Because Sister Marie Told Me So...

Gospel	Luke 15:1-10

There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner

The tax collectors and the 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 neighbors? “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.

  ‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it? And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbors? “Rejoice with me,” she would say “I have found the drachma I lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’

The picture selected for today's reflection is the closest one that I could find to the one I remember from KG where a young Sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Bridget's Church parish school first told me about the love that Jesus had for me and how if I got lost He would come and search for me until He found me.  Being lost is something that six or seven-year-olds fears a lot.  So when Sister said that He would come to find me and I could never be lost, well, that was good enough for me. 

Then again, I was a pretty happy kid back then. But any reassurance that I would be safe and connected was important then and I think it is important now.  

I am not going to go as far as the Protestant fallacy of "once saved, always saved" but I will remind everyone, including myself, that Jesus is not satisfied to leave us on our own desperately trying to find our way back to Him.  His efforts will be mammoth and unending until He finally wins us or we finally reject Him at the time of our death and He honors our wish to go our own way.  It is almost impossible for a soul to end up in hell but they do end up there and the population of the netherworld increases daily just because they choose to go there own way.  Some people believe in hell but say that no one is there because God is not so mean as to send anyone there.  Well, I can agree that God is not mean, for God is love and cannot do anything evil.  It is God's love for us that provides a place such as hell.  He does not want to force us to love Him and will respect our choice to choose to be without Him forever.  Talk about the right to choose!  

Open your soul to Jesus and allow Him to find you and let Him be your guide.  While there is hope, while you draw breath, He will spare no effort to claim you as His own.  Look at the picture (no not the picture of me) and imagine yourself as the lamb being carried on the shoulders of Jesus, safe in the hands of the Master.  What a beautiful thought! 

Please remember the poor souls in Purgatory.