SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES, RELIGIOUS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

I have found my lost sheep.

If you want a snapshot of what radiates from the heart of God—his love, his kindness, his persistence—you just have to reflect on today’s Gospel reading. In Jesus’ two parables, we see a God who will go out into the wilderness and turn things upside down in order to bring his lost ones home.

We know this to be true because each of us has seen and heard about people whose lives were radically changed when they turn to the Lord. Though the stories differ in the details, they all have a common thread: they show us a God who loved them fiercely enough to pursue them through all of life’s circumstances. They also tell us that our God isn’t just concerned about the person who has it all together. He goes after the far-off, the confused, the rebellious, and the forsaken.

Think of the man who grew up with gang violence and committed devastating crimes. God finds him behind bars. Or the woman who lives on the streets and is addicted to drugs. God finds her in a shelter, heals her emotional wounds, and frees her from her addiction. Or the atheist millionaire who seems to have everything but can’t escape a feeling of emptiness. God finds him when he is alone in his office and gives him a new vision for his life.

Our Father sent Jesus into the world to rescue us from the dominion of darkness and bring us into his kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). That means that God won’t ever stop pursuing us. He wants all of his children to enjoy his love and to experience the healing and freedom that he offers. This is true for us, and it’s true for our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our coworkers. It’s even true for the person you’d least expect to turn to him!

Today, let’s rest in the confidence of a God who loves us more than we can fathom. He will go after the one lost sheep when ninety-nine are safe, and he rejoices with all the saints and angels in heaven when he finds him (Luke 15:7). If he has done this for so many before us, surely he will continue to do it until the end of time.

“Lord, bring home all those who are lost and confused, especially the people I am praying for right now.”

Philippians 3:3-8
Psalm 105:2-7
Luke 15:1-10