WHERE THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE
The shepherd
searches until what he has lost is found.
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!