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From: Matthew 18:12-14

The Lost Sheep

[12] "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them
has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go
in search of the one that went astray? [13] And if he finds it, truly,
I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that
never went astray. [14] So it is not the will of My Father who is in
Heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

Commentary:

12-14. This parable clearly shows our Lord's loving concern for
sinners. It expresses in human terms the joy God feels when a wayward
child comes back to Him.

Seeing so many souls living away from God, Pope John Paul II comments:
"Unfortunately we witness the moral pollution which is devastating
humanity, disregarding especially those very little ones about whom
Jesus speaks."

"What must we do? We must imitate the Good Shepherd and give ourselves
without rest for the salvation of souls. Without forgetting material
charity and social justice, we must be convinced that the most sublime
charity is spiritual charity, that is, the commitment for the salvation
of souls. And souls are saved with prayer and sacrifice. This is the
mission of the Church!" ("Homily to the Poor Clares of Albano," 14
August 1979).

As the RSV points out, "other ancient authorities add verse 11, "For
the Son of Man came to save the lost"--apparently taken from Luke
19:10.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

FEAST OF THE DAY

Bl. Juan Diego Cuatitlatoatzin, meaning talking eagle, was a native
Mexican who converted to Catholicism. He was a member of the
Chichimeca people and is thought to have been one of the
community's major leaders. Juan had a reputation for holiness and
generosity and later in his life he devoted himself to the pilgrims who
visited the church built in honor of Our Lady of Guadeloupe.

Out of love for his faith and the Mass, he walked fifteen miles to
Mexico City every day to attend Mass. Four hundred and seventy six
years ago today, he was walking to Mass when Our Lady appeared
to him requesting him to build a church on the site where they were
standing. After several apparitions and several miracles, the bishop
granted his permission for a church to be built on the site. After the
church was finished, Juan Diego is said to have devoted the
remainder of his life to directing and caring for pilgrims who came to
see the image of Our Lady of Guadeloupe. Bl. Juan Diego was
beatified by Pope John Paul II in Mexico City in the year 1990.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Present sorrow and suffering is the way to glory, the way to the
kingdom. -St. Bernard

TODAY IN HISTORY

1531 First apparition of Our Lady at Guadeloupe

TODAY'S TIDBIT

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the convocation of the First
Vatican Council. This council was held in the Vatican and attended
by almost 800 bishops from around the world. This council was
made up of four public sessions and 89 general meetings before its
end on July 7, 1870. This council defined papal primacy and
infallibility in a dogmatic constitution on the Church and touched on
other issues such as natural religion, revelation, and the relationship
between faith and reason.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the church in missionary areas.