VATICAN CITY – Jesus is the risen shepherd who takes upon his shoulders "our brothers and sisters crushed by evil in all its varied forms," Pope Francis said before giving his solemn Easter blessing.

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B) April 26 (Acts 4:7-12; Psalm 118; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18)

There is a rather cynical observation that no good deed ever goes unpunished. The incident in Acts seems to support those sentiments. No sooner had Peter healed a crippled man than he found himself under arrest and standing before the authorities to answer charges. He protested that they were merely doing a good deed and healing the poor man.

Resurrection of the Lord — Easter Sunday — (Year B) April 5 (Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18)

One thing was abundantly clear to the first followers of Jesus after the resurrection: it would not be ‘business as usual.’ The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not intended to merely add one more religion to the worldöÏÓãÊÓƵapp diverse spiritual traditions, but to herald a new stage in humanityöÏÓãÊÓƵapp spiritual evolution.