Welcome to the ULC Minister's Network

Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.

Gospel/Homily

  • Liturgical day: Sacred Heart of Jesus (C)

    Saints June 28th: Saint Irenaeus de Lyons, bishop and martyr

    Gospel text (Lk 15,3-7): Jesus told them this parable, «Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek out the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep’. I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine upright who do not need to repent».

    «Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep»

    Fr. Pedro IGLESIAS Martínez
    (Rubí, Barcelona, Spain)

    Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From time immemorial, man has been “physically” placing in his heart the best and the worst of the human race. Christ shows us his, with the scars of our sins, as a symbol of his love for men, and it is from this very Heart, where past, present and future History is revitalized and renewed, where we can contemplate and understand the joy of He who has found what He had lost.

    «Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep» (Lk 15:6). When we hear these words, we always tend to place ourselves in the group of the of the ninety nine upright who do not need to repent and observe “from the distance” how Jesus offers the salvation to a number of our acquaintances who happen to be much worse than us... Not at all!, Jesus' joy has a name and a face. Mine, yours, his..., because of our sins, we all are “the lost sheep”; so we better stop adding fuel to the flames of our arrogance, while we think we are fully converted.

    In the times we live in, where the concept of sin is played down or is even denied, where the Sacrament of Penance is considered by some persons as something hard, sad and obsolete, the Lord, in his parable, speaks only of celebration, and He does not do it only here, but actually all throughout the Gospels. Zaccheus, after having been forgiven, invites Jesus to eat to celebrate it (cf. Lk 19:1-9); the prodigal's father forgives him and offers a party for his return (cf. Lk 15,11-32), and the Good Shepherd rejoices for his found lamb that had wandered off the trail.

    St. Josemaria said a man «is worth his heart's worth». Let us meditate from Luke's Gospel whether the price —which appears in our heart's price tag— compares with the ransom the Sacred Heart of Jesus has paid for each one of us.