THURSDAY, THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Rom 14: 7-12 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Lk 15: 1-10
NOT TOURISTS, BUT PILGRIMS OF HOPE
As we approach the close of this Jubilee Year of Pilgrims of Hope, today’s readings lead us into the very heart of our Christian journey. In Romans 14:7, St. Paul reminds us: “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. If we live, we live for the Lord.” What a powerful truth! Our lives are not our own. We belong to the Lord—every breath, every step, every moment. This is the foundation of Christian hope: not that we are in control, but that we are in the hands of a faithful and merciful God. Whether in life or in death, we are the Lord’s. This changes how we see everything: our sufferings, our relationships, even our failures. We do not walk alone. We are pilgrims accompanied by grace.
And yet, many times on the journey we wander, we get lost. That is where the today’s Gospel speaks with such tenderness. Jesus tells us two parables—the lost sheep and the lost coin. Both tell us one thing: God never stops searching for us. Even if we stray, even if we feel unworthy, heaven rejoices the moment we are found. This is not just a message for others; it is for each of us. We are the lost sheep. We are the coin hidden in the dust of indifference, shame, or sin. And yet, God does not give up on us. The Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find you. That is the scandal and beauty of divine mercy.
As pilgrims of hope, we are not tourists in faith, satisfied with surface rituals. We are invited to walk deeply—with humility, accountability, and joy. Paul says, “Each of us shall give an account to God.” But we do so not in fear, but in trust. For the one who judges us is the same One who searched for us and carried us home. May the close of this Jubilee not be an end but a new beginning—a life lived deeply, joyfully, and responsibly as those who were lost, but now are found. Amen
Response: I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
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