God Seeks the Lost ~Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard (1874–1949)
Our Lord did not come for the righteous, but for those in need of healing. He tells us plainly: the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one that is lost. The venturesome lamb caught in the thicket—the coin hidden behind the furniture—these are of great value to Him.
So too are the souls we might be tempted to dismiss: Mary Magdalene, the woman caught in adultery, Zacchaeus the tax collector, Simon the leper, Barabbas the murderer, and even the thief who hung beside Him on the cross. These are not just moments of mercy—they are the mission of Christ.
And so it must be with us. The calling of a Christian is not to comfort and insulate oneself among the likeminded, but to go out into the world. To risk discomfort for the sake of love. To bear the burden of someone else’s weakness and walk with them toward the light.
Yes, it is easier to stay among those who think as we do, who act as we do, and who believe as we do. But that is not the path of the Cross. Christ mingled with sinners not to be changed by them, but to change them—to save them. And we are called to do the same.
As leaven must mix into the dough, so too must Christians be present in the world, not withdrawn from it. Catholic action is not about escaping the world, but sanctifying it.
The Dignity of Baptism
We often forget who we are. Through Baptism, the Christian becomes a living member of the Mystical Body of Christ. The Blessed Trinity dwells in the soul in a state of grace. This is no mere metaphor—this is the deepest reality of Christian existence.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
The baptized are made partakers in the divine life, united with Christ, and consecrated as a royal priesthood. We are called not just to admire Christ, but to carry Him within us—to live in Him, and to allow Him to live through us.
How few grasp the full majesty of this truth. The world says we are dust. The Church says: yes, but dust that has been breathed into by God and filled with glory.
The Call to Awaken
It is time to awaken to this truth.
To remind the baptized of their divine dignity. To stir the slumbering hearts in our pews. To raise the fallen, guide the lost, and walk alongside the broken.
We are not here to watch the world go by. We are here to help save it—one soul at a time. One prodigal son. One wounded daughter. One forgotten sinner who dares to believe, maybe for the first time, that they too can come home.
Let us be that voice of the Father calling out from the road, arms open wide.
Let us live as sons and daughters of the Most High, and never forget the miracle of being found.
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