advocated for inclusive treatment by addressing the issues of poverty, inequality, and injustice, calling for a more just and equitable world. His leadership emphasizes being a shepherd with the "smell of the sheep," who stays close to the people he serves and understands their needs.

This week’s theme – We are shepherds in the likeness of Jesus when we affirm our love for Him and care for His flock, calls us to embody and express our love for the Good Shepherd. We follow the life of Pope Francis who exemplifies not just “leading the flock” but more so, “living with the sheep,” to extend the sacrificial love Christ offered to us. We are expected not only to witness and proclaim the love of God but also to concretize it by making others experience it through our compassion for them.

Being under-shepherds for God’s flock is not an easy task. We will meet setbacks and disappointments in accomplishing our mission. Discouragement and uncertainty of the future can lead us back to our previous ways, just like Peter and the apostles in the Gospel (cf Jn 21:3). But our love for Jesus should compel us to continue to communicate with our Lord in prayer, meet Him in the Eucharist so that He may renew our minds and rekindle our heart’s faithfulness to the task He entrusted us. He leads us to the Holy Scriptures where we can listen to Him speak of the richness of His mercies and goodness, making us grow more in love with Him and enkindling the kindness that will draw us close to each other.

As we look around us, we see people struggling with pain, grief, and sorrow. Most of them are in mourning because of the hurt and never-ending pain experienced in life. As Jesus’ under-shepherd, we are sent by the Good Shepherd to show them the mercy, compassion, and consolation of God in us. Through us, they may see the Resurrected Christ who gives hope to the last, the least, and the lost, thus, they may be able to embrace the promise for all those who find hope in Easter, “You changed my mourning into dancing,” (Ps 30:12A). Pope Francis would always remind us that we are part of the "church that is poor and for the poor.”

Prayer:

Lord, we confess that it is not easy to be Your disciple.  There are times when we get discouraged as we go about fulfilling our mission of proclaiming Your kingdom. But Your resurrection has given us hope and we know that as You commanded us to care for Your people, You are always with us. Give us the grace to fearlessly defend our faith and serve You by faithfully relying on Your word of Truth. Grant us fervor and fortitude to show love and compassion to Your people in the last, the least, and the lost.  In Your name, Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:

1.     In what way will you respond to the command of Jesus to “feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep”?  Who are those whom the Lord entrusted to you to care for? 

2.  What has prevented you from prioritizing the calling as a "shepherd" in the community, whether as a community leader, sharer, teacher, LSS shepherd, class shepherd, or circle shepherd?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:

May 4, 2025 (Sun) – Acts 5:27-32, 40-41/ Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13/ Rv 5:11-14/ Jn 21:1-19

May 5, 2025 (Mon) – Acts 6:8-15/ Ps 119:23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30/ Jn 6:22-29

May 6, 2025 (Tue) – Acts 7:51-8:1/ Ps 31:3, 4, 6 - 8, 17, 21/ Jn 6:30-35

May 7, 2025 (Wed) – Acts 8:1-8/ Ps 66:1-3, 4, 5, 6, 7/ Jn 6:32-40

May 8, 2025 (Thu) – Acts 8:26-40/ Ps 66:8, 9, 16, 17, 20/ Jn 6:44-51

May 9, 2025 (Fri) – Acts 9:1-20/ Ps 117:1, 2/ Jn 6:52-59

May 10, 2025 (Sat) – Acts 9:31-42/ Ps 116:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17/ Jn 6:60-69 

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”

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Additional Reflection Question for Philippine voters:

1. Called to seek and know the truth, do you pray and discern God’s will in choosing our leaders?

2. As Christ’s followers, what intervention can you make to help voters choose the candidates who are Christ-centered in character and their programs?

Council of Servant Leaders

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Alfred S. Kudemus

CSL Secretariat

BLD Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16