We, mankind, form one hundredth or one tenth of God’s rational creation. The Nine choirs of Angels in heaven represent to us the nine coins or the ninety-nine sheep. Without man God’s flock or collection is incomplete. Christ has come to bring us back and return us to our proper place in God’s design. In this light Christ is both the shepherd and the woman. We are the lost sheep and the lost coin.

Jesus left all the angels safely in heaven to come after us. In returning us to His fold he neither punishes us nor scolds us. The shepherd does not beat the sheep nor drive the sheep in front of him, but rather picks it up and carries it upon his own shoulders. We have wandered away from the flock and have exhausted ourselves in our wanderings. We have been looking for joy and happiness; we have been looking for home but in all the wrong places. This has reduced us to the helpless and miserable condition of a stray sheep that is easy prey for the wolves (devils). Unable to find our way or return by our own power, Jesus does everything for us. He redeems us, paying the price for our sins upon the cross. He nourishes us and strengthens us by the graces of the sacraments. All that is truly left for us is to patiently and willingly receive and accept the ministrations of Jesus. This, sufficient numbers of men will do to fill up and make complete the number in heaven. The saved men will complete the ten or the hundred so that in the completion of the number the joy of all in heaven will be perfect.

Jesus also appears to us as the woman looking for the lost coin. We are that coin. Upon the coin is impressed the image of the King. Upon our souls is impressed the indelible mark of God – placed there upon our baptism. He shines the light of faith throughout the house, so that we may be found. When the light of faith shines upon us then we will be able to discern the image of God within us. Even when we have greatly offended God, His image remains upon our souls.

Some of the Fathers of the Church represent to us the Shepherd as Christ; and the woman as the Church. God came to this earth to save that which was lost – mankind. Mankind is found and saved when the number of the elect enters into the flock of angels in heaven. The Church shines the light of God’s grace upon souls; she sweeps the consciences and hearts exposing the sin and filth in our souls. In this thorough lighting and cleaning, the Church finds and returns us to unity with the angels in heaven.

While it is true that all depends upon God’s grace and that there is nothing that we can do to merit these wondrous graces; it is also true that we must cooperate with the grace we have already been given so that we may receive greater ones. We must allow the shepherd to not only find us but also to approach us and pick us up and carry us to His flock in Heaven. Too often sinners do not wish to be found, or to be approached by God, much less put upon His shoulders and returned to a life of holiness. As God approaches them in their consciences they run the other way refusing the graces of God.

Or if we consider the ministrations of the Church expounding and elucidating the truths of the faith and often exposing the evils of our lives and inviting us to repentance and union within the Mystical Body; all too often sinners ignore, refuse to listen, and even denounce and reject Her. They choose to reject the light She shines and very often convince themselves that the light is darkness. And the darkness of their disordered and perverse life they convince themselves is light. Rejecting the truth and the light they refuse to be found and returned to the others and be counted as one in the completion of the whole.

It is not enough to just believe for scripture informs us that faith without works is dead. Christ tells us that if we love Him we will keep His word. Etc.

We must begin first, by stopping and resting for a moment so that we can perceive the truth of what is happening. The sinner must pause in his sins; that is, he must cease his running wildly in sin. In this pause, the Shepherd will be able to approach nearer, and the light that Holy Mother Church is shining upon our lives will begin to reveal the desperate situation that all sinners are in.

Second, we must not fear the approach of the Shepherd, but welcome Him, knowing that He comes to help us and to save us. The false pleasures of sin must now begin to be hated for having led us away from Him and our love for Him must begin to grow. The light of truth that Our Holy Mother Church shines upon our lives rather than blinding us and filling us with fear, we must welcome and seek to illuminate every particle of our souls so that any and all evil may be exposed and humbly, repented of, confessed, and thus rooted out, in this thorough cleansing of the house.

Lastly we must rush forward with faith, hope, and charity into the arms of Christ, and we must likewise return to a holy and noble life within the Church, being refreshed and renewing the image of God upon our souls with the Sacraments.

In reaching this final state we then out of love for God and the Church we become like Christ and seek out our fellow men who have fallen and seek to bring them too back to the life of love of God and the Church.

There is only one true Church; and it is only within this Church that the Holy Ghost dwells. There are many false churches – numerous ones that even use the name of Jesus Christ, but they will be counted among those to whom our Lord will say on the last day: “Depart from Me you workers of iniquity. I know you not.” The Holy Ghost only sanctifies those within the Church or those to whom He desires to be lead into the Church.
 
It is clear enough from the events that we recall today that the Apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost and the Church continues this grace through the successors of the Apostles – the true bishops. What we often fail to consider is that the Holy Ghost worked likewise upon all that heard the Apostles and were converted. By our baptism and confirmation, we have received the Holy Ghost and have become His temples. There is a constant stream of graces offered to us by Him for our sanctification if we will only cooperate with Him. Those who heard the Apostles preach and believed and were baptized, cooperated with the Holy Ghost and received Him and His graces.
 
We see that the Holy Ghost works from both sides (the Church hierarchy and the Church laity) to bring about most successfully the salvation of souls. While we pray for our bishops and priests that they may more completely cooperate with the Holy Ghost, we must not forget to do our own part. We must likewise make ourselves God’s worthy temples.
 
We must constantly remind ourselves that we belong to God. We have been purchased at a great price – the life of Christ – and have been cleansed and sanctified by the grace of the Holy Ghost through the sacraments. We are temples of God. Our bodies and souls are sacred and are not to be profaned. While we see so many others who are not members of the true Church go this way or that or do this or that, we must refrain and/or restrain ourselves from acting in like manner because we have been sanctified and have received the Holy Ghost. It is most unfitting to take that which is holy and sacred and profane it. It is similar to the sacrilege of desecrating a church, or any other object dedicated to God. If only we could see with the eyes of our souls what a terrible evil sin is!
 
The Holy Ghost does not come to us all in the same manner or in the same degree. So we must also constantly remind ourselves to remain humble. We must never allow the gifts that God has given us to puff us up with pride or vanity. One of the reasons why the Holy Ghost does not shower us with so many miraculous manifestations today is because they would prove more harmful to us than beneficial. Men today are more prone to pride and vanity and tend to steal the honor and glory from God by attributing His gifts to themselves. How much worse this would be if they were given more wondrous gifts?
 
We must also refrain from envy or jealousy when we see the various graces that God has bestowed upon others. Rather than fall into this temptation we should be thankful and praise God for His goodness and mercy. We must see that all that He does is well done.
 
The gifts that He has given us are not only for our own good but for the good of others also. The graces that the Apostles received were not just for themselves but, were for the sanctification of others. Likewise, the graces that we each receive in whatever station in life God has called us, are not for ourselves, they are not really even our own. We have no right to them. They belong to God and He is to be glorified by them. They are to be shared with one another to assist in bringing others along with ourselves to give greater honour and glory to God.

This Sunday's Mass recalls the First Novena, commanded by Christ Himself from the Ascension to Pentecost in preparation for the coming of the Holy Ghost, Who was to give birth to the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, with Mother Mary present.

The Introit presents the Apostles' Novena prayer and ours too.

The Gospel describes how to be such a witness, interiorly to "watch in prayers," exteriorly by "mutual charity among yourselves." In the Prayer we plead for grace to be "sincere" witnesses not in words but works.

For this we offer this sacrifice (Secret) to cleanse us of past disloyalties and strengthen us for future testimony.

Today would usually fall the Feast of SS Marcellinus and Peter Mm. who were greatly revered in Rome, after martyrdom under Diocletian, whose names are inscribed in the Canon. St. Erasmus E. M. is also commemorated in Mass of the Saints, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, whose intercession is sought for diseases of the intestines. Although sadly these great Saints are not commemorated in the Mass due to the Class II Sunday taking precedence using the 1960 rubrics.