November 08, 2018 (Thursday of Week 31 Year II)
More joy in heaven
Dear friends in Christ, one of the earliest lessons we learn about our faith is that heaven is a place of joy and happiness, meant for those who have lived their lives in accordance with the will of God here on earth.
Today’s first reading (Philippians 3:3-8), is on a new way at understanding circumcision. The Judaisers talked about the circumcision of the foreskin, but Paul says, “We are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.” Paul would rather talk about spiritual circumcision and not the external physical rite, of the removal of the foreskin. Paul wants circumcision of the heart and not the body, he wants people to live ethical lives, by following the example of Christ. Paul has been transformed by his own personal experience of Christ and not physical circumcision, and he considers all the privileges and distinctions of his former life amounting to nothing. On his background he says, he was “Circumcised on the eight day…a Hebrew born of Hebrews…a Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the Church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” In spite of this he says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord.” If we all value our faith in Christ like Paul, we will change the world without having to say a word.
The gospel (Luke 15:1-10) tells us that the Pharisees and scribes murmured because of the way Jesus associated with sinners and tax collectors. They wanted a more stringent treatment for sinners. The parables on the man who leaves ninety-nine sheep by the hill side to search for one and the woman who searches till she finds her lost coin, present Jesus as one who has come to seek out and to save the lost. If the finding of one sheep or a coin, provokes joy and happiness leading to celebrations, the recovery of a sinner from the path of perdition to life, should be celebrated. Those who join the celebration obviously celebrate the recovery of lost values in the sheep and the coin that were lost. We are sometimes tempted too to place a limit on God’s mercy and by implication our mercy for others. Jesus challenges us, to adopt his own value scale of the sinner. All those who are lost are welcome to dine with Jesus—he is searching for you, you're not completely lost.
Let us pray: Have mercy on us Lord for we have sinned even by our judgment of others. May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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