VOICE OF THE LOGOS: REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C (GOOD SHEPHERD/VOCATION SUNDAY)

The Authority of the Bishop of Rome and the Need for Us to Listen

First Reading: Acts 13:14,43-52
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 99(100):1-3,5
Second Reading: Apocalypse 7:9,14-17
Gospel: John 10:27-30
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The election of Pope Leo XIV comes at a time when the Church, though ever guided by the Holy Spirit, faces turbulent waters. Many among the clergy and the faithful alike find themselves drawn into polarizing discourses regarding doctrine, liturgy, and pastoral governance. Social media platforms, local parish meetings, and even theological faculties are not spared from this tension. In such a climate, the emergence of a new pope is both a call to renewal and a challenge to fidelity. In moments like this, we are reminded that the papacy is not a matter of popularity or politics but of divine institution. Christ founded His Church on the rock of Peter, and through apostolic succession, this Petrine office continues to serve as a visible source and foundation of unity (cf. Lumen Gentium, 23). To listen to the Bishop of Rome, the successor of Peter, is to remain within the living tradition of the Church. It is not merely about passive hearing but involves a disposition of attentiveness and obedience. The Greek word akouō (ἀκούω), meaning “to hear,” carries this deeper nuance, which is, hearing that moves the heart to action – obedience. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the equivalent term shamaʿ (שָׁמַע) also implies both hearing and obeying. Our spiritual health, then, depends not just on the message proclaimed, but on our willingness to listen to Christ the Good Shepherd in the authentic magisterium of the Church, especially in the papal office, and the bishops in communion with him, conforming our lives to the gospel message

The First Reading from Acts 13:14, 43–52 presents us with Paul and Barnabas in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, boldly preaching the Gospel. The “Sitz im Leben” of this pericope is a post-resurrection community grappling with the explosive implications of the Gospel’s universality. What had been a covenantal message for Israel was now extended to all peoples (cf. Isa 49:6, cited directly by Paul in v.47). The proclamation of salvation in Christ is met with conflicting reactions: while some receive it with joy, others, filled with jealousy, oppose it. What is important is that Paul and Barnabas act with apostolic authority; they are not freelancers but emissaries sent (apostellō) under the authority of Christ and in communion with the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 13:3). The text notes that many of the people “were persuaded to continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43), implying that they listened, not merely heard the apostolic teaching. But others chose selective hearing, driven by self-interest and cultural pride. This same dynamic persists today when some pick and choose what papal teachings to follow. Just as Paul and Barnabas moved on to the Gentiles, affirming the universality of the Gospel, so the Church reminds us that fidelity to the apostolic voice remains the only authentic path for full communion. The Bishop of Rome, as Peter’s successor, continues this apostolic proclamation, charged not by his own merit but by the divine institution of Christ (cf. Lumen Gentium 22).

The Responsorial Psalm 100 deepens our theme with poetic clarity. It calls all the earth to serve the Lord with gladness, to acknowledge Him as God, and to recognize that “we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” The imagery of the flock evokes the shepherding relationship at the heart of biblical spirituality. In the background is the ancient memory of God leading Israel, not as a distant force, but as an attentive shepherd (cf. Ps 23; Ezek 34). To “know” that the Lord is God (Ps 100:3) is not merely to admit it intellectually, but to acknowledge His voice and submit to His guidance. In the Johannine sense, to know is to be in relationship (cf. John 10:14). This listening posture becomes critical in discerning whose voice carries divine weight in the life of the Church. The shepherd motif finds its fullest expression in Christ, but by extension, it includes those He entrusts with His authority (cf. John 21:15–17). This psalm, situated within the liturgical worship of Israel, also speaks to our current liturgical context: to “serve the Lord with gladness” is to do so within the bounds of ecclesial order, not individualistic spirituality. As Lumen Gentium teaches, the pope, together with the bishops in communion with him, acts as the visible source and foundation of unity (LG 23). Refusal to listen is thus not merely a pastoral concern but a theological rupture with the visible structure Christ willed for His Church.

It is within this context of ecclesial listening and obedience that the Gospel reading from John 10:27-30 crowns the reflection, grounding it in Christ’s own words: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” The “Sitz im Leben” of this passage is situated in the context of escalating tension between Jesus and the Jewish authorities during the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. Jesus declares: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” The Greek word used here again is akouō (ἀκούω). It illustrates that the act of listening is not passive but relational: it is an act of covenantal recognition between shepherd and sheep. Jesus reveals the indestructibility of this relationship, noting that no one can snatch them out of His hand. This affirmation is pertinent for understanding the authority of the Church’s magisterium. The shepherd’s voice continues today in the successors of the apostles, especially in the Bishop of Rome, who holds the “munus docendi,” which is the task of authentic teaching. According to Lumen Gentium 25, when the pope proclaims a doctrine of faith or morals “ex cathedra,” he does so infallibly by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Even when not speaking infallibly, his ordinary teaching deserves religious submission of intellect and will. In a time when personal interpretations threaten to override ecclesial coherence, the voice of the Good Shepherd, heard in the teachings of the Pope, becomes our safeguard. In practical terms, this raises uncomfortable but necessary questions. Can we claim to follow Christ while dismissing the teachings or guidance of the one He commissioned to confirm the brethren? The cacophony of dissent today, even among the ordained, betrays a deeper crisis of akouō – a refusal to listen in a way that transforms. This refusal to listen ultimately severs communion and breeds spiritual confusion.

Against this backdrop, the second reading from Revelation 7:9, 14b-17 offers not a disconnected image but the fulfilment of the Church’s true identity – “a great multitude from every nation… standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” These are the ones who have survived the great tribulation and now dwell under the Shepherding Lamb who leads them to living waters. This apocalyptic vision situates the Church’s destiny not in chaos or disunity, but in unity under divine shepherding. The Greek word poimainei (ποιμαίνει) used in v.17 for “will shepherd them” is also found in John 21:16 and 1 Peter 5:2, showing how the risen Christ continues His pastoral care through apostolic mediation. The scene in Revelation is not detached from the present Church. It is its fulfilled image: a Church purified, unified, and shepherded to its consummation. In the meantime, the Church lives this unity sacramentally and visibly through communion with the Pope. Without this communion, the vision of Revelation becomes merely aspirational. Practically, then, to walk toward this heavenly Jerusalem, Catholics must reclaim the habit of ecclesial trust, even when decisions from Rome challenge our expectations or cultural frameworks. Pope Leo XIV stands now not only as a successor in a line but as a timely reminder that Peter’s role remains necessary for the Church to sail through turbulent waters. To listen to him is to walk more surely toward the Lamb who shepherds from the throne.

In light of these readings and the grace of this moment in Church history, we are called to rekindle our trust in the divine guidance of the Petrine office. Pope Leo XIV assumes this office not as a private theologian but as Peter among us, called to strengthen the brethren (Luke 22:32) and confirm the faithful in truth and charity. Thus, fidelity to the Pope is not a sentiment but a theological posture rooted in apostolic continuity. Also, genuine listening includes the humility to accept teachings that challenge us, rather than seeking teachers who confirm our biases (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3). Furthermore, we must cultivate a spirituality that sees ecclesial obedience not as subservience but as trust in the Shepherd’s design. And, in a time when many claim to speak for Christ, we are reminded that His voice is clearest in the unity of the Church, guided by Peter and his successors.

With heartfelt joy, I congratulate the newly elected Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. His acceptance of the Petrine ministry at such a delicate time in the Church’s life is both courageous and providential. I assure him of my daily prayers, that his voice may continue to echo the voice of the Good Shepherd, guiding the flock with clarity, wisdom, and love. May the faithful, clergy, and bishops learn again how to listen, not as passive hearers, but as participants in the obedience of faith that builds up the Body in unity and truth. In an age flooded with voices, may we tune our ears to the one Voice that gathers, teaches, sanctifies, and governs the Church of the living God.

O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)

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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com

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