Daily reflection _ where there is life, there is hope

WHERE THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE
The shepherd searches until what he has lost is found.  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
I read a story recently about a man who was in a near-fatal accident while driving home from work. When his wife received the word she rushed to the hospital where he had been taken. A young intern informed her that her husband had received emergency treatment upon arrival and was now undergoing surgery. Though his condition was critical, he was still alive. The intern tried to comfort the wife by reminding her that where there is life, there is hope. These are simple words but very profound!
At times, we say our world is in critical condition. War on terrorism, social justice issues, pollution, etc. Everything we try to do seems to be only a little better than emergency treatment, and there is small comfort in that. But the world is not dead, and where there is life, there is hope! From time to time, as in today's first reading, God sends a message to us, "Comfort, give comfort to My people" (Is 40:1). All will be well. Unlike the woman in the hospital we can do more than just wait. Hope does not mean passivity. Let us remember our faith, the faith to know that with God we can endure all things.
The mood that permeates the season of Advent is one of watching, waiting, and longing for more than we could ever imagine. We trust that, in Divine faithfulness, this is what God will do. "Here is your God," Isaiah declares. God will gather lambs in His arms. Like Jesus' parable of the shepherd in the Gospel, our Shepherd will search out and care for the lost sheep and give them the comfort they need. But it does take some work on our part to make the Good News of life happen.
The significance of Jesus' parable today is that shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep, by their very nature are social creatures, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic. The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned into joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. The shepherd searches until what he has lost is found. His persistence pays off!
What's new in Jesus' teaching is the insistence that those who are lost in life must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that we be saved and restored to fellowship with Him now and for eternity. This is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God. 
Let us take this moment today to reflect on the Word of God. May we realize that the hope we have is derived not from human activity, however important, but from God's grace. To all the prophets who died for our Faith we should not fear to counter with the words of the prophet of hope and consolation, "Here is your God." Here comes our Shepherd who loves us. My Lord and My God!