Lost and Found
The joy in finding a lost item varies in the degrees to what is lost. There are at times when what is lost is never found but when a treasured lost item is found there is great rejoicing. Like the parable of  the lost sheep, whereby Jesus talked about the good shepherd who will leave the 99 and go after the 1 lost sheep and when he finds it, he will call his neighbours to rejoice with him. Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep and the rejoicing in heaven by the angels over one repentant sinner who in a way has been found and restored to God.The parable of the Merciful Father and the Prodigal Son is another lost and found story in which we can recall how the prodigal son after squandering all his inheritance he decided to go back to his father who when he saw him far off staggering back, run to meet him and embraced him, and called for a celebration. The occassion? to celebrate life, for his son was lost and found, dead and now alive....
   What does it mean to be lost? when the young prodigal son voluntarily left  home with all his inheritance, he was not lost, he was much alive enjoying life how can he then be referred to as being dead? what have you lost recently?... here is a litany to help think along.... lost of conscience,  lost of vision... lost of direction in life.....lost of  your first love thus becoming lukewarm....lost of enthusiasm....lost the eagerness to please God..... lost of joy in little things????? or what are you in search for?    The prodigal son was much alive but his father described him as dead. So how can one be alive and yet dead? the prodigal son also had an older brother who never 'left home', a seemingly good son, who has 'kept' all the rules. No wonder he was not amused with the commotion over the return of a spoiled brother and righteously refused to join in the celebration. Both sons in a way are lost even though the one never left home. Both though alive yet are dead: the younger one was separated from the father - source of life, the older one even though remained at home, yet was also separated from the father as he lost contact and therefore equally dead. Both are in need of redemptiom. The father in the story is God, the Merciful Father who love his children so much that he wants us to know and experience his unconditional love. That is why Jesus came to restore us since we were all lost, blind and dead
      Jesus as a boy was supposed to be lost when the parents could not find him. After 3 days he was found in the Temple ' about His Father's business'  Are we engaged in bringing about the kingdom of God in all that we do? how are we celebrating our new found life in the Lord? do we appreciate God's amazing grace that has restored our sight and reconciled us? It's grace that saves, it's the Father who is watching out for our return if we wander away from his love. We may think we are in search for Him, but it's God who took the initiative to search and reconcile us. 'When you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me'. Even if we think we are doing the searching it's God who find us. Have you ever played 'hide and seek' as a parent with your child? yes, when the child can't find you and starts to cry, you give a sign and child finds you. Each day is an opportunity to celebrate our new found life and what a better place than at the feet of the Eucharistic Lord. He was lost and found in the temple so that we can be lost to the world and be found by Him in the Holy Eucharist, where He remains for us to come and commune with him, to allow Him to embrace us, and rejoice over us. He is the Vine and we are the branches so we need to remain in Him as outside Him we cannot live our full potential.