Readings & Reflections: Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time & St. Didacus, November 7,2019

The Pharisees and scribes complain about Christ, “This man eats with sinners.” St. Paul asks us, “Why do you judge or look down on your brother or sister?” God’s regard for us is like the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep. Instead of being affronted by Christ’s preference for the unrighteous, it is better to reexamine our self-perception. Do we “live for the Lord” or for our reductive ideas? Let us thank Jesus for his mercy on us; not only does he eat with us, he is our Food.

AMDG+

Opening Prayer

“Lord, let your light dispel the darkness that what is lost may be found and restored.  Let your light shine through me that others may see your truth and love and find hope and peace in you. May I never doubt your love nor take for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may be merciful as you are merciful.” In Jesus’ Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

Reading I
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.

The word of the Lord.

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.

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – Judgment on your brother

In Palestine the mark of a married woman was a headdress made of ten silver coins linked together by a silver chain. A girl’s desire is to save and to amass her ten coins. The headdress was almost equivalent to her wedding ring. When she had it, it was so inalienably hers that it could not be taken from her for debt. This is one of the coins that the woman lost in today’s parable. She searched for it as any woman would search for her lost marriage ring. Luke 15:8-9 says: “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?”

In the New Testament a wedding represents the day when our Lord Jesus will return to bring His people to the Father’s heavenly kingdom. The wedding that will take place is the marriage ceremony of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, to his bride the church.

Today we have God being compared to the woman who lost a coin in her headgear. He searches for every lost soul until the return of His only Son Jesus. If the lost soul is not found by the day of His return, then there will be one less jewel in the bride’s crown. But Jesus in His love for all of us searches for us as the lost jewels in the bride’s crown, the Church. If one is not found and brought back to God even up to the time of His return then he is like a lost jewel that was not placed back in the bride’s crown. He will not be a part of the wedding and will not be able to partake of the abundance during the wedding feast.

We may be presently lost in this world because of sin. We may be wallowing in the filth of sin and our hearts deeply stained by our wrong doings. We may be like the lost coin, a lost soul plunged in the world and overwhelmed with love and care for it. But we should be consoled that each and every man on earth is valuable to the Lord. The Lord sees everyone as crown jewels. He patiently and diligently searches for us in the dark night of the world until the morning dawns. And when morning breaks, Jesus Christ will come and rapture every jewel that is to be placed in the bride’s crown.

All heaven will rejoice when God finds those who are to be his as the headdress or crown of the church, complete with all of its jewels. “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.” Every jewel represents each and every soul that is saved by the blood of the Lamb.

God reminds us that if we have not turned toward the light and have persisted to hide in the darkness of our sinful lives and if we have refused to respond to His call to be one of His precious jewels, before the commencement of the wedding ceremony in heaven, then we might not make it  to His kingdom. We might be too late to be a jewel in the bride’s crown. We might be too late to be a part of the church of Jesus Christ.

Our Lord is presently searching for his lost coins, his lost people, in the dark house of the world. He has lighted a lamp through the gospel, to show us the way to him. In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness.”

Jesus Christ is the lamp that is lit in the darkness of the present world and He is like a city set on a hill, a lighthouse that can be seen from miles away. He shines his light so that we might find our way to Him in the dark and dusty night. God sent His only Son, our Lord Jesus, into the world for a reason. He walked among the dirt and filth of the world. He lived among the sinful in order to bring back the lost to God, in order to sift the good from the bad.

Jesus is waiting for everyone’s return… He is alone by the wayside! He found me a sinner and made me a repentant heart. He too may be looking for you… try to look back as you might just have missed Him!

“Rejoice… there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Direction

Turn toward the light and become a gemstone reflecting the light of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give me the grace to be always aligned to You and your will so that I may forever be your gemstone and a part of our Lord’s wedding entourage. In Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Reflection 2 – Joy Over One

There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. —Luke 15:10

Many Christians have succumbed to the false notion that their witness to one individual doesn’t count for much. But that certainly isn’t supported by what we read in the Gospels. Even though Jesus’ public ministry was limited to a little more than 3 years, He was never too busy to deal with one person at a time.

It’s true that Jesus preached to multitudes in Judea, fed 5,000 people gathered by the Sea of Galilee, and ministered to the large crowds in Capernaum. Yet He never lost sight of the value of one soul!

We are encouraged when we read of His conversation at night with one man named Nicodemus (John 3); of His visit with one woman at a well in Samaria (John 4); and of His personal interest in one man named Zacchaeus, who had climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a better look at the Lord (Luke 19). How thrilled he must have been when Jesus singled him out of the multitude and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (v.5).

If you are ever tempted to minimize the value of your personal, individual witness to a single soul, remember Jesus’ example. The Bible says there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
— Richard De Haan

The One who made the heavens,
Who died on Calvary,
Rejoices with His angels
When one soul is set free. —Fasick

Never underestimate the value of a single soul (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC MINISTRIES).

Reflection 3 – Lost And Found

Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost! –Luke 15:9

During the many years I’ve worked with drug-addicted youth, I’ve never given up on anyone—until Sam. He had peculiar problems and was extremely rebellious. Without realizing it, I began to pull away from him. Then God alerted me to my wrong attitude.

I was staying overnight with friends when I lost a treasured ring. I hunted frantically for it. I even pulled the bed apart and remade it, but still no ring. Finally I thought, This hunt is consuming too much of my attention. I’m going to turn to God and His Word.

As I knelt by the bed, I opened my Bible to Luke 15 and began reading about the woman who hunted diligently for her lost coin. When I thought about the parable, it seemed as if God was saying, “You’ve given a lot of effort looking for your lost ring. Are you willing to work that hard seeking after Sam?” With closed eyes, I earnestly answered, “Yes, Lord, I am!”

When I opened my eyes, I discovered my ring on the bed not far from my Bible. How I rejoiced! But months later, the angels and I rejoiced far more over Sam, who at last turned his life over to Christ!

Ask yourself: Am I as diligent in searching for lost people as I am in searching for lost things?    — Joanie Yoder

Is your life a channel of blessing?
Are you burdened for those who are lost?
Have you urged upon those who are straying
The Savior who died on the cross? —Smyth

Because we have been found, we have a mission to seek the lost (Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 4 – Rejoicing In Release

There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. –Luke 15:10

In November 2001, many people around the world rejoiced when eight prisoners were released after 3 tension-filled months of being detained in Afghanistan. They had been charged with “preaching Christianity,” which at the time was a crime punishable by death.

After they were set free, they walked into the street and were greeted by hugs and hand clapping. When they arrived in Pakistan, there was a joyful reception. And back in Texas, there was a jubilant celebration at the home church of two of the prisoners, Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer. Church members who had been involved in a prayer vigil joined the staff in whoops and shouts. The pastor raised his arms in the air and shouted, “Thank You, Lord!”

When I read of the release of those prisoners, I was reminded of an even more exciting freedom that people can experience—freedom from sin. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are set free from the penalty and bondage of sin (Romans 6:6,23). The angels are filled with joy (Luke 15:10), and heaven is glad (v.7).

The blessings of being redeemed are immeasurable. So, when Christians hear that someone has been set free from sin, we can’t help but rejoice!  —Dave Egner  — David C. Egner

The One who made the heavens,
Who died on Calvary,
Rejoices with His angels
When one soul is set free. —Fasick

Praise is the language of sinners set free (Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 5 – A Heart Of Compassion

Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! –Luke 15:6

Popular teacher, speaker, and author Howard Hendricks warns against “enshrining” the gospel in a church building. He once wrote, “I can’t find a verse of Scripture that commands a lost person to go to church; I know a lot of Scripture that commands believers to go into a lost world.”

Hendricks then told about a Christian woman who read in the newspaper about a car that crashed into a house and killed a baby. With a compassionate heart, she grieved over the family’s loss, but she was also concerned for the driver, who was facing criminal charges. She wrote to the driver, assuring her that God cared about her situation. She included her telephone number and then waited to see if she would respond.

The devastated woman called her and they agreed to meet. Because of that Christian’s witness of God’s love, that sorrowing woman trusted Christ as her Savior. She then began attending a Bible study and a church. The compassion shown to her resulted in others in her family coming to Christ. She did go to prison for her crime, but her faith strengthened her and made a great impact on other prisoners.

When one Christian goes after one lost soul (Luke 15:1-7), there can be salvation and great rejoicing.  — Joanie Yoder

Seeking the lost, and pointing to Jesus,
Souls that are weak and hearts that are sore;
Leading them forth in ways of salvation,
Showing the path to life evermore. —Ogden

God’s love in our heart gives us a heart for the lost (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 6 – Lessons From A Shepherd

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, . . . does not . . . go after the one which is lost? –Luke 15:4

Jesus’ parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep has some pointed lessons for Christians about their responsibility to those who are lost.

The shepherd wasn’t satisfied with 99 percent of his sheep safe within the fold. He did not say boastfully, “What a remarkable showing–only one absent!” No, he felt personally responsible for that one missing sheep (Lk. 15:4).

Nor did the shepherd assume that it would come back on its own. That sheep was indifferent to its lost condition and needed to be found. So the shepherd took the initiative and went searching for it. And he did not give up until it was found (v.5).

The shepherd also wanted others to share his joy in finding that one lost sheep (v.6). His friends and neighbors who celebrated with him must have felt that to find a lost sheep was one of the most joyous and worthwhile endeavors in the world.

Christians have an obligation to seek out the lost. What a difference it would make if we who know the Lord responded with a resounding “Yes!” to the age-old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Then, like the shepherd in Jesus’ parable, we too would be zealous in seeking the lost sheep.  — Richard De Haan

Seeking the lost–and pointing to Jesus
Souls that are weak and hearts that are sore,
Leading them forth in ways of salvation,
Showing the path to life evermore. –Ogden

To be your brother’s keeper means that you will be his seeker (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 7 – One-To-One

There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. –Luke 15:10

During His short public ministry of about 3 years, Jesus spent many hours teaching and healing people–one at a time. Although the Savior preached to multitudes in Galilee and Judea and was often surrounded by a great crowd, He was never too busy to minister to men, women, and children one-to-one.

One day when a house at Capernaum was filled with people eager to hear the Master’s words, He stopped to give attention to a sick man who had been let down through the roof (Mk. 2:1-12).

On another occasion the Savior singled out a man of short stature who had climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Him. Jesus stopped, looked up, and said, “Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Lk. 19:5). Jesus also spent time with individuals in private, teaching them, guiding them, and challenging them to believe in Him (Jn. 3:1-21; 4:1-26).

Never underestimate the value of your one-to-one witness for Christ. If you ever wonder about the worth of your personal, individual witness, remember Jesus’ example and what He said in Luke 15:10, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  — Richard De Haan

Lord, lay some soul upon my heart,
And love that soul through me;
And may I nobly do my part
To win that soul for Thee. –Tucker

The best tact in leading a person to Christ is contact (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 8 – Lesson of hope and confidence

The lesson that Christ teaches us in today’s Gospel reading is clearly a lesson of hope and confidence in the great mercy of God. The climax of God’s mercy was the Incarnation, the coming of his Son Jesus to live on earth, to teach us God’s mercy and love, to die on the cross in order to reopen heaven for us and to lead us there. He left us his church to teach us. He gave us the sacraments by which he still acts amongst us and reconciles us to the Father.

Think of the sinners Christ met during his lifetime: the robbers, the adulterers, the unjust tax collectors. Even among his chosen ones, the twelve apostles, there was Peter who denied him, and Judas the traitor who sold him for 50 pieces of silver. Yet Jesus never uttered a harsh word against any of these sinners. No sinner was ever lost and no sinner will ever be lost only because of his sin. Sinners are lost because they will not turn to their merciful Father to ask his forgiveness. God constantly sends out his invitation to sinners welcoming them home.

All of us are sinners to a greater or lesser degree. We, too, must tune in to his call to obtain greater repentance and more love. That call is present in the scriptures, in the sacraments, during prayer, in every Eucharistic celebration. The Lord Jesus tells us that there is joy in heaven because of the repentance of one sinner. Let us thank God for telling us that. With that knowledge, let us make every effort to live as his beloved sons and daughters.

Reflection 9 – Sinners were drawn to Jesus

Do you ever feel resentful or get upset when someone else gets treated better than you think they deserve? The scribes and Pharisees took great offense at Jesus because he went out of his way to meet with sinners and he treated them like they were his friends. The Pharisees had strict regulations about how they were to keep away from sinners, lest they incur ritual defilement. They were not to entrust money to sinners or have any business dealings with them, nor trust them with a secret, nor entrust orphans to their care, nor accompany them on a journey, nor give their daughter in marriage to any of their sons, nor invite them as guests or be their guests.

Do you judge others with mercy or disdain – with kindness or harshness?
The Pharisees were shocked when they saw Jesus freely meeting with sinners and even going to their homes to eat with them. Many sinners and outcasts of society were drawn to Jesus to hear him speak about the mercy of God and the offer of new life and friendship in the kingdom of God. When the Pharisees began to question Jesus’ motive and practice of associating with sinners and outcasts, Jesus responded by giving them two parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin to challenge their way of judging sinners and shunning contact with them.

Finding and restoring what has been lost
What is the point of Jesus’ story about a lost sheep and a lost coin? In Jesus’ time shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic. The shepherd’s grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold.

The housewife who lost a coin faced something of an economic disaster, since the value of the coin would be equivalent to her husband’s daily wage. What would she say to her husband when he returned home from work? They were poor and would suffer greatly because of the loss. Her grief and anxiety turn to joy when she finds the coin.

Bringing the lost to the community of faith
Both the shepherd and the housewife “search until what they have lost is found.” Their persistence pays off. They both instinctively share their joy with the whole community. The poor are particularly good at sharing in one another’s sorrows and joys. What was new in Jesus’ teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God.  Seekers of the lost are much needed today. Do you persistently pray and seek after those you know who have lost their way to God?

“Lord Jesus, let your light dispel the darkness that what is lost may be found and restored. Let your light shine through me that others may see your truth and love and find hope and peace in you. May I never doubt your love nor take for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may be merciful as you are merciful.” – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2019/nov7.htm

Reflection 10 – Overcoming the shame of our sins

Why do we have such a hard time admitting our own personal sins to others? Why is it so hard to apologize to people we’ve sinned against? Why do we resist going to Confession, even when we know it will provide us with grace to resist that sin in the future? Why aren’t we sharing with others our story of overcoming sin as a testimony of Christian growth?

It’s because we feel too ashamed to face the reaction of others. We’re in this condition because we’ve been judged unfairly by others, and we’ve judged ourselves unforgivingly, and this has made us afraid to face our sins, let alone speak openly about them. We need mercy but we feel condemned.

Worse, we ourselves have been judgmental toward others, and unconsciously we assume that whatever we have done to others will be done unto us. We know that if we’re capable of doing it, so is the next guy. Therefore, we choose to keep this side of our spiritual lives private.

And yet, by opening up and talking honestly about how we have sinned (appropriately of course), adding why we regret it and how Jesus has helped us overcome it, we become an aid in the spiritual growth of those who listen. Others gain courage to face their own sinfulness, because we’ve given them hope: The mercy they long for really does exist; repenting and changing really is possible.

This is far more important than the disapproval of those who condemn us. It’s not their opinions that matter anyway. It’s God’s, and only God’s! The trouble is, we’ve been hurt by the judgmentalism of humans, and so we expect God to be judgmental, too. We forget about the mercy that becomes available in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And we judge the priest in the Confessional as unmerciful, and thus we deny ourselves the opportunity to meet Christ in that priest.

Look at what today’s Gospel reading says about this. The angels rejoice when a sinner repents! There’s no shame in repenting. The only real shame is rationalizing our sins to call them good, refusing to examine ourselves to see if we need to change.

When we realize that we’ve been excusing a sin as okay or necessary or better than what the Church teaches, we can be like the woman who lost the coin. Upon finding the precious treasure of forgiveness, we can call together our friends and neighbors and say, “Rejoice with me! Let’s party!” For now we are becoming more like Christ. Read the source: http://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2018-11-08

Reflection 11 – St. Didacus (1400-1463 A.D.)

Didacus is living proof that God “chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

As a young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. He was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.

Didacus volunteered for the missions in the Canary Islands and labored there energetically and profitably. He was also the superior of a friary there.

In 1450 he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of St. Bernardine of Siena. When many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation full-time. He showed the friars the wisdom of God’s ways.

As he was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said: “O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven” (Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 834).

San Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan, who was canonized in 1588.

Comment:

We cannot be neutral about genuinely holy people. We either admire them or we consider them foolish. Didacus is a saint because he used his life to serve God and God’s people. Can we say the same for ourselves?

Quote:

“He was born in Spain with no outstanding reputation for learning but was like our first teachers and leaders unlettered as men count wisdom, an unschooled person, a humble lay brother in religious life. [God chose Didacus] to show in him the abundant riches of his grace to lead many on the way of salvation by the holiness of his life and by his example and to prove over and over to a weary old world almost decrepit with age that God’s folly is wiser than men, and his weakness is more powerful than men” (Bull of Canonization).

Read the source:   http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1192

SAINT OF THE DAY
Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God’s invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. Click here to receive Saint of the Day in your email.

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