Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

In today’s gospel passage from Luke, Jesus uses two parables to convey his dedication to the “lost.” In the first of these, he compares the repentant sinner to a lost sheep who is found by his shepherd. In the second parable, Jesus compares the repentant sinner to a lost coin. In both cases, the one who finds, rejoices. So we are led to understand that Jesus rejoices in the sinners that he is accused of welcoming. This is an important lesson for the Pharisees and scribes to understand because of their emphasis on righteousness. While righteousness in and of itself is praiseworthy, the Pharisees and scribes used it for exclusionary purposes; they preferred the lost to stay lost rather than be found. The law provided a convenient way to disregard those who had fallen away. In our first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians we find a good example of this in Paul’s own life. He describes his own background, which was faithful according to the law, beginning with his circumcision eight days after his birth and extending to his commitment to Pharisaic law. Paul notes that “in righteousness based on the law I was blameless” (Phil 3:6). And yet, in the midst of this righteousness, Paul persecuted the Church. It is in coming to know Christ that Paul has been led to re-evaluate his past. While the law helped him to grow in holiness through discipline, Paul now realizes that this led to a sort of pride in his own self-sufficiency. Hence these gains were actually losses. In other words, his dedication to the law obscured his weakness as a sinner in need of Jesus Christ and the grace of God that comes through the Spirit.

We cannot, and out not try to save ourselves. It is good to be disciplined and to make every effort to live morally upright lives, but we cannot be fooled into thinking that this is what actually saves us. Rather, the true grace is in “the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord” (Phil 3:8a). It is Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that save us.

Hence today’s readings point out that we are not self-sufficient. In many ways, we are like the lost coin or the lost sheep. Jesus has come to find us and to celebrate us, and he loves us unconditionally. Yet at the same time, his love is a transformative love. We are changed by being sought because we realize our weakness, our lack of self-sufficiency. Notice that the rejoicing in Jesus’ parables is not over a sinner but rather, a “repentant” sinner, that is, one who acknowledges his or her weakness and turns to God in the midst of it.

Today, let us take some time to reflect on our own weaknesses and thank God for the opportunity this gives us to repent and seek God’s grace in the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus. Let us pray that we be open to God using our sins and failings to draw us closer to him.

- Maria Morrow