The gospel for Thursday of the 31st week in Ordinary Time is taken from Luke 15th chapter first to the 10th verse. The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. So Jesus addressed this parable to them. What man among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, would not leave the 99 in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulder with great joy.

And upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep. I tell you in just the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need of repentance. Or what woman Having 10 coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, rejoice with me because I found the coin that I lost. In just the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents. The stark contrast between the Pharisees self righteousness and their refusal to look at their weaknesses and these sinners that are so aware that they are not yet what they should be and they accept their brokenness is just so life giving.

And what Jesus sees so clearly in them is this is what I’ve come into the world to do, to awaken in people an awareness that the God who created them is a God primarily of forgiveness, understanding, compassion. The kingdom is founded on forgiveness. And we see in this passage those that are benefiting from it. It’s simply those who know they need forgiveness. That’s the heart of the message of Jesus. Please ponder these images and then I will close with a prayer.

Sam Sa Foreign Closing prayer Father, there’s no way that we can truly forgive others unless we’ve first forgiven ourselves. This is your gift to us, the gift of the kingdom, that we know and understand the value and the dignity and the importance of forgiveness. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.