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St. Cyril of Alexandria suggests an interpretation of Christ’s famous parable of the lost sheep: the ninety-nine who were not lost are the angels in Heaven, and the one lost sheep is humanity, which had been lost to sin but is now brought back with great rejoicing.
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4). And if he happens to find it, I tell you truly, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. For the multitude of rational created beings that form Christ’s flock in Heaven and on earth is innumerable, and so great that it even mounts up to a perfect number. For this is what is meant by the term “a hundred.”
So the companies of the holy angels are the ninety-nine—for, as I said, they are many—but the flock on earth is one, but yet useful to complete the number, and also sought for by Christ. Then did he seek it as what was lost, or as what had not yet been lost? But it is plain that what is lost is sought for. Then how had it been lost? By being brought down into sin: by wandering from the divine will, and going far astray from the universal Shepherd. –St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Fragment from Sermon 21
IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Am I working with the guardian angels to gather the lost sheep of Christ?
CLOSING PRAYER
Guardian angels, bring back the straying, enlighten the darkened, and bring them all into the way of salvation.
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