Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus tells us the parable of the lost sheep. I am sure that all of us, when we hear this parable, identify with the lost sheep, and feel some comfort when the shepherd leaves all behind to go and find the lost sheep. I am sure we all have times of feeling lost and alone.
But today, let’s look at this parable from the perspective of Jesus, who is, after all, the Good Shepherd. Like the shepherd in the parable, Jesus did leave everything behind to go in search of the lost sheep, all eight billion plus of us. And Jesus comes looking for each one of us, because as St. Paul says (2 Timothy 2:4), God “wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”
So, we should always recognize that Jesus always accompanies each of us on our journey through life. But for those moments we really feel like the lost sheep, we should also remember that for Jesus, there is no such thing a lost sheep. Jesus always knows exactly where the sheep is, and into what brambles the sheep may have wandered into. And most importantly for us who sometimes lose our way, Jesus always knows exactly the path to get us back on track. We simply need to listen for him and follow his guidance back to where we belong.
Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB
Posted in Articles for Advent, Daily Reflections