31st Week Yr LK 15: 1-10
6:30AM - SAM = Augustine Monastery, Nova Scotia, Canada
In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah....as well as in today’s Gospel.........we see a GOD Who constantly searches out....&...searches after the Souls of all mankind. He is a GOD of Mercy & Compassion...a GOD of Concern & Love for every single Human whom He created......& to whom He gave the Breath of Life.
God is truly concerned about every person’s life....& especially for our Immortal Souls.
This is the meaning of Divine Revelation & of the God Who...as St Paul wrote....
......”God wills all men to be saved...& to come to the Knowledge of Truth.”
The GOOD SHEPHERD is so concerned about ALL of His sheep...that He forever seeks out the Lost...the Betrayed...the Downtrodden....the Forgotten...especially the Sinner. The Good Shepherd doesn’t want a single one of His Sheep to be Lost...NOT a single one! This Is WHY He is called the Good Shepherd.
But even the Good Shepherd cannot catch a stray Sheep...IF it persists stubbornly in running away from God, Church, Mass, Prayer & Sacraments. At some point the Good Shepherd will win out...BUT ONLY IF...the Sheep turns even slightly towards GOD....at least with a longing for help....by asking GOD for help.... just as St Peter did when he fell into the Sea of Galilee & cried out.......”Lord save me...I am perishing.”
We are all weak. We all need to recognize this. We all need to remind ourselves of this ...perhaps more often....of our great need for God’s Help & Grace. ONLY in Christ can we find ALL that we need. Only Christ....the God made Incarnate.....has ALL the Grace, Mercy, & Understanding of what is IN us. The Lord God created us and.......”knows what we need even before we ask Him”.
God always respects our FREE WILL. He will never Force us against our Will. We can WALK WITH Christ...or we can WALK AWAY from Christ & His Church. What we do is up to us...&
HOW we make good use of all the Graces.....the Good Shepherd gives us each day.
IF ONLY we turn towards the Good Shepherd....then Our Lord will do the rest. He will lift us up & put us on His Shoulders...& carry us........to our true Home in Heaven!