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.
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Reflection:
Do you sometimes doubt the infinite love and mercy of God? Do you sometimes feel that you are not anymore worthy of the love of God for the reason that you’ve offended God for so many times already.
God’s love is always there for you. No matter who you are and no matter how grave the sins that you have committed, God’s love is always there for you. As a matter of fact God is always seeking you and ever ready to embrace you with HIS unconditional love once again.
In our gospel for this Sunday, we have three stories of God’s love and mercy. The first story is about the lost sheep. The moment the owner discovered that one of HIS one hundred sheep was missing. HE left behind the ninety nine to look for the lost one; HE never stopped searching until HE found it. The same is true with the story of the lost coin, the woman did not stop searching for the lost coin until she found it.
The third story is about the prodigal son, the younger son asked for his share of his inheritance from his father. So he was given his share then after a short time the younger son wasted his inheritance thru his life of dissipation. After realizing that he had nothing more left, he went back to his father and begged for his mercy and forgiveness. And that mercy and forgiveness were immediately bestowed upon him by his loving father without any precondition.
This is the love of God, it’s a love that is always seeking and forgiving. Let us therefore embrace this love of God and let us permanently walk away from our sins. Let us ask God to forgive us of our many sins for He will surely forgive us. Let us never forget that Jesus is a God of mercy, a God who always seeks us no matter how wasted and sinful we are. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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