It was lunchtime when I turned on EWTN, and the ceremony was just beginning in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
The fire that was blessed to light the paschal candle was already burning when I tuned in from the rectory of Mary, Mother of the Church. Following the prayers, and ceremonies, it was beautiful to see the new light atop the paschal candle being carried into St. Peter’s Basilica. Not just in St. Peter’s, but on that holy night, around the world, in every parish on the planet, the same light of Christ would be entering our churches. In Burnsville, it happened just after sundown. Our deacon and server carried the paschal candle inside where we began sharing the light, candle to candle. The light not only illuminated our faces, but the entire interior of our beautiful church. We were listening to the Exsultet being sung and the fragrance of incense was filling the air with its own kind of music praising God!
How appropriate that Pope Francis was able to hear and see all of this, before his death early on Easter Monday morning, while it was still dark.
On this the Fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday, I reflect on how wonderful it must have been for Pope Francis to see us sharing the light of Christ, and even more, welcoming the newly initiated into our number from every nation, race, people and tongue on the Vigil of Easter!
In the Gospel of Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
On this Sunday we are celebrating the Good Shepherd; listen again to the words chanted that night before our pope died. Remember how we offered the following prayer, holding candles illuminating all on that holy night. While not the whole prayer, the humility of this next verse reminded me of Pope Francis:
“… O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer! O truly blessed night, worthy alone to know the time and hour when Christ rose from the underworld! This is the night of which it is written: The night shall be as bright as day, dazzling is the night for me, and full of gladness. The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty. On this, your night of grace, O holy Father, accept this candle, a solemn offering, the work of bees and of your servants’ hands an evening sacrifice of praise, this gift from your most holy Church.”
May the soul of Pope Francis, and those of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace on this Sunday we celebrate Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Father Perkl is pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville.
Sunday, May 11
Fourth Sunday of Easter
