Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11 / Matthew
18:12-14
Setting
the Scene
Jesus tells a parable: A man has a
hundred sheep. One wanders off. What does he do?
Logic says: protect the ninety-nine.
You can't risk the whole flock for one foolish sheep. Cut your losses. Move on.
But Jesus says the shepherd leaves the
ninety-nine on the hills and goes searching for the one that's lost. And when
he finds it, not if, when, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine
that didn't wander.
Then the punch line: "In just the
same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little
ones be lost."
Not one. Not a single one.
Isaiah had prophesied this Shepherd:
"Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care." This God
comforts His people, speaks tenderly, promises that every valley will be lifted
and every mountain made low.
The glory of the Lord will be
revealed. And the shepherd goes after every single lost sheep.
The
Heart of It
We like to think we're the
ninety-nine. The faithful ones. The ones who stayed put. The ones who didn't
wander.
But every single one of us has been
the lost sheep. Every one of us has heard Jesus crashing through the
underbrush, calling our name, refusing to give up until He found us.
And here's what kills me: He rejoices
more over finding us than over the ones who never left. Not because He loves
them less. But because the joy of finding what was lost, of bringing home what
wandered, of restoring what was broken, that joy is unique. Complete.
Overwhelming.
Isaiah says, "Comfort, give
comfort to my people." The Hebrew word suggests tender consolation, the
kind you give to someone who's been through trauma. God knows that getting lost
does damage. Wandering wounds. Being separated from the flock leaves scars.
So the Shepherd doesn't just find you.
He carries you. In His arms. Against His heart. He doesn't make you walk back
on your own. He doesn't lecture you about being more careful next time. He just
holds you and brings you home.
"It is not the will of your
heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."
Not one. Including you. Especially
you.
For
Your Reflection
Take your time with these questions.
About Being Lost:
- When have you been the lost sheep? What did it
feel like when Jesus found you?
- Where are you wandering right now that you're
pretending is fine?
- What would it take for you to stop hiding and let
the Shepherd find you?
About Being Found:
- Can you accept that Jesus rejoices over you, or do
you think He's just tolerating you?
- What if your lostness is exactly what makes His
finding you so joyful?
- How does it change things to know the Shepherd
leaves everything to come after you?
About the Ninety-Nine:
- Are you ever resentful that God goes after
"those people" while you've been faithful?
- What if you're not as safe in the fold as you
think? What if you're lost in different ways?
- Can you rejoice when the lost are found, or do you
secretly think they don't deserve it?
About God's Will:
- "It is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost." Do you believe that includes
you?
- If God's will is that you not be lost, what are
you doing that's working against His will for you?
- Who in your life is wandering that God wants you
to go after?
Praying
the Sorrowful Mysteries
As you pray the rosary today, see
Jesus as the Shepherd who won't give up:
The Agony in the Garden - He could leave us lost. Instead, He sweats blood to find
us.
The Scourging - Every lash is Him crashing through thorns to reach the
lost sheep.
The Crown of Thorns - The briars that tear the wandering sheep tear Him first.
Carrying the Cross - This is what it costs to carry lost sheep home.
The Crucifixion - "It is finished." Not one sheep will be lost.
Not on His watch.
The Sorrowful Mysteries show us what
the Shepherd endures to find us. It's not a casual search. It costs Him
everything. And He pays it gladly because His Father's will is that not one be
lost.
A
Quiet Challenge
Francis was the lost sheep. Son of a
wealthy merchant, living for parties and glory and comfort. Then God found him.
And Francis spent the rest of his life going after other lost sheep, lepers,
outcasts, thieves, the poor, the forgotten.
He knew what it felt like to be found.
So, he couldn't help but search.
In three days, we'll celebrate Our
Lady of Guadalupe, when Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a poor indigenous man who
felt lost and inadequate. When his uncle was dying, Juan Diego tried to avoid
Mary because he thought he'd failed her. But she stopped him with words that
echo through centuries: "Am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not
under my shadow and protection?"
Juan Diego was a lost sheep who
thought he was too lost to be found. Mary showed him he was never outside her
protection, never beyond the reach of love. And through him, nine million lost
sheep came home.
Who is the lost sheep in your life?
The person everyone else has given up on. The family member who's wandered? The
friend who's hiding? The coworker who's clearly struggling but putting on a
good show?
This week, be the shepherd. Not with
judgment. Not with fixing. Just with presence. With tender comfort. With the
message: "You matter. You're not forgotten. God hasn't given up on you.
And neither have I."
Sometimes being found happens through
another person willing to search. Juan Diego was found by Mary. Then millions
were found through Juan Diego. Who will be found through you?
Closing
Pray this honestly:
"Good Shepherd, I've been lost
more times than I can count. And every time, You've come after me. You've
carried me home. You've rejoiced over finding me. Now show me who You want me
to go after. Who's the lost sheep in my life that needs to know they're not
forgotten? Give me Your heart for the wandering. Give me Your relentlessness
for the lost. And when I wander again, and I will, come find me. Please. Always
come find me. In Jesus’ name. Amen."
Then ask:
- Where am I wandering right now?
- Who in my life is lost that God wants me to
pursue?
- Do I really believe God rejoices over me, or do I
think I'm just a burden?
Not one will be lost. That's the
Father's will. That's the Shepherd's promise. That's your hope and your
calling.
Go find the lost. You know what it's
like to be found.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
December 9, 2025
A Franciscan Reflection
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
