Reflection for November 7 Thursday of the Thirty-first 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:

The story is told about a father who had already given up on his wayward son who was in and out of prison. He said to his son, “I already give up on you, I now give you to Jesus and I hope He finds you.” After ten long years the lost son who was given up by his father was found by Jesus and became a priest. 

Finding the lost is one of the most important reasons why Jesus walked on this earth. This is the character of Jesus, always searching and always reaching out to us who are lost. No matter who we may be, no matter the sins that we’ve committed and no matter how many we may be, Jesus desires to find us all and bring us once again to His loving embrace. 

These actions of Jesus of not giving up invites us to reflect about our own actions toward our fellow men and women. How many times have we given up or judged them simply because they are lost or wayward based on our judgment. But who are we to judge and give up on the lost and who are we to condemn them as good for nothing? 

Many times over we’ve been lost also because of our sinfulness yet Jesus has not given up on us even for a single moment. So we must also not give up on the lost and we should not also judge the lost. Let us rather reach out to them and let us make them feel the unconditional love of Jesus. 

We have wayward relatives and friends for the simple reason that we’ve judged them already. We gave up on finding them and we already gave up on showing them the unconditional love and mercy of Jesus. 

Let us never give up on anyone because Jesus has not given up on us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas