Gospel
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:
‘What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance.
‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it? And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” she would say “I have found the drachma I lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’
He also said, ‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.
‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.
‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.
‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property—he and his women—you kill the calf we had been fattening.”
‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”’
(Luke 15:1–32)
Did you know?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
- Tax collectors were considered outcasts because the Romans employed them to collect money from the people. They also had a reputation for skimming a profit from their collections.
- The Pharisees greatly emphasised ritual purity. Eating with sinners could lead someone to become ‘unclean’, and the person would thus become defiled and unable to observe the law and participate in the ritual life of Israel.
- A drachma was a Greek coin, named from the Greek word meaning ‘to grasp’. Its value was roughly equivalent to a Roman denarius.
- The parables in this text focus on God’s search for us, rather than our search for God.
Exploring the Word
Today’s gospel includes three parables that focus on the theme of ‘that which was lost being found’. The final parable is the well-known story of the ‘prodigal son’—or, more correctly, ‘the loving father’. The image of God presented in these parables challenges some popular notions of God being omnipotent and removed from his creation. In the parables, Jesus illustrates his own intimate relationship with a God who he knows as Father. The images of a shepherd who is prepared to risk his flock’s safety so he can search for just one lost sheep, of a woman who puts a great deal of time and energy into recovering one small coin, and of a father who wholeheartedly welcomes back a son who has treated him badly express the extravagant love that God has for us all—especially for the lost ones of society. The great moments of rejoicing at the end of each parable highlights God’s unconditional love and his pleasure at our positive response to his invitation to the feast.
- How do these three parables either comfort or challenge you?
- What have been your own experiences of overwhelming joy?
Making connections
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
- Have you ever experienced being ‘lost’? If so, how were you found?
- Would you leave the ninety-nine to go search for just one? How far are you willing to go to find what you’re searching for?
- Share your experiences of events in your life that were cause for great rejoicing or celebration. How did you mark the events?
- This week, make an effort to search for someone who may be feeling lost or alone. Help him or her experience God’s love in the kindness you offer.
- Today’s collect can be used for your prayer this week:
Creator and ruler of all things …
grant that I may serve you with all my heart.
Sharing the tradition
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
The gospels abound with stories of Jesus spending time with, and showing special concern for, those who were considered societal outcasts at the time. This special concern for the poor and the disadvantaged has become a cornerstone of Catholic Social Teaching. The dignity of the human person is founded on the fact that humans were created in the image of God. Human dignity is not diminished by age, gender, economic circumstance, ethnicity or occupation. We are called to work for those in need ‘in ways that neither humiliate them nor reduce them to mere objects of assistance but which help them escape their precarious situation by promoting their dignity as persons’ (Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, §49). Similarly, in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', Pope Francis appeals ‘to everyone throughout the world not to forget this dignity which is ours. No one has the right to take it from us’ (see also CCC, §§1878–1896).
- Who are the most distressed and excluded groups in Australian society?
- In what ways does the Church respond to the needs of such groups?
- Speak about specific ministries that search for the lost and work to enhance their human dignity—such as Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda, St Mary’s House of Welcome in Fitzroy, Ozanam House or the Vinnies Youth food vans.
Symbols and images
The image of God as Father is often used in Scripture, and it conveys both his authority and deep love. Jesus even uses the intimate term Abba (‘Papa’ or ‘Daddy’) when praying. These parables convey the Father’s intimate love for all his children, especially the lost ones.
Living the Word
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
- How does your community provide for those in need locally? How can the catechumens become involved in these ministries?
- As a focus for prayer, you could use images from newspapers or other publications that depict ‘the lost’ of our world. Pray for all those who are excluded or disadvantaged. Pray for each other as you journey towards Christian commitment. A suitable song could be God Has Chosen Me (GA 497). Conclude with the blessing in the RCIA at §97I.