Call To Prayer Let Your mercy fall on us, God. In Your great tenderness, wipe out all our sins.

Psalm

Antiphon:

Be still and know that I am God.

God is our refuge and our strength, our ever present help in distress.
Though the earth trembles and mountains slide into the sea, we have no fear.
Waters foam and rear and mountains shake at their surging,
but the God of hosts is with us, our stronghold, the God of Israel.

There is a river whose streams give joy to the City of God
the holy dwelling of the most high.
God is in its midst; it stands firm.
God will aid it at the break of day.

Come! See the deeds of the most high
the marvelous things God has done on the earth;
All over the world, God has stopped wars--
breaking bows, splintering spears, burning the shields with fire.

"Be still! and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted upon the earth."

--Psalm 46

The Word - Luke 15:1-10

The tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Then Jesus told them this parable:

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.
Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country
and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
And when he finds it,
he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.
Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says,
"Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep."
I tell you that in the same way
there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins
and loses one.
Does she not light a lamp,
sweep the house and search carefully
until she finds it?
And when she finds it,
she calls her friends and neighbors together and says,
Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'
In the same way, I tell you,
there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner who repents."

For Reflection

What do these parables say about God's mercy?
How have you experienced God's mercy in your life?

Prayer God of mercy, may I become a vessel of mercy as I grow in the grace of forgiveness.

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