“This is our Father: He is always looking for us" and " when he finds the sheep" He brings it back into the fold by placing it next to the other, so no one should say, "You're lost ," but " You're one of us." " The joy of God is not the death of the sinner , but his life ."

Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - To the Lord "does not like to lose," that is why "He goes out in search of" the lost sheep and bringing it back to the fold is "God's joy". This is how Pope Francis commented on the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin during Mass celebrated this morning at Casa Santa Marta.

The Gospel, said the Pope, shows the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees who were offended by the things that Jesus did and who complained about Him : " This man is a danger," he eats with publicans and sinners , he "offends God , desecrates the ministry of the prophet ... to be close to these people. " Jesus says that this "is the music of hypocrisy" and he responds to "this mumbling hypocrisy with a parable".

As reported by Vatican Radio , the Pope pointed out that " He responds to the murmuring with a joyful parable. Four times in this small piece is the word joy or happiness used: three times joy and once rejoice. ' Its as if he  were saying - you are scandalized by this, but my Father rejoices . ' What is the deeper message in this: the joy of God, who is a God who does not like losing, He is not a good loser, and for this, in order not to loose, goes out on his own in search. He is a God who searches: He searches for all those who are far from Him like the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep".

God's work is "going out and searching" in order to "invite everyone to the party, good and bad ." "He will not tolerate losing one of his own. But this is also Jesus' prayer, Holy Thursday : ' Father, may none of those you have given me be lost'. He is a God who walks in search of us and has a certain loving weakness for those who are most alienated , who are lost ... He seeks them out. How does he search? He searches to the end, like this shepherd who goes out into the dark, looking for his sheep, until he finds it, or like the woman, who when she loses that coin, lights a lamp , sweeps the house and searches carefully.  That is how God searches. 'I will not lose this child, he's mine and I do not want to lose him! This is our Father: he always seeks us".

Then , "when he finds the sheep" and brings it back into the fold by placing it next to the others no one should say, "You're lost ," rather " You're one of us," because He restores their full dignity . " There is no difference " because God " rearranges everyone whom he has found. And when He does this, He is a God who rejoices". " The joy of God is not the death of the sinner, but his life: this is joy. How distant were these people who murmured against Jesus, how far from the heart of God.  They did not know Him. They believed that being religious, that being good people meant always being good, even polite and often pretending to be polite, right? This is murmuring hypocrisy. Instead, the joy of the Father, God, is that of love : He love us . 'But, I'm a sinner, I did this, this, this ! ' ... ' But I love you the same and I'm going to find you and take you home.' This is our Father. Let us think about this. "

 

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