HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THIRTY – FIRST WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR B
(Philippians 3:3-8, Psalm 104:2-7, Luke 15:1-10).
The love God has for sinners is something that is difficult to explain. It is unquestionably intriguing. His mercy supersedes our acts of disobedience and faults. It would sound so crazy and ridiculous to consider as sane, the person who would decide to abandon His ninety-nine sheep to go in search of one lost sheep. Is it really possible to sacrifice everything because of one disobedient sheep?
Indeed God’s love for us, who are sinners is great, such that, He cannot abandon them to their fate and whose consequences are death and destruction for eternity. This example would go a long way to tell us how important such a sheep is to the shepherd and to God who cannot bear to even loose one sheep.
In the gospel of today, we see how critical the scribes and the Pharisees were about the tax collectors. They have already confirmed these tax collectors as lost, condemned and cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But these were the people that Jesus gathered around Himself.
The gospel tells us that, “the tax collectors and sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what He had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So He spoke this parable to them:
“What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:1-10).
This parable has so much to teach us. First God does not distinguish between those who are righteous from those who are sinners. He took everyone as His children and showers His mercy on everyone. Thus, we should learn to forgive our offenders and bring them to the light instead of discarding them.
The joy that God get over the repentance of a sinner is difficult to describe. It sounds so unreal that, someone who should be angry that He is offended is now the one going after sinners and rejoicing when He gets them back.
A sinner is one who is broken enough to acknowledge that he or she is weak and in need of God’s mercy. The mercy of God heals every brokenness in us and washes us clean to be fit again to come into His presence. Very often, many of us considers those who are sinners as those who are being condemned for life and could not enjoy the presence of God.
We distance ourselves from them as if they are people with leprosy and could be contaminated by their sins. In truth, everyone of us are sinners. We commit sins often, though we may not have realised it. Sin is a human habit born out of concupiscence.
We sin in different ways, that is, through our thought, words, actions and omission. In that case, like these people we considered as sinners, we are in need of the mercy of God. God love sinners so much, that He abandons everything to go in search of that one lost sheep that goes astray.
When we come in contact with those we consider as sinners, how do we treat them? Do we completely condemn them or do we look on them with love and mercy like Jesus?
Today is a better time to repent and return back to God. If we have gone astray through our sins, we have the opportunity now to come back to Christ. Let us begin now returning back to Christ and begin anew. Peace be with you.The love God has for sinners is something that is difficult to explain. It is unquestionably intriguing. His mercy supersedes our acts of disobedience and faults. It would sound so crazy and ridiculous to consider as sane, the person who would decide to abandon His ninety-nine sheep to go in search of one lost sheep. Is it really possible to sacrifice everything because of one disobedient sheep?
Indeed God’s love for us, who are sinners is great, such that, He cannot abandon them to their fate and whose consequences are death and destruction for eternity. This example would go a long way to tell us how important such a sheep is to the shepherd and to God who cannot bear to even loose one sheep.
In the gospel of today, we see how critical the scribes and the Pharisees were about the tax collectors. They have already confirmed these tax collectors as lost, condemned and cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But these were the people that Jesus gathered around Himself.
The gospel tells us that, “the tax collectors and sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what He had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So He spoke this parable to them:
“What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:1-10).
This parable has so much to teach us. First God does not distinguish between those who are righteous from those who are sinners. He took everyone as His children and showers His mercy on everyone. Thus, we should learn to forgive our offenders and bring them to the light instead of discarding them.
The joy that God get over the repentance of a sinner is difficult to describe. It sounds so unreal that, someone who should be angry that He is offended is now the one going after sinners and rejoicing when He gets them back.
A sinner is one who is broken enough to acknowledge that he or she is weak and in need of God’s mercy. The mercy of God heals every brokenness in us and washes us clean to be fit again to come into His presence. Very often, many of us considers those who are sinners as those who are being condemned for life and could not enjoy the presence of God.
We distance ourselves from them as if they are people with leprosy and could be contaminated by their sins. In truth, everyone of us are sinners. We commit sins often, though we may not have realised it. Sin is a human habit born out of concupiscence.
We sin in different ways, that is, through our thought, words, actions and omission. In that case, like these people we considered as sinners, we are in need of the mercy of God. God love sinners so much, that He abandons everything to go in search of that one lost sheep that goes astray.
When we come in contact with those we consider as sinners, how do we treat them? Do we completely condemn them or do we look on them with love and mercy like Jesus?
Today is a better time to repent and return back to God. If we have gone astray through our sins, we have the opportunity now to come back to Christ. Let us begin now returning back to Christ and begin anew. Peace be with you.
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