Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lost And Found
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
The heart of the gospel and of Christianity, of the Christian community, of the Church – and therefore of the life of every Christian – lies in living for one another and somehow belonging to others: to God, to our neighbor, in love, mercy, mutual help, forming God’s community, and celebrating this in our worship. Even our death, like that of Christ, should benefit others.
The whole chapter 15 of Luke deals with people who have lost something and find it back: a man sees a lost sheep, a woman a coin, and a father his son. All are extremely happy at the end, except the brother of the lost son. This joy expresses Jesus’ attention for all that is lost, rejected, and devalued in the eyes of people. Like Jesus, we must continue to look for these people and rejoice when they return to God and to others.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we know that Jesus came for everybody,
yet he wanted to find back
the very one given up by people:
the tax collector, the sinner, the prodigal.
Do not allow us in our zeal for what is right and good
to lose sight of this one person
who was written off by people,
yet who merited the special concern of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. ( 13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Meanwhile, tax collectors and sinners were seeking Jesus’ company, all eager to hear what he had to say.
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law frowned at this, muttering:
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus told them this parable:
“Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek the lost one until he finds it?
And when he finds it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders?
Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say, ‘Celebrate with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’
I tell you, in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine decent people who do not need to repent.
What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, would not light a lamp and sweep the house thoroughly until she finds the lost coin?
And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Celebrate with me, for I have found the silver coin I lost!’
I tell you, in the same way, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That leaders of the Church and of society may not lose themselves in chasing after power, prestige and wealth, we pray:
– That the Lord may give to his Church shepherds who care very much about people who go astray and try to bring them back to the Lord, we pray:
– That in our communities we support one another in trying to live the life of Christ, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
let your bread and wine remind us
of our solidarity even with all those
who live on the fringes of society.
You love them and they are part of us
May we speak to them the encouraging word
for which they are waiting
May we too look for them and love them
with our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son and our Lord forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your kingdom is not the private domain
of those you have given the grace
to find you and to believe in you.
May we care with you and search with you
for the weak, the embarrassed and the timid,
without any attitude of superiority or condescension
Help us to be a community
in which there is enough space for everyone
for human growth and dignity for all.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
God looked for us and found us because he loved us long before we were aware of it. We know he loves all and wants all to belong to his kingdom. May we help anyone to find the Lord, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
6 November 2025
Luke 15: 1-10
Today’s Gospel gives us two of the most tender images of God’s love—the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep, and the woman who sweeps her whole house until she finds her lost coin.
The Pharisees and scribes could not understand why Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. To them, such people were unworthy, better forgotten than redeemed. But Jesus reveals a God who does not abandon, who does not wait passively for us to return, but who goes out in search of us. This is the heart of the Gospel: God is always looking for us, especially when we are lost.
Think of the shepherd. He knows each sheep by heart, and when one strays, he risks the dangers of the wilderness until he finds it. And when he does, he does not scold or punish—it is lifted tenderly onto his shoulders, carried home in joy. Think of the woman. For her, the coin is precious. Perhaps it is a day’s wage— and it matters deeply to her. She will not rest until it is found.
So it is with God and each of us. You are precious in His eyes. When we wander, God does not give up hope. When we fall into sin, He does not write us off. Instead, He searches, He calls, He waits with love. And when we are found, heaven itself rejoices.
This is the challenge for us, too. If heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents, how can we look at others with disdain? If God searches for the lost, then we, as His Church, must be people of mercy—welcoming, forgiving, and celebrating each person who returns to God’s embrace.
Today, let us hear this good news again: we are never forgotten. We are always sought. And in the heart of God, there is joy—joy for you, joy for me, joy for every soul that comes home.
Luke 15:1-10
The joy of God
The scribes and the Pharisees who witnessed Jesus’ teachings and signs were scandalised and murmured against him. What scandalised them most was that “Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, and he moved with them”. It is unforgivable for the Pharisees to welcome sinners and eat with them. And Jesus responds to this murmuring hypocrisy with the parables which speak about joy and rejoicing.
The single message of Luke’s three ‘lost and found’ parables in chapter 15 is God’s joy. Jesus wants to make his point clear to his listeners and us today: Ours is a God “who does not like to lose what is his, and in order not to lose his own, he goes out and seeks out” the lost.
Pope Francis says, “God cannot abide losing what is his; thus, in the Gospel of John, during his last supper, we listen to his prayer ‘that none of those whom thou hast given me may be lost’”.
Indeed, God “has a certain weakness of love for those who are away and lost. He goes in search of them. Like the shepherd who journeys into the wilderness looking for his lost sheep until he finds it or like the woman who, when she loses her coin, lights a lamp, sweeps the house and seeks diligently until she finds it.
“When he finds us, when he has found his lost sheep”, he does not ask us: “Why did you get lost? Why did you fall?” Instead, he restores what was lost to its proper place. In restoring man to his proper status, God rejoices. God rejoices not in the death of the sinner but in his return to life.
The lost and found parables of Luke have a speciality – they reveal God’s unconditional forgiveness and mercy. No questions are asked. A sheep can be lost, coins can be lost… and children might abandon their parents and leave home... However, the inevitable possibility of loss does not destroy God's immense love and mercy.
God the Father is not made of stainless steel. Being a compassionate father, he is heartbroken when even one of his children is lost. No one is excluded. Some churches celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation as an occasion of a great feast. And that is why the Eucharist is also a great feast where God has his children around his table, reconciled to him and to one another. Let us join the joy of God.
7 November 2024
Luke 15:1-10
Desire for a ‘pastoral heart’
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin reveal the heart of God, who seeks out the lost with relentless love. Pope Francis reminds us that these stories reflect the essence of apostolic zeal—the passion to reach those who have wandered away, not with condemnation but with a heart that suffers, longs, and takes risks for them.
In his latest encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Francis reminds the faithful that God’s heart is not passive or indifferent. When one of His beloved children is lost, He doesn’t just stay with those who are safe; instead, He goes out to find the one who has gone astray. This pursuit is neither convenient nor logical; it’s an act of love that bears suffering and risks rejection.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to reflect this same longing. When we encounter someone who has drifted from the faith, do we react with indifference, or do we see an opportunity to witness God’s love gently? Evangelisation is not proselytising or insisting others become “one of us” but sharing the joy of God’s love with an open, compassionate heart.
Jesus calls us to be shepherds for others, not simply caretakers of ourselves. We are invited to carry His message of mercy and forgiveness to those in our lives who may have felt forgotten, rejected, or distant from God. May we ask for the grace of a pastoral heart, a heart that suffers, longs, and risks for others, so we can truly embody the love of Christ and bear His message to all who need it.