Fourth Sunday of Easter Year A: Good Shepherd Sunday

 

A Reflection on the Catholic Readings for April 26, 2026 – Fourth Sunday of Easter

 The Readings

- First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 (Peter’s proclamation at Pentecost)  

- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (“The Lord is my shepherd...”)  

- Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:20b-25 (Christ as the suffering shepherd)  

- Gospel: John 10:1-10 (Jesus as the gate and the Good Shepherd)  

This Sunday, often called “Good Shepherd Sunday,” invites us into the heart of our relationship with Christ. The readings weave together themes of conversion, trust, suffering, and abundant life.

 Peter’s Bold Proclamation (Acts 2:14a, 36-41)

Peter stands before the crowd—many of whom had called for Jesus’ crucifixion—and fearlessly declares that God has made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ. The people are “cut to the heart.” Their response is not defensiveness but a humble question: “What are we to do?” Peter’s answer is clear and merciful: repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit. About three thousand are added that day.

This reading reminds us that the Resurrection is not just a past event but a present reality that demands a response. The same Spirit that empowered Peter is at work in the Church today, calling us out of complacency and into deeper conversion. In a world often marked by “this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40), we too are invited to “save ourselves” by turning to Christ.

 The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

The beloved Psalm 23 provides the emotional and spiritual center of this liturgy. It portrays God not as a distant ruler but as a tender, attentive shepherd who leads, restores, protects, feeds, and accompanies us even through the “dark valley.” The imagery is intimate and reassuring: verdant pastures, restful waters, a table set in the presence of foes, an overflowing cup, and the promise of dwelling in the Lord’s house forever.

In the Easter season, this psalm takes on new depth. The risen Christ is the shepherd who has conquered death itself. We can walk without fear because He has gone before us.

 Following in Christ’s Footsteps (1 Peter 2:20b-25)

The second reading brings realism to our discipleship. Suffering for doing good is “a grace before God.” Christ Himself suffered innocently, without retaliation, entrusting Himself to the just Judge. He bore our sins on the cross so that we might live for righteousness. By His wounds we are healed. We who “had gone astray like sheep” have now returned to “the shepherd and guardian of [our] souls.”

This passage challenges any expectation of an easy Christian life. Fidelity may involve patient endurance. Yet it is never meaningless, because it unites us to Christ’s own redemptive suffering.

 Jesus: The Gate for the Sheep (John 10:1-10)

In the Gospel, Jesus uses the familiar image of shepherding to reveal His identity. He is not only the shepherd who calls each sheep by name but the gate through which the sheep must enter to find safety and pasture. True shepherds enter through Him; thieves and robbers climb in another way. Jesus contrasts His mission—“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly”—with the destructive aims of false leaders.

This is a powerful call to discernment. In our time, many voices compete for our attention and allegiance. Jesus assures us that we will recognize His voice. The sheep follow the shepherd because they know Him. Our task is to cultivate that intimacy through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, and obedience, so that we are not easily led astray.

 Personal and Communal Reflection

These readings form a beautiful tapestry: Peter invites us to repentance and baptismal grace (First Reading); Psalm 23 assures us of God’s constant care; 1 Peter grounds our hope in Christ’s suffering and victory; and the Gospel presents Jesus as both the way in and the source of abundant life.

As we celebrate the Easter season, we are reminded that the risen Lord continues to lead His Church. He knows each of us by name. He walks ahead of us, even through valleys of uncertainty, suffering, or cultural hostility. Our response should echo the crowd on Pentecost: “What are we to do?” The answer remains the same—repent, believe, follow the Good Shepherd, and allow His abundant life to flow through us to others.

These readings are a fitting reminder of the late Pope Francis, whose anniversary of his passing was remembered this April 21. He was a true shepherd imitating the Good Shepherd Jesus. His pectoral cross even bore the image of the Good Shepherd Jesus. 

May the Good Shepherd guide us, protect us, and draw us ever closer to the Father’s house, where goodness and kindness will follow us all the days of our lives. Amen.