† ".. In Just The Same Way....."

† Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 488 Reading 1 Romans 14:7-12 Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself

Web Version   Subscribe   Forward   † Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 488 Reading 1 Romans 14:7-12 Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why then do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 27:1bcde, 4, 13-14 R. ( 13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple. R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Alleluia Matthew 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 15:1-10 The 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 Jesus addressed this parable to them. "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." Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! Daily Meditation: Luke 15:1-10 Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost. (Luke 15:9) How odd that such an effort and so much rejoicing should happen because of one coin or one sheep! Not that the coin or the sheep isn't valuable. They both are. But in each of Jesus' parables today, the owner seems to place a disproportionate value on those lost items. It's especially striking in the case of the coin, which is so small and easy to miss. It seems the owners value the coin and the sheep simply because they belong to them. Maybe this is what Jesus wants to call our attention to today: God is the One who sees and sets our true value. The Pharisees and scribes in today's Gospel complain that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2). In response, Jesus tells two parables that defend the value of such "sinners." Like the lost sheep, we sinners aren't important to God because we've proven our value or merit. We are important because we are his and he loves us. The blessing and reward of repentance, then, is to return and belong to him again, as a child returns to his parent after having wandered off on his own. Every sinner who returns brings immeasurable joy—to everyone! It's hard for us to imagine just how much we mean to God. When we contemplate the delight that the owner takes in finding the lost coin or the lost sheep, we see more than justice restored. We see an overabundance of delight! What was lost has been found! God responds to our return like the woman who found just one lost coin: by inviting all of heaven to rejoice with him (Luke 15:7, 10). To our God, there is no more or less value between people we might call "sinners" and those we might call "saints." God loves each of us, not because of our good deeds, but out of his own goodness. That is the point of the one little coin of limited worldly value. It lifts our eyes to the face of the loving Father who made us, to whom we belong. You were created to behold God and to be united with him in joy! This is the only thing that can truly fulfill you, and it's also what makes repentance so worthwhile. So turn and "gaze on the loveliness of the Lord" today (Psalm 27:4). Listen to him tell you your value. "Thank you, Lord, for the joy of belonging to your family!" Romans 14:7-12 Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 Reflections with Brother Adrian: Ai Audio 2cents From today's Holy Gospel: "....So Jesus addressed this parable to them. "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....." Word of the Lord. Rejoice with me! Says the Lord. On this day, I am embarking on a 3 day retreat into a prison in a nearby city. I will be leaving my flock, my family, my work, my town, to search for a lost soul with our Lord. One of them will be saved, if not more. But it will be an effort and sacrifice of many, and so, I ask for your prayers, because just like a prisoner, we can all become hardened sinners, and then, imprisoned in ourselves, locked in our ways, and become bitter at others, and this bitterness is vile, a poison for the soul. And so, this story is not just for a tattooed guy facing life in prison, but for you who are going about your own business daily, and have lost your way. What "way"? The only true Way, the path to God...our Lord Jesus Himself. Can you make Heaven rejoice? Yes, when you repent. Ahh, everything changes when a sinner repents. Your world changes. When God's grace affects you, you affect those around you. Joy permeates forever, and we ask others to rejoice with us in the Lord. And then love of God, becomes contagious! Audio of Random Verse Random Bible Verse 1 Jeremiah 23:23–24 "Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD." . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com God Bless You! Peace Going4th For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com ©2025 Going4th | Andrews TX Preferences   Subscribe   Forward   Unsubscribe     Powered by GoDaddy Email Marketing ®