24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 What do the lost sheep, the lost coin and the sons in today's gospel have in common? Easy, of course, they are all lost. What does it mean to be "lost"? I haven't looked it up anywhere for a definition but my intuition tells me that it means to be in the wrong place. Sometimes I am lost but I do not know it and at other times I am aware that as I strive to go to the right place I am, in fact, getting further and further away from it and therefore more and more lost.

The sheep and the coin are unaware. They are lost because their owners cannot find them. This induces the owner to make an effort to retrieve them from permanent separation from where they rightfully belong as part of the flock or the set of ten coins. The sons in the third parable are self aware but only one of them works out that he is lost. This only truly dawns on him when in the pig sty "he came to himself." (Lk 15: 17) He knows where he is but it is only through a realization of his relationship with the Father, that has been damaged through his own actions, that he realizes how lost he in fact is. Even then he has some learning to do. His remedy for the situation is to redefine the relationship: "I am no longer worthy to be called your son." (Lk 15: 21) The father's response is to relocate him back in his proper place as one of his sons: "... for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!" (Lk 15: 24) 

The older son is also lost but he does not know it yet. His relationship with the Father is tainted by jealousy and resentment such that everything he does for the Father makes him feel like he is a slave: "I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never given me even a young a goat so that I might celebrate with my friends." (Lk 15: 29) It is clear that his relationship with the Father was just as damaged as that of his younger brother. The response of the Father, who is God, is to relocate him in his proper relationship by reminding him: " 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours'." (Lk 15: 31) Furthermore, this finding of relationship has implications for the relationship with the elder son's brother which also need to be restored: " 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found'." (Lk 15: 32)