Pray for the stray

Today’s readings both involve people who stray from the ways of God.

The first reading (Ezekiel 2:8-3:4) refers to the rebellious people of Israel and prophesizes the ultimate result of straying from the good: Lamentation and wailing and woe!

In the Gospel (Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14), our Lord speaks of tenderly seeking those who stray:

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.

May you and I always call upon the Lord when we stray and may we pray for others when they stray, so that the Lord in his mercy may gather us into the fullness of his love and truth.