Daily Gospel Reflection for September 11, 2022

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Luke 15:1-32

In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus tells the parable about the shepherd who loses one sheep. Though he has 100 sheep, he laments over that lost one and cannot rest until he finds it. He searches for it, finds it, and rejoices.

It goes without saying that we are the sheep and Christ is the shepherd. It’s easy to think about in an abstract way, but do we really understand this when we feel lost? Are we truly able to comprehend the fact that we matter so much to Christ that He feels sad when we have gone astray?

So many things in our lives cause us to lose focus on God. They may not even be monumental things that cause this, as even just the day-to-day trials and tribulations of our lives can leave us so weary and so focused on earthly things that we forget about the love, honor, and veneration we owe our Lord.

We may not leave the Church. We may not even feel that we’ve lost faith. But being lost can start in small ways. Maybe we put off our morning prayers. Maybe we skip a Mass. Maybe we forgo reading the Bible and put on a movie or spend time surfing on social media.

All of these little things add up to a life more focused on things rather than on God. And little by little, we become lost. By forgetting God during our days and by doing nothing proactive to increase our faith, we become that wandering sheep. But God wants us back. He misses us!

So let us make a promise to ourselves and to God that we will return and that we will find our way back to Him. Imagine how He will rejoice!

Ponder:

When you feel lost, do you understand that God longs for you?

Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, I know that some days I barely think of You. I become so focused on other things that I lose track of what's important. Please help me return to Your loving arms.