“He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hill side and go and look for the lost sheep.” (Mt 18:12)

“He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hill side and go and look for the lost sheep.” (Mt 18:12)

Today’s Passage: Mt 18:12-14

Meditation: After my silent retreat in the last week on “the joy of the gospel” of Pope Francis, the Lord gave me another message on this passage. It is really challenging and worth meditating too. A man, who had hundred sheep, one day found that one of his sheep lost on the way home. He is asking us today to respond or address to the question, “What do you think a man does who has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost?”

Jesus’ answer is of course there. But from the bottom of our heart, how do we answer to it? If we have the mind set up of “the majority” or “plenty,” we will surely be tempted to leave the one and stay with the ninety-nine. For the risk is found in leaving the ninety-nine and losing some more of the sheep. Therefore, one percent of the lost is taken for granted; the lost is lost, let us be careful of the rest of the sheep.

They will have their own justification or philosophy, as to the entire ninety-nine is otherwise to lose their shepherd. They are well comfortable with that thinking. But in “the joy of the gospel” Pope Francis says, “All of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the gospel.” (EG 20)

Leaving the ninety-nine therefore also means leaving the comfort zone of our life. We may be comfortable with the ninety-nine who are obedient, obliging, loyal etc. But the good shepherd is also concerned with the comfort of the lost one who lost both shepherd and the ninety-nine. He is not judging him there rather caring and bringing home back. May god help to leave our comfort zones of lives for the better comfort of the lost ones! 

        

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. Teach us, O Lord, how to be a shepherd in our ministries and states of life. We are always judgmental in our lives and lose many souls. Let us have a loving and caring gaze of a good shepherd in relationships so that we may bring many into your flock. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

 Greetings: God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Tuesday…