The Woman Who Lost Her Car Keys

Pastor’s Column

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 11, 2022

“What woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp

and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?

Luke 15:1-2

Perhaps we might relate to this parable of the lost coins a bit more readily if this woman were frantically in search of her missing car keys or cell phone. Who hasn’t been in that situation? This frantic woman is determined to find her lost coin. We can imagine her turning over every seat cushion in the house and even looking under the mattress, but she was going to get her money back. Am I as diligent as this in pursuing the Lord and his will?

Jesus uses this parable to indicate just how much he will pursue a lost soul, those who are on the wrong path in life and are headed for ruin. However, making Christ the most important part of our lives must be a free choice on our part. The Lord is not going to physically appear in front of us to make it so obvious that eternal life exists that it ruins our test in life, which consists of choosing God without fully seeing him. We do this, of course, by how we live our lives.

What is my heart’s greatest desire? What am I willing to move heaven and earth in order to have? For a Christian, our goal is eternal life, and nothing and no one, no sin, should keep us from this desire, for to get to heaven is the primary goal of our lives. We do this by faith in Jesus and our sacrifices we make for others out of love, which proves and fire-tests our faith.

I remember being in Amsterdam some years ago. On our first day there, right across the street from the hotel was an enormous line of people, stretching all around the block. Guess which store they wanted into? Hint: it wasn’t a church! They were in line to get an iPhone 6 on the first day it came out. Now, many years later, this technological wonder they worked so hard to obtain is yesterday’s news, and many of these people will be in line for the latest updated phone. And it won’t be long before they will want another new gadget, for nothing on this earth can fully satisfy a human being who has eternity in his heart.

Every earthly pleasure is a passing joy. Nothing will ultimately satisfy us except to follow the will of the Lord, and to accept the great adventure of being a real disciple of Christ. For what am I willing to turn all the furniture over, if necessary, in my life to pursue? Is it money? Power? Fame? Health? Beauty? But all these things are temporary. Christ is pursuing us, hoping we will make him and his will the greatest desire of our lives.

Father Gary