SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS - Gospel (Luke 15:3-7) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (Lk 15:7)

FIRST READING - 34:11-16

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

As a shepherd tends his flock

when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,

so will I tend my sheep.

I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered

when it was cloudy and dark.

I will lead them out from among the peoples

and gather them from the foreign lands;

I will bring them back to their own country

and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel

in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places.

In good pastures will I pasture them,

and on the mountain heights of Israel

shall be their grazing ground.

There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,

and in rich pastures shall they be pastured

on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will pasture my sheep;

I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.

The lost I will seek out,

the strayed I will bring back,

the injured I will bind up,

the sick I will heal,

but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,

shepherding them rightly.

SECOND READING from the Letter to the Romans - 5:5b-11

Brothers and sisters:

The love of God has been poured out into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For Christ, while we were still helpless,

died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,

though perhaps for a good person

one might even find courage to die.

But God proves his love for us

in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,

will we be saved through him from the wrath.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,

how much more, once reconciled,

will we be saved by his life.

Not only that,

but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - 15:3-7

From the Gospel according to Luke

Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:

"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them

would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert

and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he does find it,

he sets it on his shoulders with great joy

and, upon his arrival home,

he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,

'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'

I tell you, in just the same way

there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous people

who have no need of repentance."

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS - Gospel (Luke 15:3-7) THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today’s Word of God speaks of the great love of God the Father—a love that flows from His own heart. In this world, no one possesses a love like God's, for He is love. All goodness is found in God the Father. Because of His immense love, He could not bear to abandon humanity when people sinned and displeased Him. Therefore, He humbled Himself, became human, and came as the Good Shepherd to care for His flock.

In the heart of God the Father, no person or soul is ever abandoned, even if that soul has sinned and displeased Him. Because of His love, He continues to wait patiently, always creating opportunities for that soul to return to Him. The love of God the Father surpasses human understanding—it transcends natural human love and even justice as defined by human laws. There is a profound difference between God’s love and human love: God’s love is infinite and unconditional, while human love is often limited and conditional. Anyone who desires to serve God and embrace this sublime love must walk in the path of God the Father's love. Those who choose a love that is limited and conditional walk according to natural human inclinations.

Today’s Word of God reveals God’s love through the image of the Good Shepherd who searches for a lost sheep. From a human perspective, such love may seem foolish to leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to search for one. But God's love far surpasses human love, human logic, and human calculation. God loves all His children equally, without distinguishing between the righteous and the sinful. When Jesus taught the parable of the Lost Sheep, He wanted to highlight the immeasurable love of God the Father. God doesn't have the heart to let any of His children fall into Satan's arms. He is willing to sacrifice His life to save souls and rejoices greatly when lost sheep return to Him. The image of the Good Shepherd’s love is not only a testament to divine love; it is a calling on all people to love as God loves.

God calls us to love one another just as He has loved us, and to treasure everything He has given us. He also calls His shepherds to go in search of the lost sheep—those living in sin and to lead them back to God the Father. This is the mission of preaching the Gospel, of bringing God to all humanity. It is a mission to save souls from the captivity of Satan, to lead them away from the path of sin, and to guide them back to God. For when even one sinful soul repents and returns to God the Father, all of heaven and earth rejoice and give thanks.

Today’s Word of God also teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. God the Father calls all His children to embrace His great love and be willing to sacrifice our own lives to seek out the lost sheep, rescue those imprisoned by Satan, and help them return to Him. This is the divine calling and mission given by God to all whom He has chosen in this new era—the era of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 June 27th, 2025 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven