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:
Are you patient enough to look for those who are lost or wayward? Say for example, a sinful relative or a friend; do you have the patience for them? Do you have the time to counsel or even listen to them so that they could find their way back to the loving embrace of the Lord?
There were one hundred sheep being taken care of by the good shepherd, suddenly one went ashtray into the wilderness. The good shepherd left the ninety-nine to patiently look for the lost one. He did not stop until He found it.
The same story goes for the woman with ten silver coins. She lost one silver coin and she never stopped searching for it until she found it.
This is the love of God for us; He never stops looking for us until He finds us, we who are sinners. Jesus never stops loving us no matter how sinful we are. In fact the big-time sinner we are the bigger His love for us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas