Lost and Found: Lk 15

In today’s Gospel, we hear three parables, all about things that are lost and found. We see the ‘searcher’ portrayed as male and female as Luke strives for gender equality followed by the very human story of the Lost Son. These three parables of things lost and found emphasise the unending forgiveness of God and his rejoicing when we return to Him. But as with all parables, we are left thinking and wondering, disturbed even. A sheep and a coin we can rejoice over, but when it is a person who has done us harm, hurt us in some way, it is much easier to behave like the elder brother in the third parable.

The elder brother tries to disown his younger brother by saying ‘this son of yours’… the response he is given is ‘this brother of yours… was lost and now is found’. God restores all things, the sheep to the shepherd, the coin to the woman, the son to the Father and it is a frantic search in each parable. We are encouraged to search, to be ‘seekers’, to discover the lost and, when we need it, to let ourselves be found.

“The sheep may be lost in the fog or wandering aimlessly but the shepherd is always in search of it. No matter how desperate our plight we may always rely on the love which will never tire of seeking us out.” (Cardinal Basil Hume)