Today's Gospel

Do You Need to Be Rescued?

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. Today's reading comes from the Gospel of Luke 15:1-10. "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Jesus, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured saying, 'This man receives sinners, and He eats with them.' So He told them this parable. 'What man among you having 100 sheep, if he lost 1, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the 1 which is lost until he finds it. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost." Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over 1 sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having 10 silver coins, if she loses 1 coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found a coin which I had lost." Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.'"

What jumps out at you today? Is it the lost coin? Is it the lost sheep? Is it just the incessant hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees? And do you feel like the-- do you feel like the lost? Has there been a time in your life when you felt like the lost? Or is there someone in your life who you feel like is lost at this moment? And perhaps you have anguish about the fact that they're lost and don't know how to go out and find them and bring them back. What is it that is lost in your life at the moment? Maybe you don't feel completely lost, but there might be one aspect of your life that is lost and that needs to be brought back to the sheepfold. And so the danger is to think that we are found, other people are lost. And the reality is that, probably at every time in our lives, there's some aspect of ourselves that is lost. Or there's some aspect of our lives that has wandered off the path that needs to be brought back. And it's easy to focus on other people being lost. And it's easy to overlook the fact that we are all lost in our own way. And so let's take a few quiet moments today, reflect on, "How am I lost?" Or, "What part of my life is lost?" Or, "What aspect of my life is lost?" Let's turn that over to the Lord and ask Him to rescue us in our lostness. Have a great day and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.