Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: September 12, 2010
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/September/24thC.htm - Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:
Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-32
http://www.usccb.org/nab/091210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_09_12.mp3
Next Sunday's Gospel reading is an assurance of God's desire to regain what has been lost. Our Lord is a God of reconciliation and renewal. He pursues those who have strayed from the truth. Why? Because he cares – he cares more than you and I do about the people we know who are "lost sheep" or "lost treasures" like the coin in this parable.
Think of the people who have been lost to you because they have abandoned you. God cares and is pursuing them to bring healing to the relationship, and he will continue his efforts even until they take their last earthly breath (sometimes the healing comes after death). And think of people who are neglecting their faith. Jesus is a Good Shepherdwho will never give up pursuing them.
Why? Because their value to your family or to the Church is missing. Their absence is depleting the strength of the community. And God, who is the source of the life of the community, is doing everything possible – well, even the impossible – to lead them to repentance and healing and a safe return.
We cannot leave it all up to God to do, however. He works through us, but when we've tried and our influence is nil, it's better not to push. We can trust that God is continually working on the problem. We can believe that Jesus is still chasing after them, even though they hide from him. He is not far from them, even though they push him away.
If there is something else we can do to invite them back into the sheepfold, we need to do it, or else we will have to explain to Jesus why we didn't. Why did we fail to love the sinner, the strayer, the abandoner as much as he loves them? Why did we let them stray away without researching how we could help them? Have we done anything to push them away?
We'd better repent of our own guilt immediately. Our humility will free them from the chains of our imperfect love so that they can better recognize the perfect love that Jesus is offering to them.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
Who are the lost sheep and missing treasures of your family and your parish community? What will you do this week to reveal Jesus and his merciful love for them? Is there a parish ministry or an evangelization program that you could join to learn how to better help others turn to Jesus?
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
When the lost are not ready yet to turn to Jesus or return to us or to the Church, how do our attempts to give them Jesus prepare them for an eventual conversion? Is it worth trying, even if we don't see any fruits for our efforts? Even if it includes sacrifice and extra humility on our part?
STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
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http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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