First reading Romans 14:7-12
Each of us must give an account of himself to God
The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord. This explains why Christ both died and came to life: it was so that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. This is also why you should never pass judgement on a brother or treat him with contempt, as some of you have done. We shall all have to stand before the judgement seat of God; as scripture says: By my life – it is the Lord who speaks – every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God. It is to God, therefore, that each of us must give an account of himself.
Responsorial Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
Gospel Luke 15:1-10
There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner
The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:
‘What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance.
‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it? And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” she would say “I have found the drachma I lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’
__________________________________________________
Lost and found
The shepherd left the 99 sheep in the wilderness to search for the one lost sheep, despite the risks of the others wandering off or being harmed. In a profit-driven world, few would choose to seek just one lost sheep. The woman lost one drachma, worth a day’s wages for a labourer in Jesus’ time. Although she had nine others, she valued the lost coin highly. She lit her lamp and searched diligently until she found it. In a throwaway culture, many would not bother looking for a single lost drachma.
In God’s eyes, every lost sheep is worthy, and every lost drachma is valuable. This is the Good News! Our God is the God of the lost. Like the shepherd and the woman in the parables, God goes to extraordinary lengths to find and restore those who are lost. Therefore, when we find ourselves wandering away from Him or feeling undervalued and forgotten by others, we can be assured that we are relentlessly pursued and unconditionally loved by God. The path to His heart is always open.
Questions for Reflection:
In my life, have I experienced being lost and then found by God? How then can I step out of my comfort zone and seek the lost today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
