Luke's parables of loss are among the most famous of the stories that Jesus told. He is dealing with the religious elite who saw that His association with known sinners was wrong—the fact that Jesus ate with them, only fuelled their distrust of Him. They saw Jesus, the preacher and man of God being quite comfortable, and 'at home' with those they considered evil and bad. Today we hear of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and lost sons. We might well question the wisdom of the Good Shepherd who would leave the ninety-nine safe and happy sheep in search of the lost one—that is, of course, unless you are that one lost sheep, in need of new direction and support. The widow, who has so little, is going to search high and low for that coin—anything we lose becomes very important. Think of those friendships that have been side-lined over the past few years: we have lost companionship and care—we have lost support and interest.

In the West End hit musical, 'School of Rock' it is the eccentric music teacher, 'Dewey Flynn' who discovers the true needs of the rich and cosseted children in his care. On the face of it these children have everything: rich parents who are prepared to pay huge fees at the 'Horace Greene' private school. However, there is more to life than the latest video game or your SATs results. He is able to respond to their pleas, so beautifully put in song:

I was lost, lost, and in pain.

So much heard, bottled inside.

All the things, I should have said,

I just kept trying to hide.

And I thought nobody could,

but you, you understood.

I needed to share,

and only you would listen.

Hoped someone would care,

and only you would listen.

You've raised my voice up,

Taught me, not to fear.

I've learned who I am because you're here.

Dewey was the one who noticed that these children needed accompaniment. He would not allow them to hide behind their wealth or academic grades—he listened to them. Through his deep care they were found to be the people they should be. Their lost talents were encouraged, and they were able to make a difference. His service to them went beyond the lesson because he had, what Don Bosco called, an 'Oratorian heart'. He has the heart of the good shepherd, the good widow, and the good father—it is the heart that never gives up. In these cases of loss, we need the good who will never give up. I am thankful for those people who do not give up on me: their patience and dedication has been inspirational, especially in those times when I have given up on myself. The loving father grants freedom, autonomy, and generous love to both his sons. We will often concentrate on the wayward younger son who receives that unconditional pardon. However, what of the older young man? He only finds out about his brother's dramatic return from a servant. He has been out working in the fields, hearing, almost by accident, of the father's prodigal love. Is he justified in his anger? After all, he has remained faithful and loyal! However, our faith is more than just a simple story: the parables of Jesus can ask as many deep questions of faith, as providing convenient and neat answers. Life is not convenient and neat—there will be issues that each of us will have to face, especially with those closest to us who are, inevitably, family. Family can help or hinder, as we are all too aware. Jesus does not go on to tell us whether the elder son responded or not. Nor does he say how the younger son lived in response to his father's welcoming love. In leaving these points unresolved he throws out a challenge to all his hearers, be they like the elder brother or like the younger. We tend to see ourselves as the prodigal and rejoice in the welcoming love of God. This is good, and it is even better if we go on to make the appropriate response to that love. However, we might also profitably reflect that, unless we are very unusual, we can also see ourselves in the elder brother. It is a common human failing to think that we are not appreciated as we ought to be, that people do not give us credit for what we have done. Whether we are religious or not, we can be all too critical of those we see as having failed to live up to our standards, even if our standards are not theirs. That Jesus leaves the elder son's reaction open is encouraging. We can still do the right thing. God's love is a continuing challenge to all our self-seeking.

As we all have to navigate the potholes and backroads of life, there is a danger that we can become lost too. We will become lost if we do not have those good ones in our lives who look out for us. In a similar way, today you may well be the good person that a lost soul needs. You can be their comfort, you will be their Oratorian heart, you can be their salvation and hope today. We have a simple choice: are we, with Pope Francis, going to promote a culture of real care? We are invited…

to continue to let the culture of mercy grow, a culture in which no one looks at others with indifference, or averts his eyes in the face of their suffering… Continue to be a sign of the Father's loving embrace

Author: Fr Gerry O'Shaughnessy SDB

Photo by Sebastián León Prado on Unsplash