Mass, Novena & Procession for the Return of Lost Sheep

“I Love Jesus Christ and that is why I am on fire with the desire to give Him souls, first of all my own, and then an incalculable number of others.”
—Saint Alphonsus Liguori

The National Shrine of Saint Alphonsus Liguori in Baltimore is preparing to celebrate its patronal feast day on August 2nd! And again this year, we are offering a novena of Masses and a Procession for the return of lost sheep. Saint Alphonsus was given by God a particular zeal and a special grace for the conversion of souls. As the patron saint of arthritis and the ailments afflicting the connective tissues in the body, we see also his gift as Doctor of the Church to aid the afflictions of the Mystical Body.

In honor of our blessed patron, Saint Alphonsus, and as we prepare for our Novena of Masses begging our Lord for the graces necessary for all those lost sheep who are not in the fold of the Catholic Church or who have grown cold in their love for God, we offer this meditation by Saint Alphonsus. It is taken from his Way of Salvation and is entitled, “On the joy of Jesus Christ at finding the lost sheep.”

“Our blessed Savior says of himself, in Saint Luke (c. 15), that He is the affectionate shepherd, who, having lost one of His hundred sheep, leaves the ninety-nine in the desert, and goes in search of the one that is lost; and finding it, receives it with joy, takes it on His shoulders, and returning home calls together his neighbors to rejoice with Him, saying, Rejoice with me, because I have found My sheep that was lost. O divine shepherd! I have been that lost sheep, but Thou hast sought me until, as I hope, Thou hast found me. Thou hast found me and I have found Thee. How shall I ever again stray away from Thee, my beloved Lord? And yet such a misfortune may happen to me. Oh, permit it not; never suffer me, O Jesus! to leave Thee and to lose Thee again.

“But why, O Jesus! dost Thou call together Thy friends to rejoice with Thee for having found the lost sheep? Shouldst Thou not rather bid them rejoice with the lost sheep for having again found Thee, its God? But so great is Thy love for my poor soul that Thou esteemest it Thy happiness to have found it! My dearest Redeemer, since Thou hast found me, bind me to Thee with the blessed bonds of Thy holy love, that I may always love Thee and may nevermore depart from Thee.

“God, says the prophet, no sooner hears the voice of the penitent sinner crying to Him for mercy, than He immediately answers and forgives Him. At the voice of thy cry, as soon as He shall hear, He will answer thee. Behold me then at Thy sacred feet, O God! grieved from the bottom of my heart for having so often offended Thee, and craving Thy compassion and pardon. I can no longer endure to behold myself at a distance from Thee and deprived of Thy love. Thou art infinite goodness, and most worthy of infinite love. If hitherto I have despised Thy grace, I now value it above all the kingdoms of the earth. And because I have offended Thee, I beseech Thee to avenge thyself upon me, not indeed by casting me away from Thy face, but by giving me such a sorrow for my sins as may cause me to lament my guilt before Thee, all the days of my life. Lord, I love Thee with my whole heart, and as I cannot trust that I shall continue faithful to Thy love, be Thou my help and my succour. And do thou, O holy Virgin! help me with thy holy intercession.”

With confidence we can call on Saint Alphonsus’s powerful intercession for nothing less than the complete and total conversion of our own souls, as he was wont to beg us to accomplish, and for the conversion of others, too. You are invited to visit the Shrine’s website to enroll your intentions in the Mass Novena that begins Saturday, August 2nd.

You are also invited to join us live online for a preached novena leading up to our parish feast day. Beginning with Mass on Thursday, 24 July, daily broadcasts of Mass and its sermon are available on our YouTube channel. See the Shrine’s website for more details, links, and the schedule:

https://stalphonsusbalt.org/return