Second Saturday of Advent

 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. O shepherd of Israel, hearken, From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power.

Sometimes we can become lost in the world and need God’s help to find our way back to Him. We need His Light to show us the way. We need to see His Face in family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers so we might be reminded He is always with us. We need His guidance and protection to lead us where we are called to go. We need Him to shine forth and rouse His Divine Power to save us from the temptations of the world and even from ourselves. All these things should lead us to turn to God in our lives and help others do the same.

Are we allowing God to be our spiritual shepherd? How can we be more faithful followers of Christ? How can we reflect the face of God to all whom we meet each day?

O Lord, let us see your face and be saved.

Amen.

Thirty-First Thursday of Ordinary Time

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.’

We should all strive to find sinners and lead them back to God. We should never give up on them, even if they make it painful and difficult to bring them back. Nor should we be discouraged if they refuse to return with us and continue to run away from their Lord and Savior. We are to be satisfied with seeking out, finding, and offering help to those in most need of God's Love and Mercy. We cannot save everyone, but we can search for them and let them know there is a way back. And sometimes we shall have to carry a person back upon our shoulders, weighed down with their burdens, but if we are faithful and trust in God, He shall give us the strength to carry our living crosses just as Jesus did so long ago. Then, when we reach the finish line, we shall be able to see all those whom we helped along the way and they shall bear us on their shoulders and proclaim that we were good and faithful servants to them and to God.

Are we willing to set aside our own plans, needs, and wants to help others to return to God? How can we help others to find God and a place in paradise? Are we willing to carry others back to God when they are too lost or weak to do it on their own?

O Lord, we rejoice in every lost sheep you send our way.

Amen.

Nineteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.

When we lose something, we often spend a lot of time and effort looking for it. Whether it is something of great value or small, we still will look. We don't like the idea of losing things and so we, like the shepherd rejoice when we find what was lost to us… no matter how small. Even if the effort involved in finding the thing is out of proportion to what was lost, we are excited to find lost things. In the same way, God is overjoyed when one of his lost sheep is found and returns to His beloved flock. He sees each of us as worth every effort to save and in light of this, we all should look at each other as worth saving, too. This isn't to say everyone can be saved, but rather we should make the effort to save others when we have the chance.

Are we more like the lost sheep or the shepherd? How can we not only follow God, but also lead others back to Him? What can we do to ensure those who are entrusted to us are brought closer to God through our words and works?

O Lord, seek me when I am lost and help me to lead others to you.

Amen.

Fourteenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Jesus calls us all to seek out his lost sheep and proclaim the kingdom of God is at hand. The lost sheep in our lives can be family, friends, neighbors, and strangers who have lost their way in life and need someone to guide them back to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To lead someone back to the faith is one of the most important acts of love and mercy we can perform in our lives. We might not always succeed and may even suffer because of our attempts, but no matter what happens as long as we do our best to bring people home to God, then that is all that matters.

Who are the lost sheep in our lives? What can we do to lead them back to God? How do our thoughts, words, and works proclaim the kingdom to all we meet?

O Lord, help us to lead your lost sheep home.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

"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."

It is much easier to cut our losses and walk away from problematic people, then to go the extra mile for them and find a way to mend our relationships with them. However, this is what we are called to do. It is part of our vocation to love God and others without holding back. Jesus would search for us if we were lost, lift us up, and carry us back to our heavenly home. We should do no less for those around us. We should be willing to search for a way to know, love, and serve those who are lost and help them to find God and themselves through our acts of charity and mercy. By doing this, we reveal the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus through our words and works and show them what it means to be Christ-like. We also give all of heaven a reason to rejoice and be glad for all those whom our actions touch.

Are we willing to seek out the lost no matter the cost? What can we do to lead them back to God and the safety of our heavenly home? Who are the people in our lives in most need of being carried back to God?

O Lord, help us to find your lost sheep.

Amen.

Thirty-First Thursday of Ordinary Time

“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.”

It’s easy to love and relate with those whom we like. It is much more difficult to love those whom we do not like. However, this is what Jesus is calling us to do. He is asking us to go out of our way for those whom are lost in sin. We can’t do that if we judge the lost and decide they cannot be saved or are too much trouble to deal with. Instead, we need to love everyone as best we can and show them the mercy Jesus would if he was with us. We need to be willing to go the extra mile to know, love, and serve those who are in most need of God’s Love and Mercy. Thankfully, we are not alone. Jesus is with us and always willing to give us a hand.

Are we willing to search out those in need of God’s Love and Mercy? Do we make Jesus present to others through our thoughts, words, and works? Do we love everyone, even those we dislike, just as Jesus would?

O Lord, let us help you to find your lost sheep and bring them back into the fold.

Amen.