Saturday, October 17 : Saint Ambrose

Since man’s weakness is incapable of maintaining a firm step in this changing world, the good doctor shows you a remedy against going astray and the merciful judge does not withhold hope of forgiveness. It is not without reason that Saint Luke put forward three parables in succession: the sheep who strayed away and was found again; the coin that was lost and found; the son who died and came again back to life. This is so that this threefold remedy will urge us to take care of our wounds… The weary sheep is brought back by the shepherd; the lost coin is found; the son turns back and returns to his father, repenting of his waywardness… Let us rejoice, then, in that this sheep, which went astray in Adam, has been raised up again in Christ. Christ’s shoulders are the arms of the cross; there it is that I have laid down my sins; on that gallows I have found my rest. This “sheep” is unique according to his nature but not in his persons since we all form a single body but are many in our members. That is why it is written: “You are Christ’s body and individually parts of it,” (1Cor 12,27). “The Son of Man has come to save what was lost” (Lk 19.10), that is to say all men, since “just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1Cor 15,22)… Nor is it irrelevant that the woman rejoices to have found her coin: it is no small thing, this coin on which is portrayed the image of a prince. In the same way, the good of the Church is the image of the King. We are sheep: let us then pray the Lord to lead us to restful waters (Ps 22,2). We are sheep: let us ask for pasture. We are the coin: let us keep our value. We are sons: let us run to the Father.
maronite readings – rosary,team