God Still Comes Looking

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus describes a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to go after one that is lost, and a woman who turns the whole house upside down just to find one coin. If we are honest, part of us wants to say, “Ninety-nine are safe. One coin is missing. Why all the effort?” But that is exactly the point. God does not calculate our worth the way we do. We tend to measure people by usefulness, success, holiness, or whether they have made good choices. God looks at someone who is lost and says, “You are still worth looking for.”

And maybe that is the first thing we need to hear: being lost does not mean being forgotten. Sometimes people become lost in obvious ways. They walk away from the Church, from prayer, from family, from what they know is right. But sometimes we get lost quietly. We can still come to Mass, still smile, still do all the right things, and yet somewhere inside become distant from God. We can become lost in resentment, disappointment, guilt, exhaustion, or a secret sin we keep returning to. The beautiful thing in this Gospel is that the shepherd does not stand at a distance shouting, “Find your way back.” He goes out looking. That is what grace is. God moving toward us before we have figured out how to move toward Him.

But there is another side to this Gospel that is easy to miss. The Pharisees are angry because Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. In other words, they are upset because Jesus is too merciful. And that raises a difficult question for us: Are we happy when God is merciful to people we think do not deserve it? It is easy to rejoice when God forgives us. It is much harder when He forgives the person who hurt us, disappointed us, or made a mess of their life. Sometimes we want mercy for ourselves and justice for everyone else. But heaven rejoices over one sinner who returns. If heaven celebrates, maybe we should ask why our hearts sometimes resist joining the celebration.

And here is the challenge: we are not only the sheep that God searches for; sometimes we are also called to become part of the search. There may be someone in your life who has drifted away, someone who feels unwelcome, ashamed, or convinced that God has given up on them. Maybe the most Christian thing you can do this week is not give them a lecture, but remind them that they are still loved. Invite them. Call them. Listen to them. Pray for them by name. Because sometimes people find their way back to God through one person who refuses to give up on them.

So perhaps the question today is not simply, “Am I lost?” It may also be, “Who have I stopped looking for?” Jesus reveals a God who searches, waits, carries, and rejoices. And if we are going to follow Him, then our hearts have to become a little more like His. Not hearts that label people as hopeless, but hearts that believe no one is beyond the reach of grace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I wander, come and find me. When I feel unworthy, remind me that I am still loved. Give me a heart that rejoices in mercy, not judgment, and help me never give up on those who seem far. Make me willing to be found by You and willing to help others find their way home. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko