Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 10, 2024
Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
As a cradle Catholic, the story of the Good Shepherd is one I have heard since my early childhood. The image of Christ as the caring herdsman is an easy one to appreciate. But once grown, listening to this whole passage brought on the realization that it was not about me or any of us who were blessed enough to never lose our faith. In fact, the Scripture implies that, like the shepherd, God rejoices more in recovering those who are lost than in those of us who “did not stray.” It can be difficult not to take this personally and feel overlooked.
However, we must remember we are already receiving the blessings of following Christ. Why should we not wish this for others, especially for the conversion of those who have faced more struggles because they do not yet know Christ’s love?
As Christians, part of our vocation is to care for the “other.” It is no accident that a large part of Jesus’ ministry in the gospels is reaching out to those who are judged by society. We will soon be in the season of Christmas and will hear accounts of the nativity story, which includes many “others.” Mary and Joseph were poor, the shepherds were not admired for their profession, and the magi were not part of the chosen people of Israel; but these individuals were all prioritized in being primary witnesses of the miracle of God’s Incarnation as a human being.
The gospels compel us to have this same care for those who are outcasts or have not yet heard the Good News. God is the Good Shepherd, but specifically, our God is the God who has a preference for the lost sheep. Let us aspire to have that same preference.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, like the shepherd who sought out the lost sheep, you sought us out when we were lost to sin and doubt. For this we thank and glorify you. As we continue along the journey of life, we pray for the strength to follow you unreservedly, and if we do stray from the path, for the wisdom to recognize your voice when you come to carry us home. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen.
Saint of the Day
This title of Mary refers to the house in which she was born and raised, and in which the angel Gabriel visited her in the Annunciation. Tradition holds that angels miraculously transported the house from Palestine to Loreto, Italy, in the 13th century.
It is now believed that this legend came from the fact that a patron family with the name “Angelo” either had the house moved or had stones for a replica home imported from the Holy Land. The stones in the shrine in Italy match the stones of a structure that still stands in Nazareth that is believed to be another part of Mary’s home.
The history that we have for the house—legendary or factual—states that after Jesus’ ascension, the apostles had the home converted to a church. During her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 336, the Empress Helen had a large basilica built over it. At the close of the Crusades, European forces feared that the house would be destroyed, and it was moved. Miracles attended it wherever it went, and the house finally rested in Italy. A basilica encases the home once again, and the town of Loreto has grown around the shrine.
Just before opening the Second Vatican Council in 1962, Pope John XXIII made a pilgrimage to Loreto. Fifty years later, in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI made a second pilgrimage to the site to mark the anniversary of the council and to dedicate the Year of Faith to Our Lady of Loreto.
A portion of Mary’s house is kept in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica on campus, and the campus church for St. Mary’s College is named after Our Lady of Loreto. Because of the legend of the angelic flying house, Our Lady of Loreto is patron of airplane pilots and attendants, and of those serving in the Air Force. She is also patron of construction workers.
Our Lady of Loreto, who teaches us to make a home for Jesus in the world, pray for us!