From The Bishop

Pope Francis has often said that God never tires of offering us His mercy and forgiveness. The Readings for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time remind us of this incredible fact. The three parables found in the Gospel focus on God’s mercy. We see the shepherd who looks for the lost sheep, the woman who searches for the lost coin, and the father who welcomes home his prodigal son. In all three parables there is a celebration when what was lost is found. In the Second Reading, St. Paul states, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners â€" of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy…â€� God offers us mercy because we are sinners. These Readings should fill us with profound joy as we contemplate God’s mercy. His love for us is so great that when we turn away from Him, He continues to pursue us. When reconciliation occurs, He is not satisfied with simply acknowledging our return, He needs to celebrate. It is truly incredible when we consider how much we are loved and valued by our God. How can we not love Him in return? How can we not show mercy to others? The problem is that like the Israelites of the First Reading we can worship gods of our own making. We can even make ourselves into a god. The Sunday Readings remind us that we are sinners who can so easily become lost and confused; however, this does not mean we are worthless creatures destined to failure. God continually offers love and mercy and celebrates our return. This is a message of great hope that the world needs to hear - God never tires of offering us mercy!