Posted on 08/13/2024 7:35:41 AM PDT by fidelis
“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." Matthew 18:12–14
It is so easy to go astray. There are many wandering souls who are lost, confused, and in need of the Shepherd. Perhaps there are many reasons for this straying, including the lure of fleshly indulgence, the lure of money, temptations toward pride, anger, and selfishness, confusion, and much more. Today’s Gospel passage is not so much about the fact that people do stray; rather, it’s about God’s desire to win them back.
When a person strays from God, they are left empty. That is the reality of our human condition. The only way to be satisfied in life is to give yourself to God out of love. God and God alone fulfills us. God and God alone can bestow joy and happiness upon us. So when a person is straying and is left empty inside, they have to make a choice. Will they repent of their sins and turn back to God? Or will they continue to seek satisfaction elsewhere?
One of the greatest obstacles to repenting of one’s sins and turning back to God is our pride. It is hard to admit to sin. It is hard to admit we went astray. It is hard to take ownership of what we have done and turn to God for His mercy and compassion.
Today’s Gospel is especially for the sinner who has strayed. It presents us with an image of God that is exceptionally inviting. It’s the image of a God Who goes forth searching for the stray sheep. But the most important image in today’s Gospel is that of the rejoicing of the Shepherd. We must come to realize that when God seeks us out and gets through to us, we should have no shame anymore. God does not condemn the person who has sorrow. Instead, He rejoices and carries that soul back home.
Whenever we start to stray in life and give into a life of sin, we must understand this image of God and know that it applies to us.
The truth is that sin is humiliating. And facing humiliation is difficult. But it’s also purifying. And if you are willing to embrace the humiliation experienced by confessing your sin, an endless amount of freedom awaits. Freedom comes especially in the form of God rejoicing and carrying you home.
Reflect, today, upon the holy image of the Good Shepherd diligently searching for you. See His loving desire to get through to you, to reunite with you, to forgive you, and to lovingly carry you home. Allow fear of judgment to disperse. Humble yourself and acknowledge your sin. Admit that you are incapable of overcoming it by yourself. If you do, the heart of the Good Shepherd will rejoice as He lifts you up and carries you to freedom.
Jesus, my Good Shepherd, Your love and compassion are incredible. You are a God of the utmost mercy. Please open my eyes to see You as You are, and dispel all fear from my heart. Please forgive me of my sin, lift me up, and carry me back to Your fold. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Let us pray.
O Virgin Mother of God, we fly to your protection and beg your intercession against the darkness and sin which ever more envelop the world and menace the Church. Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, gave you to us as our mother as He died on the Cross for our salvation. So too, in 1531, when darkness and sin beset us, He sent you, as Our Lady of Guadalupe, on Tepeyac to lead us to Him Who alone is our light and our salvation.
Through your apparitions on Tepeyac and your abiding presence with us on the miraculous mantle of your messenger, Saint Juan Diego, millions of souls converted to faith in your Divine Son. Through this novena and our consecration to you, we humbly implore your intercession for our daily conversion of life to Him and the conversion of millions more who do not yet believe in Him. In our homes and in our nation, lead us to Him Who alone wins the victory over sin and darkness in us and in the world.
Unite our hearts to your Immaculate Heart so that they may find their true and lasting home in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Ever guide us along the pilgrimage of life to our eternal home with Him. So may our hearts, one with yours, always trust in God's promise of salvation, in His never-failing mercy toward all who turn to Him with a humble and contrite heart. Through this novena and our consecration to you, O Virgin of Guadalupe, lead all souls in America and throughout the world to your Divine Son in Whose name we pray. Amen.
"Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” ”
(Luke 2:34-35)
amen
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
First Reading:
From: Ezekiel 2:8—3:4
The Prophet’s mission
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[2:8] ”But you, son of man, hear what I say to you: be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth, and eat what I give you.” [9] And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and, lo, a written scroll was in it; [10] and he spread it before me; and it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
[3:1] And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. [3] And he said to me. “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
[4] And he said to me, “Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel, and speak with my words to them.
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Commentary:
2:1-3:3. The vision by the river Chebar is all about the grandeur and glory of God, who is sovereign over all things; whereas the account given of the call of Ezekiel tells us about the prophet and about the people of Israel, for whom the message is meant. The prophet is described as a son of man, whom the Spirit moves, a prophet among the people; and they are a rebellious people. The account takes the form of an address by the Lord containing a command to pass his word on to the people (2: 1-7) and a symbolic action in which Ezekiel eats the scroll given to him by God (2:8-3:3).
2:8-3:3. The action of eating the scroll symbolizes to the people that the prophet is faithfully passing on the word of God, and therefore that they should not neglect to take on board anything he says or try to tone it down. It also shows the positive attitude of the prophet himself: he eagerly “fills his stomach” with the words of the Lord even though they are severe. Commenting on this passage, Pope St Gregory the Great points out: “The Holy Scriptures are food and drink to nourish us [....]. The obscure pages, which cannot he understood unless further explanation be provided, are food, because everything must be explained in order to be properly understood, just as everything must be chewed in order to be swallowed. We do not chew what we drink: when the teaching is clear, we swallow it whole, because we are in need of no further explanation. The prophet Ezekiel will hear difficult and obscure words, so he is told to eat the scroll, not to drink it, as if to say, ‘Meditate on this teaching and understand it well’’’ (Homiliae in Ezechielem prophetam, 1,10, 3).
A “written scroll” (2:9): in ancient times books were written on rolls of parchment or on papyrus (see also Jer 36:4).
From: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The "Little Ones" and the Kingdom. The Lost Sheep
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[1] At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" [2] And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, [3] and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. [5] "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.
[10] "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in Heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father who is in Heaven.
[12] "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? [13] And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. [14] So it is not the will of My Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish."
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Commentary:
1-35. The teachings of Jesus recorded in chapter 18 of St. Matthew are often called the "discourse on the Church" or "ecclesiastical discourse" because they are a series of instructions on the way in which His Church is to be administered.
The first passage (Matthew 18:1-5), addressed to leaders, that is, the future hierarchy of the Church, warns them against natural tendencies to pride and ambition: even though they have positions of government, they must act with humility. In verses 6-10 Jesus emphasizes the fatherly care which pastors of the Church should have for the "little ones"--a term which covers everyone in need of special care for whatever reason (because they are recent converts, or are not well grounded in Church teaching, or are not yet adults, etc.)... God takes special care of the weak and will punish those who harm them.
Our Lord shows similar concern for those who are experiencing spiritual difficulties. Every effort, even an heroic effort, must be made to seek out the "lost sheep" (verses 12-14). If the Church in general and each Christian in particular should be concerned to spread the Gospel, all the more reason for them to try and see that those who already embraced the faith do not go astray...
Thus, the whole of Chapter 18, the "discourse of the Church", is a survey of the future history of the Church during its earthly stage, and a series of practical rules for conduct for Christians--a kind of complement to the Sermon on the Mount, (Chapters 5-7), which is a "magna carta" for the new Kingdom established by Christ.
1-6. Clearly the disciples still suffer from human ambition: they want to occupy key positions when Jesus comes to establish the Kingdom on earth (cf. Acts 1:6). To correct their pride, our Lord shows them a child and tells them that if they want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they must decide to be like children: children are incapable of hating anyone and are totally innocent of vice, particularly of pride, the worst vice of all. They are simple and full of trust.
Humility is one of the main pillars of the Christian life. "If you ask me", St. Augustine says, "what is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ, I shall reply: first humility, second humility and third humility" ("Letter 118").
3-4. Applying these words to our Lord's virtues, Fray Luis de Granada makes the point that humility is superior to virginity: "If you cannot imitate the virginity of the humble, then imitate the humility of the virgin. Virginity is praiseworthy, but humility is more necessary. The former is recommended to us, the latter is an obligation for us; to the former we are invited, to the latter we are obliged [...]. And so we see that the former is celebrated as voluntary sacrifice, the latter required as an obligatory sacrifice. Lastly, you can be saved without virginity, but not without humility" ("Summa De La Vida Cristiana", Book 3, Part 2, Chapter 10).
5. Receiving a child in Jesus' name is the same as receiving Jesus Himself. Because children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity and tenderness of our Lord, "In children and in the sick a soul in love sees Him" (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 419).
10. Jesus warns that giving scandal to little children is a very serious matter, for they have angels who guard them, who will plead a case before God against those who led them to commit sin.
In this context He speaks of children having guardian angels. However, everyone, adult or child, has a guardian angel. "By God's providence angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and of accompanying every human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers [...]. Our Heavenly Father has placed over each of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we are" ("St. Pius V Catechism", IV, 9, 4).
This means that we should have a trusting relationship with our guardian angel. "Have confidence in your guardian Angel. Treat him as a lifelong friend--that is what he is--and he will render you a thousand services in the ordinary affairs of each day" (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 562).
12-14. This parable clearly shows our Lord's loving concern for sinners. It expresses in human terms the joy God feels when a wayward child comes back to Him.
Seeing so many souls living away from God, Pope John Paul II comments: "Unfortunately we witness the moral pollution which is devastating humanity, disregarding especially those very little ones about whom Jesus speaks."
"What must we do? We must imitate the Good Shepherd and give ourselves without rest for the salvation of souls. Without forgetting material charity and social justice, we must be convinced that the most sublime charity is spiritual charity, that is, the commitment for the salvation of souls. And souls are saved with prayer and sacrifice. This is the mission of the Church!" ("Homily to the Poor Clares of Albano," 14 August 1979).
As the RSV points out, "other ancient authorities add verse 11, "For the Son of Man came to save the lost"--apparently taken from Luke 19:10.
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