God's welcoming love
10 August 2026
If you’re a traveler, certainly, you like to discover new places and go around countries. We can think of so many solitary travelers risk their lives by crossing oceans, deserts and lands in order to cross boundaries. As you enter a new place, you find a new environment inhabited by people with their own customs, practices and beliefs.
The Gospel’s stories are all comparable with the new world which attract you and call you to immediately pack your baggage and venture. This helps you to not see the Bible as boring as you, may be, find it everyday. The Gospel always lets us discover that the story we frequently read or listen to, always offers a new message if we think of ourselves as traveler.
The Gospel stories tend to oppose our common custom as they opposed Jewish laws and practices during Jesus time. It was unacceptable that such influential and high profile personality could welcome traitors, enemies, and even sinners. If we would dig deeper into the world of the story, we could be also scandalized. Normally, if we were shepherds, with a hundred sheep and losing one of them, we’d prefer to stay and keep the ninety-nine sheep than to go in search of the lost one. The reason could be: economically, we wouldn’t really lose if one of them didn’t come. In the same way when we lose one of 12 drachmas, it’s quite normal because we think in term of profit and loss rule. (cf Lk 16:1-8)
When Jesus told the parable, he wanted his hearers to discover who God was as He had announced. His attitude toward the sinners shows us that our God is a welcoming God who, in search of sinners, like us, welcomes us in his dwelling place. His love is compassionate and caring. He loves us through Jesus death and resurrection. By the Eucharist, his caring love, God nourishes us every day.
The fundamental point of our faith is joy and not fear. That’s why Jesus said, there will be more rejoicing in the heaven for one repentant sinner than ninety-nine virtuous men who don’t need repentance. We are not called to be virtuous, but to be joyful because God who welcomes us, offers us a feast. Therefore, we are asked to be as welcoming as Jesus. The first act of love is not giving but welcoming. We have to be witnesses of God’s welcoming love. It starts with compassion and care. If we learn to be a compassionate and caring person, we start also to be truly happy and loving person.