In today’s reflection from the daily Mass, Fr Dean wonders what it’s like to have an adventurous spirit in the church.
BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent here (Universalis Website)
How adventurous are you? How inquisitive? Are you the one to wander off to following your intuition, or are you more careful and calculated, watching what others do, going along with the crowd?
The parable of the Lost Sheep is a familiar one. There is an interesting difference between the version of the parable shared in Matthew’s gospel and the one we know from Luke’s. In Luke, the sheep is lost and the message of the story appears to be how Jesus associates with sinners. Whereas, in Matthew’s gospel from today’s Mass, the sheep has gone astray. The sheep is the adventurous type, who has broken away from the flock in search of new sights and sounds. It may seem pastorally inappropriate to leave the 99 others behind, but maybe it’s worth leaving behind the safe, unadventurous types (after all—what can happen to them? They’re risk averse!) and seek out that adventurous, great-souled member of the community who, once discovered, can give us a fresh perspective and new possibilities.
The church is often criticised for being old fashioned, clinging to yesterday’s traditions. Whilst we need to treasure and be nurtured by the traditions and belief we have inherited, we are also called to have a bold, adventurous spirit. Sometimes, it only needs one person to show us that spirit, and chase the possibilities which are out there, beyond our usual trodden path.
MASS TODAY
Mass today on Tuesday 9 December is at S Mary’s at 630pm (followed by our Advent Course at 7pm)
DAY BY DAY
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our DAY BY DAY pages.
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