Summary: Jesus explains that just as a shepherd rejoices more over finding a lost sheep, God desires that no one, even the least, should be lost.
Gospel Acclamation: The day of the Lord is near; Behold, he comes to save us.
Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”