HOMILY, OF THURSDAY OF THE 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
Phil 3:3-8a, Luke 15:1-10
For Jesus, one soul is worth searching for. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” Luke 15:4-6
As Christians, we are called to be soul-winners. The lost sheep could be a disobedient one or an ignorant one who got lost in the wilderness as a result of cheer, “I can stand on my own” attitude. Whatever may be the reason, the Lord desires that we take the salvation of all souls as paramount.
Likewise, any nation that does not cherish the lives of every single member of her citizenry is not worthy of the name. It is praiseworthy for the American troop to take a great risk by coming down to Nigeria to rescue an American citizen who was held in hostage by kidnappers. That should be a lesson to Nigerian government that do not mind denying or closing her eyes to the record of wanton killing of her citizens under her own close watch.
No one is insignificant. May the good Lord increase his love in our heart that human souls may be of value to us. We are precious to him. May he find us if, and when we are lost.
