Homily For Thursday, Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 5th November, 2026

 

Readings: Phil 3:3-8 , Ps.104 , Luke 15:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARE YOU LOST IN THIS SINFUL WORLD? GOD IS SEARCHING AND WAITING FOR YOU

It is natural and common for any human person to desire to seek and find any valuable thing he/she has lost. Some people even have sleepless nights over their lost items. Some can go to any lengths hoping to recover any of their valuable commodity that are lost. If we can do this just for perishable things of this passing world, don’t we think that God will do even more to save every single soul he created in his own image and likeness.

Little wonder that in our Gospel passage today, Jesus, while addressing the Pharisee who accused him of welcoming sinners, tells us the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, which illustrate the unrelenting love of God for each of us, especially sinners.

In these parables, we see two examples of people searching for what is precious to them. And when they found it their joy was so great. So, Jesus uses these examples to explain to us how God seeks us when we are lost in sin and his joy when our friendship with him is renewed. His searching for us cost him the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ.

This can help us to realise how precious we are to him, that he never gives up on anyone except those who choose to be lost. All we need is for us to return to God who is patiently waiting for us. Just like St. Paul in our first reading who told us that because of Christ, he has come to consider all he has as nothing. For nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear friends, are we lost in sin? Have we given up in our struggle with sin? Do you think that our sins are so great that God cannot forgive us? Do we feel lost now? Jesus is searching for us; he is waiting for us at the confessional. When was the last time we visited him at the confessional? Just know that he loves us and we are too precious to be lost in this sinful world.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this passing world due to our sinfulness. Seek out humanity once again from the wilderness of sins, so that we may return to you, just like the lost sheep and the lost coin, and so we may rejoice and praise you once again with the angels. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you