Today’s first reading speaks to us about accountability. It reminds us how to correctly love one another. We need to train our minds to centre on how we conduct ourselves in the light of what God wants of us than equating ourselves to others.

In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul further cautions us to focus on what God wants of us rather than what we expect of others. If we follow God’s will, God gives us just a clay lamp’s worth of light, just sufficient to take a few more steps. You have to trust God with that kind of light. In the Gospel we speak of the parable of the lost sheep. Christ leaves the 99 in search of the lost. Jesus sweeps the house and then throws a party when the lost are found. It is entirely and thoroughly insane. And, that is why the Gospel is such Good News. When a soul is lost, the soul is missed, ached after, and not only worth the search party, but worth the celebration when the soul is brought back into the fold.

Prayer: Abba Father, help us feel Your presence in times when we’re lost. Help us to find our way back to You, and to You alone. Amen