𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐤
April 26, 2026
Fourth Sunday Of Easter, Year A

Dear Parishioners,

ONE IN CHRIST – UNITED IN MISSION.

Grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

John is intent on explaining that the life and work of Jesus demonstrate God’s love for every individual. In John’s gospel, this is expressed by Jesus in many different ways. One example is how Jesus the shepherd knows the name of each one of his sheep. Knowing someone by name indicates intimacy. The Hebrew scriptures tell us how the name of Israel, the chosen nation, is imprinted on the palm of Yahweh’s hand (Isaiah 49:16). John, however, goes much further: God in fact knows the name of each individual, not simply the whole nation, and has a personal love for each one of us.

The Irish author and wordsmith James Joyce also had a strong belief in the power of names; so much so, in fact, that in his correspondence with his wife Nora, he never mentioned the name of the man with whom he thought she had deceived him. Joyce simply referred to this man as “the other”.

Each one of us knows the power our own name has over us. When we hear our Christian name being spoken, it is almost as if a very sensitive emotional string is being tugged within our heart. It gives us a warm feeling, especially when we are called by someone who is important to us, such as a person we love or respect. We sometimes get a similar feeling when a person we have not seen for many years remembers our name without any prompting.

It is that kind of intimacy John implies when he writes that Jesus calls each one of us by our individual name. When he adds that we will recognize Jesus’ voice, he is saying that it is a two-way relationship. Jesus knows us, and we know his voice when he calls us. This kind of love resembles the love the Father has for Jesus. It is a love that binds us at once to the Father, to Jesus, and to each other, as John remarks later on in this chapter (John 10:16):

“And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead as well. They, too, will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, and only one shepherd.

Have a Blessed, Happy Unity Sunday!

𝑅𝑒𝑣. 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑦, 𝑂.𝑃.