Gospel:Lk 15:1-32
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 to them he addressed this parable. “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.”
Then he said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”‘ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'”
Homily
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To the mother of a friend of mine, nothing was ever lost. It was only misplaced and sooner or later it would reappear followed closely by the refrain; ‘I told you so’. This phrase was an affirmation of her conviction that St. Anthony would direct her to the place where the misplaced object could be found. She would call on St. Anthony and sooner or later St. Anthony would oblige. As her children grew older and were infected by secularism, they would ask her to call on St. Anthony for them and sometimes later rather than sooner what was misplaced would re-appear and they would hear again; ‘I told you so’
The gospel reading for this weekend is a story of losing and finding, although without the help of St. Anthony who was not yet born. It is the story of the loss of things of value; a lamb, a valued coin, a son, a father. It is the story of the ways in which the things which were lost are retrieved.
It is noteworthy that in every incident which the story relates the person who suffered the loss did something to regain that which was lost. The shepherd “goes after the lost one until he finds it”; the woman “lights a lamp and sweeps the house, searching carefully until she finds it”; the son “got up and went back to his father”; the father “caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” If we ask ourselves the reason for action of the part of the protagonists in the story, the answer is very simple. What had been lost was of great value to them. The only actor in the story who did nothing was the elder brother who had no love for his sibling.
That is the truth of human nature. When things are of value to us, we do not let them go very easily, we take care of them and if we lose or misplace them we search diligently for them until we find them and we do whatever is necessary to secure them.
As believers then and as citizens we must re-examine ourselves to discover what is truly of value to us. This evaluation must take place on two levels; first of all on the level of intellect and then on the level of the heart because it is the heart which drives our actions. As believers our intellect tells us that a close personal relationship with God is the greatest value; our actions may tell us however that our comfort and our pleasure may have a higher value for us than our relationship with God. As citizens, intellectually we all value justice and harmony in our nations; our hearts however may have a different priority based on the very individualistic cultures that we embrace.
There is in most of us a dichotomy, greater in some persons than in others, between our minds and our hearts. The challenge for all of us is to bring our minds and hearts into unison. When that happens our actions are directed always towards enhancing our relationship with God and seek always the common good instead of seeking what appears to be our own good to the detriment of others. This is how the saints lived. They developed deep and profound relationships with God and lived searching for the common good. The lives of St. Francis of Assisi; of Mother Teresa of Calcutta; of Mons. Romero, all attest to this. These are the models that we, as believers, are called to follow. May God and his blessed Mother help us in this enterprise!
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, these parables of your Son help us to understand the need to prioritize things in our lives so that we always seek the highest value. Give us the wisdom to always recognize the highest value and the courage and strength to seek it. We ask this through the intercession of Jesus, your Son and Mary, mediatrix of all graces. Amen
