Reflection for November 6 Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 15:1-10

Gospel: Luke 15:1-10

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.  

“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.”

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Reflection:

What is our attitude toward the so-called sinners of our society? For instance, if we have a sibling whom we perceive to be a sinner, how would we treat him or her? Would we simply turn away and ignore that person, or would we build a bridge to gently reach out and remind him or her that the love of Jesus knows no bounds? The love of Jesus for each of us is never diminished by the sins we have committed. His mercy endures and patiently waits for our return.

Many of us, in our human weakness, tend to give up on those who are lost. We sometimes feel that we have done enough and can do no more. For example, if we have a spouse or loved one who continuously falls into the same sin despite our forgiveness and patience, our natural reaction might be to surrender in exhaustion and give up on that unrepentant heart. And yet, even when we give up, Jesus never does.

Our Lord continuously seeks out the lost and the broken. He never grows weary of pursuing those who have strayed, until He finds them and restores them with His love. And when He does, He does not ask for explanations or justifications—He simply embraces the sinner with infinite compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.

The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin beautifully reveal this truth. They remind us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s love. We are all sinners who stumble and fall, yet we are also deeply loved children whom Jesus refuses to abandon. There is always hope for us, as long as we are willing to turn away from what causes us to sin and take even one small step back toward Him.

Let us, then, reflect deeply: when someone around us falls, will we choose to condemn and distance ourselves, or will we allow Jesus’ boundless love to move through us—reaching out, forgiving, and restoring the lost? — Marino J. Dasmarinas