In the spirit of the traditional Roman liturgy, the readings appointed for this Friday after the Third Week post Octave of Pentecost converge beautifully on the theme of divine mercy and the vigilant humility of the Christian soul. These passages, taken respectively from the First Epistle of Saint Peter and the Gospel according to Saint Luke, beckon us to a twofold reflection: the inward discipline of humility in the face of temptation and the outward gaze of God seeking the lost.
I. “Be humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God” (1 Pet. 5:6)
Saint Peter, who himself was humbled by his fall and restored by Christ, exhorts us to bow low under God’s hand, so that we might be exalted “in the time of visitation.” The word “visitation” reminds us not only of divine judgment but also of the gentle interventions of grace that seek to lift the soul from its lowness to divine friendship.
St. Augustine, reflecting on the trials of the Christian life, comments that “humility is the foundation of all the other virtues” (De Vera Religione, ch. 37). It is not servility, but the proper ordering of our soul under God. When Saint Peter tells us to cast all our care upon Him, it is a call to abandon worldly self-reliance and to repose fully in the Father’s providence.
Yet this humility is not passive. Saint Peter immediately adds: “Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.” The Ancient Enemy, as Saint Leo the Great calls him, prowls not in fable but in truth, seeking especially those who have grown lax in vigilance. St. Leo warns: “He envies man’s place in heaven, and having lost his own brightness, he begrudges the glory that awaits the faithful” (Sermon 39 on the Passion).
The Christian life, therefore, is a tension between humility and vigilance — bending low before God while keeping our eyes wide open to the snares of the devil.
II. “There shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance” (Luke 15:7)
The Gospel for today transports us into the divine heart of the Good Shepherd and the Woman searching for her lost coin. These parables are not mere moral tales but windows into the economy of salvation, wherein Christ Himself descends to seek out the lost — not with disdain, but with rejoicing.
St. Cyril of Alexandria writes, “He called to repentance those who were straying, showing that He came for the salvation of all. The Pharisees murmured because He drew near to sinners, but they should have rather rejoiced, for this is the work of a physician — to heal the sick” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 106).
Both images — the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and the Woman who diligently searches — highlight the initiative of divine grace. It is not the sheep who finds the shepherd, nor the coin that locates the woman, but grace that searches, calls, and restores.
This calls us, in turn, to ask: are we willing to be found? The coin is lifeless; the sheep, perhaps stubborn or fearful. But the sinner who consents to be carried back — he becomes the cause of heaven’s joy.
St. Gregory the Great, in his Homilies on the Gospels (Homily 34), meditates: “Do we not see how the heart of God burns with longing for the return of the sinner? What wonder that the shepherd carries the sheep on his shoulders, for He bore our sins in His body upon the wood of the Cross.”
Conclusion: The Path of Watchfulness and Mercy
The liturgical season following Pentecost invites the Church to grow in the life of the Spirit, which includes both sanctification and combat. Today’s readings urge us to humility, vigilance, and trust. But above all, they remind us of the infinite mercy of God, who not only permits our trial but also delights in our return.
As we kneel at the altar this day, let us ask for the grace to remain vigilant against the roaring lion, yet always open to the embrace of the Shepherd who seeks us. May our hearts echo the words of the Psalmist: “Before I was humbled, I sinned; therefore have I kept Thy word” (Ps. 118:67, Vulgate).
Let us be humbled, let us be vigilant, and let us allow ourselves to be found.
Suggested Devotional Practice:
Today, meditate slowly upon Psalm 22 (23), especially in the light of the Shepherd who seeks His sheep. Use it as a prayer of re-entrusting your soul to the One who leads us beside still waters, even as we walk through the valley of temptation.
Liturgical Note:
In the Traditional Roman Calendar, the ferial days following Pentecost are rich with practical exhortation. Their readings guide the soul toward holiness not by abstraction but through lived humility and active spiritual vigilance.