Daily Mass Gospel Reflection - His Will for All, for One

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 8.9.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

MATTHEW 18:1–5, 10, 12–14

Friends, one feature of today’s Gospel passage is the craziness of the shepherd:
"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?"
Well, the implied answer is "No."
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 disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name
receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you,
he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way,
it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost."+++