REFLECTIONS TODAY
The Gospel of Matthew is designed through the so-called five discourses: the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5–7), the Missionary Discourse (Mt 10) and the Parabolic Discourse (Mt 13), the Ecclesial Discourse (Mt 18) and the Eschatological Discourse (Mt 24–25).
Today, we start reflecting on the fourth discourse, the Discourse on the Church. The Gospel narrates the parable of the Lost Sheep. It is but fitting to first reflect on the challenge, for those of us in the Church, to always look for the lost sheep. The man who has lost a sheep would be leaving the 99 sheep in the hills to look for the one that went astray (planēthē).
With this, all the Church people are challenged to find and take care of the last, the least, and the lost.
Jesus founded a Church that seeks the lost. How are we as Church people? Are we doing our sacred duty to seek the lost? Are we instruments through which others are brought back to God?
Gospel • Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the 99 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 99 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.”
Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.