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Gospel: Matthew 18: 12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Packed inside this tiny parable are a few important reminders for the Church today.
First, notice the source of the shepherd’s joy. It does not come from passively tending to his flock; rather, from the active pursuit of the lost.
Meaning, faith prevents us from standing idly while others wander away from the Church. We have to seek them out until they’re found.
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Second, consider who wandered off – one of the original members of the flock. This parable is not about bringing new souls to the faith; it’s about caring for those who already belong, but have strayed.
I’m sure we can all think of someone who is either on the margins of the Church, on their way out, or has lost their faith. While Christ commands us to have a missionary spirit, we must also be intentional about not losing those already baptized into the Church.
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What would it look like for the Church to care for Catholics on the margins? How can we re-invigorate the faith of those who’ve fallen away?
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Finding concrete answers to such questions should make us rejoice.
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Image credits: (1) EDUCAUSE Review (2) Holy and Healthy Catholic (3) Facebook