Reflection:

A wife told his Godly husband: “Don’t mingle anymore with our neighbors for they are
drunkards and sinful.” The husband told his wife, “If I would not mingle with them
how could I convince them to walk away from their sinful lives and how could I show
them that God still cares for them?” Oftentimes we are like that wife we feel that we
are more holy and less sinful than others but that is far from the truth.

Holier than thou and feeling of self-righteousness these were the attitudes of the
Pharisees and the scribes. When they complained that Jesus was mingling with tax
collectors and sinners.

So, Jesus gave them three parables for them to realize that He doesn’t discriminate,
that His love, forgiveness and mercy is for everyone. The Lord looks for and welcomes
everyone no matter how sinful and poor. This is also the message of Jesus for us all
sinners thru these parables in the gospel.

In the first parable, the shepherd of the hundred sheep did not stop looking for the
one who got lost. Never minding to temporarily leave the ninety-nine. And after
finding the one that got lost he joyfully put it on his shoulders to bring it home. In the
second parable of the lost coin, the woman searched diligently for the lost coin until
she found it again.

In the third parable of the lost son, when the lost son had a realization of his
misdeeds. He humbly decided to go back home, not certain if his father would accept
him again. But lo and behold when his father saw him coming home he ordered his
people to prepare a big banquet for the lost son. Then, the father full of love run to
his repentant son embraced and kissed him as if saying, “Everything is forgiven my
son.”

God in His infinite love, mercy and forgiveness is always looking for us sinners. Why?
Because the Lord wants us to completely walk away from our sinful life. The Lord
wants us to live a new life completely free from any form of sin. – Marino J.
Dasmarinas