Reading 1 Rom 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 Ps 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.
Gospel Lk 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."
Meditation: Luke 15:1-10
“Rejoice with me!” (Luke 15:6)
Have you ever been so excited about something that you couldn’t wait to tell everyone about it? It may be a new song you heard on the radio or an article you read online. It may even be a new friend you just made. Whatever it was, you simply had to share it. This is how Jesus wants us to feel about him. He wants to see us eager to tell people about him and the way he has worked in our lives —all so that more and more people will turn to him and receive his salvation.
Today’s Gospel reading tells us how carefully Jesus searches for all of us. Day and night, he is on the lookout for people who are ready to be “found” by him. And he is asking us to join him in this work. He wants to send us out into the highways and the byways, looking for people to tell about his love and mercy.
But how do you tell someone the greatest and most important story in the world without sounding overly dramatic or like a know-it-all? So often when we think about evangelization, we think about communicating doctrine or retelling the entire story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Too often, we place unrealistically high expectations on ourselves and end up feeling defeated before we even start. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
The perfect strategy can be summed up in two simple words: Be yourself. Talk about your own experiences of God’s love. Talk about how surprised you were by the simplicity and the power of the message. Share an insight you received in prayer or at a recent Mass. Talk about an answered prayer or an unexpected little miracle. Scripture exhorts us to “always be ready” with an “explanation” of our faith and hope (1 Peter 3:15). It’s easy enough to do if we just keep in mind how good the Lord has been to us. Then, when the opportunity arises, we can share our stories.
How delightful it will be to rejoice with the Lord over all those who once were lost but now are found!
“Jesus, I want to tell everyone about your unfailing love! Send me to people who need to know you, and equip me for the work at hand.”
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