Good Shepherd, Sunday of.--The name given in the Western Church to the Second Sunday after Easter. The French know it as the Sunday of the _Bon Pasteur_. The name is suggested by the Gospel for the day which sets forth our Lord as "the Good Shepherd," and who in the Epistle is called the "Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls." {126} Gospel.--The word "Gospel" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon _Godspell_, signifying "good news"; founded originally on certain words used by the angel in announcing the Saviour's Birth, viz.: "Behold, I bring you _good tidings_ of great joy" (St. Luke 2:10). The word is greatly misunderstood and frequently misapplied, the idea seems to be that "Gospel religion," "Gospel sermons" and "preaching the Gospel," mean certain doctrines such as individual election, calling, justification, sanctification and the like. These are regarded as being very Scriptural, and in accordance with the Scriptural method. When, however, we turn to the Scriptures we find that such doctrines are not "the Gospel" at all, but simply deductions from it. In the New Testament the word "Gospel" is applied _exclusively_ to the announcement of certain events, certain outward facts connected with the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity, namely, the Incarnation, Birth, Life, Death, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension of the Son of God. Such was the "good tidings" announced by the angelic choir, such is the purpose of the New Testament Scriptures, and that Gospel religion or Gospel preaching which brings these sublime facts to bear on the hearts and lives of men, as living realities and guiding motives, alone can be Scriptural and truly Gospel. This being the case, we can understand how the Church's Year with its changing seasons of joy and penitence, setting forth so clearly all these facts in our Lord's Life, preaches the very Gospel of Christ and in accordance with the Scriptural method. (See CHRISTIAN YEAR.) Gospels, The.--The four canonical records of the {127} Life of our Lord written by St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John. The first three are called the "Synoptic Gospels," because they all look at the events they describe from the same point of view; while the standpoint of St. John is quite different. His purpose was not to give the history of our Lord as did the other Evangelists, but to teach the mysteries arising out of that history. For example, St. John says nothing about the circumstances of our Lord's Birth, but he sets forth the _mystery_ which those circumstances embraced,--the Incarnation of the Word, or eternal Son of God. For this reason, the Fourth Gospel is called by ancient writers a "Spiritual Gospel," because it contains less of historical narrative than the others and more of Doctrine.