Love will find us

The readings today complement each other to convey one message: the Lord is the Lord of the lost and those who did not leave. The parables of the lost ship and lost coin demonstrate the unconditional acceptance of God for all. The admission to God’s fold is irrevocable even by sin.

This Gospel speaks in the context of tax collectors who wished to dine with him like what he did with Zacchaeus a few chapters ago. Zacchaeus was a publican, a leader of the tax collectors. We all know the story. Jesus asked him to come down because he is meant to go into his house and dine with him.

Zacchaeus was as man caught by surprise by acceptance, forgiveness and love. The tax collectors and Zacchaeus are descendants of Abraham as well, and Jesus would like to restore them and reintegrate them into the fold of Abraham’s favor. Jesus always initiates the process of restoration and reintegration.

Paul puts it very nicely: why do you criticise or despise your brother or sister in relation to his or her being lost? Why do we need to play the judgement card when we will all be judged by God? We are all owned by God. Some choose to be lost, and some choose to remain. For us who opted to stay and remained and be the good one, we are asked to examine our conscience not in relation to the disobedience of the lost but by our love for God which made us remain.

Paul encourages us, if we live, we live for the Lord. It means, may God be the reason why we remained. May our desire for God be the reason to have remained and not to have the opportunity and audacity to judge those who opted otherwise.

The readings are very beautiful because they show an image of retrieval operation by God, a painful and costly recovery operation for the lost. (Dainzon) When you retrieve or recover something, that something is of great value. The parables are responses to the Pharisees and scholars of the Law who have abandoned the lost and left them out in the cold.

Amidst our sinfulness, love will find us.

Jesus will find us.

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READINGS

FIRST READING

Rom 14:7-12

Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters:

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord,

   and if we die, we die for the Lord;

   so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

For this is why Christ died and came to life,

   that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why then do you judge your brother or sister?

Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;

   for it is written:

      As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,          and every tongue shall give praise to God.

So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Ps 27:1bcde, 4, 13-14

R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

   whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life's refuge;

   of whom should I be afraid?

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

One thing I ask of the LORD;

   this I seek:

To dwell in the house of the LORD

   all the days of my life,

That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD

   and contemplate his temple.

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD

   in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD with courage;

   be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

GOSPEL

Lk 15:1-10

There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

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.”