Rejoice with me...

This Sunday, we will hear again the Gospel reading from Luke 15: 1-32 about the lost sheep, the woman’s lost coin, and the prodigal son. Each time I hear these parables, I wonder about the emotional energy and effort that goes into the search for these things. It is with reflection and reading that it becomes clearer that Jesus uses the stories that he tells us, over and over, to remind us of God’s great love for each of us, no matter how small, insignificant or imperfect we might be.

Jesus is teaching us again that each of us is precious and worthy in God’s eyes, even when we are lost or go astray. Just as there is rejoicing in each parable over the finding of the small lost sheep, the one lost coin of many, or the son who rejects his good upbringing and the love of his father, so we can expect the same love and joy from our God when we are ‘found’.

In turn, we are challenged, with Jesus and his parables as our guide, to respond to those ‘little ones’ who are lost. Daily in our lives we are made aware of those in our communities who are lost or who have gone astray, often not of their choice. Our response, through our awareness of the principles that underpin Catholic Social Justice, is surely to open our hearts and eyes to see the small and insignificant, and to rejoice in their finding: to selflessly break through our set and easy ways, demonstrating and rejoicing in our privileged capacity to forgive, love and care for others.

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable,

Because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.