Bible Reflection @ 5 Nov 2026 | The Joy of Being Found
Today’s Gospel (Thurs, 5/11/26) gives us two beautiful parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin. Both reveal something wonderful about God: God never gives up on anyone.
Jesus tells us that when the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he joyfully carries it home on his shoulders. And when the woman finds her lost coin, she calls her neighbours and friends to celebrate with her.
The emphasis here is not simply on the sheep being lost, but on the joy of being found!
The Joy of Being Found
Sometimes, we too can feel lost. We may be lost in our sins, addictions, struggles, disappointments, loneliness, etc.
But God does not abandon us. He comes looking for us. He seeks us out, not to condemn us, but to bring us home.
And when one sinner repents, Jesus tells us, there is great rejoicing in heaven!
No one is ever too late to be found by God – through us! No one is beyond His mercy and love – through us!
Becoming Shepherds Who Reach Out
But there is another important message for us as a parish community.
If God is a shepherd who goes out in search of the lost, then we, too, are called to become shepherds to one another.
Pastoral care is not simply waiting for people to come to church. It means going out, reaching out and caring for those who may be forgotten or left behind.
Perhaps we can remember Abp Julian’s 4Ls:
The Lost: those who have drifted away from the Church, stopped attending Mass or lost their faith.
The Little: the children, the young and those who are vulnerable, who need our attention, guidance, and protection.
The Least: the poor, the sick, the elderly, the lonely and those who have little voice in our community.
The Last: those who are overlooked, marginalised or always placed at the bottom of our priorities.
As a parish, as BECs, as ministry leaders, and as individual Christians, we must ask ourselves: Are we reaching out to these people? Do we notice them? Do we care enough to approach them?
Sometimes, a phone call, a whatsapp message, a visit, a listening ear, a simple invitation, or a word of encouragement can make all the difference.
Sharing in Heaven’s Joy
The joy of the Gospel is not just the joy of being found ourselves. It is also the joy of helping others find their way home, the joy of helping them grow in effective Christian living as missionary disciples of Jesus – through the 8 Habits!
A vibrant Christian community is not one that simply gathers many people inside the Church. It is one that goes out to seek those who are missing and always absent, and to welcome those who are forgotten and brings everyone closer to Jesus.
God seeks the lost. We must not forget them.
May SFA become a parish where nobody is forgotten, nobody is neglected and everybody is loved and welcome!
Let us grow from being maintenance disciples to missionary disciples, from being a maintenance church to a missionary church.
Go, go, go! Reach out!
Fr Paul Cheong OFM Cap
5/11/26
