In the first reading Paul details his personal history from a devout Jew and Pharisee to a dedicated Apostle of Christ: “Once I found Christ, all these things that I might have considered as profit, I reckoned as loss. Still more, everything seems to be as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord.”
In the Gospel reading Jesus uses two parables to show how God seeks out a sinner and rejoices at his repentance: Jesus makes use of parables of the lost sheep and of a lost silver coin.
If for one unfortunate reason or another, we abandon the Lord by sinning, we know that the Lord, in his infinite love and mercy, will seek us out to return to him. He untiringly and gently speaks to us, even if many times we reject him.
God has given us the precious Sacrament of Reconciliation where we find his mercy and forgiveness through the ministry of the Church. The forgiving Father lovingly awaits the return of his prodigal children.