XXXI Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday
Philippians 3:3-8. Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7. Luke 15:1-10
Have you ever experienced the Moment of feeling lost? you lost your passport or mobile phone; you lost yourself in the new place, and you are alone wandering. You experience hopelessness, insecurity and grief. But the Lord says this is the moment of growth. Sometimes, Being lost is the best way to find yourself!
1. God’s unfailing love for the lost: In the Dictionary of the Bible, Losing means gaining. Paul says in his past, he lost everything, but now he found one thing, he gained the love of Christ. You have found the Lord who is too willing to lose 99 and take you the one who is lost. Jesus is identifying himself with the lost sheep, That “one” might be Christ or even our truest selves. In seeking, we lose ourselves—and in losing, we find ourselves.
2. The Joy of repentance and return: Luke’s Gospel is also called the gospel of Joy. The theme of joy runs throughout the GOpsel. Like the shepherd and the woman rejoicing over finding what was lost, heaven celebrates each person who returns to God, reminding us of the immense value of repentance. God rejoices when we find the purpose of our lives. we need to cultivate this joy of welcoming every sinner to paradise.
3. Joy through spiritual suffering in order to know Christ’s suffering: This joy does not lie in making merry but through spiritual suffering. The Letter to the Philippians is known as "the letter of joy" because it is a message of rejoicing in Christ and spiritual joy: when this letter was written, Paul was imprisoned in Rome around 62. He is imprisoned but his letter is full of encouragement and hope for the future to those who are concerned in suffering. because his soul is completely free.
Letting go of worldly gains and titles: Paul considers his past accomplishments ‘loss’ compared to knowing Christ, challenging us to re-evaluate what we hold valuable and pursue what draws us closer to GodThe supreme worth of knowing Christ: Knowing Christ surpasses all else; Paul’s example invites us to find our ultimate joy and purpose in a deep, personal relationship with Jesus.