Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- Lone Sheep

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 11.04.21 | Aux. Bishop R. Barron

[MurphsLaw]

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

Luke 15:1-10

Friends, one feature of today’s Gospel passage is the craziness of the shepherd: “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” Well, the implied answer is “No one.” Who would take that great a risk, putting the ninety-nine in danger to find the one? It’s just bad economics. Why would God fret over one little soul? Why would he bother?

Well, it’s his nature. It’s what he does. As Catherine of Siena put it, he is pazzo d’amore (crazy in love). God is as crazy for you as if you were the only one in the world.

[MurphsLaw]

+++The tax collectors and sinners
were all drawing near to listen to
Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began
to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats
with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to
them.
“What man among you having a hundred
sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in
the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with
great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and
neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have
found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.+++

[one guy in new jersey]

What is a “lone sheep”?

I know what a lost sheep is, and what a lone wolf is. But a lone sheep? Sounds like a mixed menagerie metaphor. 😉

[MurphsLaw]

Ahh... you caught that…. Yes this is a different kind of sheep though;
One that is easy to overlook …. One we rarely look for, if at all...

The Lone Sheep
December 1, 2009 by myrongrueneich

He always stood off to the side of the sheep lot. Hundreds of lambs would spend each day in gregarious activity inside the sheep lot but this lamb seemed to spend his time isolated from the rest of the flock. If they came close to him, he would turn away. Any lamb that would persist in engaging him would find themselves the brunt of a head bump. Eventually, one by one, they would give up and he would return to his world of one. When the evening would come, frisky lambs would play king on the hill and he would watch from a distance. There were glimpses of a desire to become involved but it was like his feet were cemented to the ground. He was unmovable. Safe in his isolated world, or so it seemed, he was a slave in captivity seeking to escape.

In a big pen of sheep, he was a lone sheep.

Loneliness. It is a dirty word. Yet, today we find ourselves in a world being engulfed in loneliness. In fact, research shows that loneliness is contagious! It spreads like H1N1 flu. People who are around others who are lonely tend to get lonely or leave, thus perpetuating the cycle. How is it that in an age of cell phones, internet, texting, tweeting, facebook, and blogs (no not blogs), that we find ourselves wrestling with this beast. Just yesterday, a woman was sharing how she spent the holiday alone because her family has all moved away and she had to work and it was so lonely. If only they would make a loneliness vaccination for this malady that strikes all of us.

Surely the sheep flock, the body of Christ, is different, right? NOT! Inside the very boundaries of the Father’s sheep pen is found some of the most profound loneliness. Sheep belong to each other and have the same shepherd so they care and nurture each other. Well? They make sure no one is left out and everyone has a place and value. OK? People flock to the sheep pen because of all the places in the whole world, this is a place of inclusion and acceptance. If only that were always true! It is this paradox that makes the loneliness sting like iodine on a wound. Christ followers can experience incredible isolation and separation from the very sheep fold they comprise. Any sheep who has experienced the pain of loneliness can easily spot another sheep in the same condition.

If desiring, you can read the rest of the essay at:
The Lone Sheep

[ebb tide]

I’m not suprised you quote a Baptist to support the heretic Bobby Barron.

[MurphsLaw]

What is your deal?

How is it you can be so desensitized to your own Faith?

Do you think Christ loves are Baptist brethren any Less than you or I???

Dude, what kind of "fruit" is that anyway?

[ebb tide]

VC II fruit = rotten fruit.

What is your faith, murph? Baptist or Catholic?

[ebb tide]

The Fathers of the Church on Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus

Do you reject the above dogma of the Catholic Church, Murph?

[ebb tide]

Do you think Christ loves are Baptist brethren any Less than you or I???

I think God loves me, you, Baptists, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Jorge Bergoglio, James Martin S.J., Bobby Barron the same, Murph.

However, I don't think he'll judge us the same.

[ebb tide]

Do you think Christ loves are Baptist brethren any Less than you or I???

Do you think Christ loves our muslim brethren any less than our Baptist brethren or you or me?

[MurphsLaw]

You're pretty good at deflecting, I'll give you that much....

But I'll tell you again...

As tempting as it may be, Let God do his job... as there is only ONE soul you need be in control of...

And about the other thing... well, you know what your mission is to be...

[ebb tide]

as there is only ONE soul you need be in control of...

Actually, I care not only about my soul but the souls of others: my family's, my neighbors' as God has commanded.

Do you think the apostles and martyrs were only concerned about their own souls, Murph?

[MurphsLaw]

Me...as there is only ONE soul you need be in CONTROL of...

You... Actually, I care not only about my soul but the souls of others: my family's, my neighbors' as God has commanded.

Do you think the apostles and martyrs were only concerned about their own souls, Murph?

You exhaust any charity I can manage these days.
Shame on you.

Go back and read what I wrote. Especially the part where I CLEARLY TYPED:

THERE IS ONLY ONE SOUL YOU NEED TO BE IN CONTROL OF...

Why did you lie and claim I wrote either you shouldn’t be “concerned about” or “care about”?
Very dishonest.

Do you work for CNN?

[ebb tide]

I never claimed what you have accused me of.

Who do you work for? The heretic, Bobby Barron?