2nd Sunday after Easter 18.4.21 Value of one
Our Lord knows each person so completely. We are thinking we are on our own in a cruel impersonal universe and we find that the Creator of that world is vitally interested in what becomes of us.
The lost sheep, the one out of a hundred. Many would accept a one in a hundred wastage.
Even the ninety-nine might do that. But Not the Good
Shepherd.
Today there is much emphasis on self-esteem. We generally think it is a good thing to affirm each other.
But such affirmation can become meaningless if we are just saying someone is good for the sake of saying it. If we call everyone good, whether they are or not, the term ‘good’ loses its meaning.
True affirmation requires balance. The chief point to remember is that God is at the source of all good.
If one is talented or holy, such a state is possible only by the grace of God.
There is merit in choosing to cooperate with that grace. Thus we honour the saints for doing that.
If we leave God out, as many would, our sense of the specialness of each person is a matter of shifting opinions.
Not everyone is equally special when it comes to secular opinion. A lot of people are expendable, eg babies in the womb, elderly people, other races, lower classes etc.
God has implanted a soul in each person. He has called each one into being from nothingness. We cannot discard anyone that He holds important – and that is everyone.
With God firmly in our minds we regard people in the same light as He sees them - each one of great value, and needing to be saved.
To say that God loves someone is not to say that He approves of everything that person does.
He does not approve of sin, and nor should we.
However, if we should not praise people too much, we should not condemn them too much either.
Whereas we might simply want to punish the sinner, God desires repentance and restoring. Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live? (Ez 18,23).
We seek the lost; we do not just write them off. In this we imitate God's own attitude.
We can encourage or correct each other as required, remembering that the ultimate goal is to bring everyone closer to Christ.
We share in Our Lord’s desire to gather people to Himself. We can help by our prayer, sacraments, sacrifices, good works etc.
This is by way of calling everyone to know God better, and all that flows from that, including belonging to His Church.
We may not know how to reach someone who is hardened against such approaches but we can help with our small bit, believing and hoping that change can happen.
We can help the Good Shepherd insofar as He wants our participation.
On our own account we look for Him. We do not want to make it hard for Him to find us.
We could say, in summary that no one is so good that he does not need God’s help.
And no one is so bad that he is beyond God’s help.
If we keep the proper perspective we will be able to ‘feel good’ about ourselves, knowing we are loved by God, yet not exploiting that love to do as we please.
Instead we will grow in our return love for God and be anxious to please Him in all things.
This will happen if we listen for the voice of the Shepherd.
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