Today the Gospel offers us two everyday images of things that have been lost and found: a sheep that gets lost in the field and a coin that gets lost in the house. Who has not ever lost the keys, a document, or the dog? When something is really valued, nobody stays calm until they find what they have lost. Throughout our lives, we may also have lost more valuable things such as affections, relationships, projects, or opportunities; but have we really looked for them with effort and determination?
Cardinal Van Thuan, in his book, Testimony of Hope, talks about the five defects of Jesus, and describes two which are based on these two parables. First, Jesus is not good in mathematics. If He took a math examination, He would surely fail it. For Jesus, one equals 99, perhaps even more. When it comes to saving a lost sheep, nothing can stop Him. Second, Jesus does not know anything about logic. What the woman did in the parable does not make sense. It would have been more logical for the woman to go to bed and to search for the coin in the daylight. Also, in inviting her friends to celebrate with her, she spent more than a coin. But for Jesus, the search for a lost one has priority. He cannot lose a minute.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, confesses the perfect and immense joy that he feels for belonging completely to God. A life of faith consists of always seeking God, but above all it consists of discovering that rather we are found by God, to whom we belonged before we knew God.
Do I experience happiness and loving belonging when I encounter God in my life of faith?