Daily Readings - Fri Jun 27 2025

¹¹"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.¹²As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.¹³I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.¹⁴I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.¹⁵I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.¹⁶I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Romans

Chapter 5

⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!¹⁰For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Luke

Chapter 15

³Then Jesus told them this parable:⁴"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Sermon

The readings today offer a powerful reflection on God’s boundless love and mercy. In the first reading from Ezekiel, we hear the Lord describe Himself as a shepherd who seeks out His scattered and lost sheep. This passage emphasizes God’s active care for His people, promising to rescue them from darkness and lead them to fertile pastures. It’s a vision of a God who does not abandon His flock but instead goes out to heal the broken, strengthen the weak, and bring back those who have wandered away. This imagery reminds us that God’s love is not passive; it is dynamic, seeking, and saving. The second reading from Romans deepens this theme by highlighting the extraordinary nature of God’s love. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, demonstrating the depth of God’s love. This passage challenges us to consider the radical nature of divine love—a love that gives itself even for those who do not deserve it. It reminds us that our reconciliation with God is not based on our worthiness but on His gratuitous love. The reading also invites us to glory in God, not because of our own merits, but because of the gift of salvation we have received through Christ. In the Gospel, Luke shares the parable of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep. This story underscores the joy of God when even one sinner repents. It teaches us that every soul is precious to God, and His love is not limited to the righteous or the perfect. The shepherd’s joy is contagious, and it calls us to share in that joy by embracing God’s mercy and extending it to others. Together, these readings remind us that we are all sheep who have wandered at times, but God’s love is always seeking us, always finding us, and always rejoicing over our return. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How do we respond to God’s seeking love? Do we allow ourselves to be found, or do we resist His grace? Let us also consider how we can imitate this divine love in our own lives. Are we willing to go out of our way to care for others, especially those who feel lost or forgotten? May we find joy in the mercy of God and may we, in turn, be instruments of that mercy for others.