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Mt. 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:

"What is your opinion?

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,

will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills

and go in search of the stray?

And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it

than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.

In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father

that one of these little ones be lost."

We say in the Alleluia today before the Gospel "The day of the Lord is near; Behold, he comes to save us." In the Gospel today Jesus tell his disciples about the lost sheep. Many times without even realizing it we ourselves are that lost sheep. "He comes to save us." Even when we are that lost sheep and forget about the Lord, He will not abandon us, He will not stop searching for us. For the way for Him to find us is for us to not hide from Him. Allow Him to bring you back into His flock.

Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:

Paul Ciulei, Sophomore

Home parish: Our Lady of Lourdes

Did you know...

Tall, happy, nice.

Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:36

Sheep have keen senses they use to protect themselves.  They recognize their shepherd's voice. They can smell the scent of a predator, but their eyes cannot detect subtle changes well, like a partially opened gate, or the difference in terrain if it is shadows and light. Sheep don't like loud sounds and when left alone become irritable and anxious.  A herd of sheep, even with a strong ram to lead them, is still vulnerable and sheep have been domesticated for so many centuries, it is like they "need" a human presence to ensure that they thrive.  We humans have known God for centuries and we still need Him to thrive.

Once I understood the behavior of sheep, I better understand the sheep analogies so often used in the Gospels like this one. Let us pray today for the lost and abandoned, the lonely, those who are searching for meaning to their lives, and pray that we can be some help to guide them to a community where they can receive comfort and feel like they fit in.