Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- Lost and Found

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 9.11.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

Friends, today’s Gospel passage recounts the story of the shepherd finding his lost sheep.
Let’s look at that lost sheep.
A sheep is something more than a lost coin—which is to say,
it has mobility, sense, appetites, and so on.
Many years ago, when I was on retreat at the Abbey of Tamie in the Alps,
I heard the desperate bleating of a sheep who had fallen into a pit.
All night he cried, knowing that he was in trouble
and hoping that someone would come to save him.

There are souls who are like the lost sheep. Spiritually compromised,
fundamentally unable to help themselves, they are at least aware that they are in a mess.
They are like people who commence the AA process
by admitting that they have hit bottom and are out of control.
They bleat, they cry for help.

And God finds them—and when he finds them,
he carries them back, for they are unable to move on their own.

[MurphsLaw]

+++ 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 to them he addressed this parable.
“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.

“Or what woman having ten coins
and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have
found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the
angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

Then he said,
“A man had two sons, and the younger
son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your
estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son
collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance
on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of
the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the
swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the
pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired
workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father
and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called
your son;
treat me as you would treat one of
your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his
father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and
kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called
your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and
put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead,
and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in
the field
and, on his way back, as he neared
the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and
asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the
fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your
orders;
yet you never gave me even a young ;
goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns,
who swallowed up your property with
prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened
calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me
always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and
rejoice,
because your brother was dead and
has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”+++