Homily – 08-12-2008 – Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time - Tuesday

Our gospel passage today seems to be about two different themes: humble children, and lost sheep. But they are actually both about who it is that is greatest in the Kingdom of heaven!

Jesus tells us here that the great
one is the small one, the humble one, the trusting one, the one who serves the needs of others. Children are like this: they are small ones, they are humble ones, they are trusting ones, they love to do things to help other people out! Those who are not childlike are those who think themselves in an over-exaggerated way, they are the self-inflated ones, the constantly pessimistic and suspicious ones, the ones who want to have their own way, the ones who like to have things done for them out of a false sense of entitlement. Sometimes these people like to call themselves "grown-ups."

The likes of these are the truly lost ones: the ones who have turned themselves into senseless sheep who oftentimes wander away from the flock simply because they can, and they have no sense of attachment to the flock, sense of belonging, a sense of really caring for the other sheep! They don't even know how poorly off they are! But the shepherd knows! And he goes and finds even the ONE who wanders away: so committed is the shepherd to each and every member of the flock; so deep is his sense of keeping his flock together as ones who belong together in this particular grouping! Jesus is the shepherd and he searches for each and every lost sheep!

But Jesus, in effect warns us not to despise these lost sheep! We must regard the lost sheep not as errant ne'er-do-wells, but rather as those invited to be the same kind of children of God (sheep) as we are! – we must regard them as someone whom Jesus would go and search for because they are worthwhile and valuable to him! And, perhaps, by means of our understanding, our care, our bringing to them words of promise and hope of a better today and tomorrow; and by our loving actions of trying to help them out the best we can – perhaps we can deliver the same kind of message of encouragement as Ezekiel did in the first reading! We can help people change the lamentation, wailing and woe in their lives into shouts of wonderment, laughter and joy!

In the way of your decrees I rejoice, O Lord, as much as in all riches! Yes, your decrees are my delight! How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!