The sun rises over New York this Monday morning, the 27th of April, and as I sit with my coffee and the Word of God, I am reminded that the missionary heart does not beat in a vacuum. It is fueled, sustained, and directed by the daily rhythm of the Gospel. For those of us involved in the work of The Pontifical Mission Societies, specifically through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, these daily readings from the USCCB are not just historical texts: they are the blueprints for our current mission in the world.

Today, as we move through the fourth week of the Easter season, the readings present us with a profound tension between tradition and the radical call of the Holy Spirit. In my own social media presence and in my daily interactions, I am often asked: How do we know where God is calling us? The answer lies in the intersection of the sheep’s ear and the shepherd’s voice.

The Courage to Change: Reflecting on Acts 11:1-18

In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we find Peter in a difficult position. He has returned to Jerusalem after baptizing Cornelius, a Gentile, and the "circumcised believers" are confronting him. They are questioning why he entered the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.

This is a classic missionary dilemma. It is the tension between "the way we have always done things" and the "way the Spirit is moving now." Peter doesn’t respond with anger or defensiveness; instead, he recounts his vision and the subsequent descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles. He concludes with a question that should haunt every missionary heart: "If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?"

As I reflect on this, I think about the work we do at The Pontifical Mission Societies. Often, people think of "mission" as something we do for others. But Peter shows us that mission is actually about witnessing what God is already doing and having the humility not to get in the way. In the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, this takes a very specific form: supporting the formation of local, indigenous clergy.

Just as Peter had to realize that the Gospel belonged to the Gentiles as much as the Jews, we must realize that the future of the Church depends on local leadership in mission territories. When we support a seminarian in Nigeria, a novice in Vietnam, or a religious sister in the Amazon, we are saying, "Who are we to hinder God?" We are recognizing that the Holy Spirit is calling forth shepherds from within their own cultures, speaking their own languages, and walking their own streets.

The Voice and the Gate: Reflections on John 10:1-10

Today’s Gospel from John introduces us to one of the most beloved images of Christ: The Good Shepherd. But Jesus begins with a warning about those who do not enter through the gate. He tells us that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

For a missionary, "hearing the voice" is everything. In the noise of modern life, and even in the busyness of non-profit work, it is easy to start following the voice of "efficiency," "fundraising metrics," or "social media engagement." But these are not the Shepherd. The Shepherd’s voice is found in the quiet of the morning, in the needs of the poor, and in the sacramental life of the Church.

Jesus says, "I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." This image of "coming in and going out" is the essential breath of the missionary. We "come in" to the heart of Christ through prayer and reflection, and then we "go out" to the margins of the world to bring his love to others.

In the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, we focus on the "gatekeepers": the priests and religious who will serve as the gate for their communities. A local priest in a mission territory is often the primary point of contact for the Gospel. If he is well-formed, if he knows the voice of the Shepherd, he becomes a gateway through which his people find "abundant life."

The Legacy of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle

It is impossible to reflect on today’s Gospel without thinking of the history of our organization. The Society of St. Peter the Apostle was born from the missionary hearts of two laywomen, Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, in 19th-century France. They received a letter from a missionary bishop in Japan who told them he had to turn away young men who wanted to be priests because he didn't have the money to train them.

The Bigard sisters didn't just feel bad; they acted. They realized that for the Church to truly take root in a new land, it couldn't rely on foreign missionaries forever. It needed "indigenous" clergy: men who were born and raised in that culture. They began a movement of prayer and financial support that today supports over 1,000 mission seminaries and nearly 80,000 seminarians worldwide.

When we reflect on today’s readings, we see the Bigard sisters’ vision in Peter’s defense of the Gentiles. They understood that the "same gift" God gave to the Church in Europe was meant for the Church in Asia, Africa, and beyond. They understood that the Shepherd calls his sheep by name in every corner of the globe.

How Today’s Gospel Fuels Our Daily Work

So, how does this reflection fuel us today, on this Monday in April?

First, it calls us to Apostolic Boldness. Like Peter, we must be willing to defend the mission even when it is misunderstood. We must be bold in asking our community to support the training of priests in far-off lands, even when there are needs at home. We recognize that the Church is one Body, and when a seminary in Kenya thrives, the whole Church thrives.

Second, it calls us to Spiritual Discernment. We must constantly ask: Is this the voice of the Shepherd or the voice of a stranger? In our educational work at The Pontifical Mission Societies, we strive to stay rooted in the magisterium and the authentic needs of the missions. We don't just send resources; we send solidarity.

Third, it reminds us of the Value of Formation. Today’s Gospel ends with the beautiful promise: "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." Abundant life isn't just about survival; it's about flourishing. By supporting the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, we are providing the intellectual, spiritual, and human formation that allows future priests to bring that "abundant life" to their villages and cities.

A Personal Note from the Mission

As I look at the calendar for the rest of this week, I see many tasks ahead: meetings about the 2026 World Mission Sunday preparations, updates from our mission directors in the field, and social media posts to draft. But none of that work has meaning if it isn't rooted in what we did this morning: listening to the Word.

The missionary heart is a heart that reflects. It is a heart that looks at the world not with the eyes of a tourist or a journalist, but with the eyes of a disciple. We see the "other" not as a stranger, but as someone for whom the Good Shepherd has already opened the gate.

I invite you today to take five minutes to sit with Acts 11 and John 10. Ask yourself:

• Whose voice am I following today?
• Is there a "gentile" or an "outsider" I am hesitating to welcome into my heart?
• How can I help someone else hear the voice of the Shepherd?

If you feel moved to support the formation of those who will spend their lives as shepherds, I encourage you to learn more about the Society of St. Peter the Apostle. Your prayers and your gifts are the literal "daily bread" for thousands of seminarians who are currently studying to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Let us pray for all missionaries today, especially those in difficult or persecuted territories, that they may find strength in the voice of the Shepherd who never leaves his flock.

Peace and blessings to you all.

– Fr. Deji