parable: “Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek out
the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say:
‘Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine
upright who do not need to repent. What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp and sweep the house in a thorough search
till she finds the lost coin? And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you,
in the same way, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”

Reflection

In this gospel, we have a clear imagery of a
flock of ninety-nine sheep with one sheep becoming
distracted and wanders off. Jesus explains this
to the Pharisees and the scribes in a way that is
relatable. But even they are left scratching their
heads when Jesus acts in a way that seems contrary
to the law of the time. They are baffled with why Jesus
would want to spend his time with a sinner. Why
would Jesus spend time with sinners, outcasts
and tax collectors? The answer is love. Jesus loves
unconditionally. It is not calculating. Through his
actions and words, he showed us how to love by
receiving those who are most vulnerable and are
in need of our support. In doing this we are simply
being called to love one another through our own
actions, thoughts and words.