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Ordinary Time · The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus · Year C

Luke 15:3-7

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

June 23, 2028

El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1660Museo del Prado, Madrid
A barefoot shepherd boy with his hand resting on the one sheep that has been brought back.When he has found the lost sheep, he sets it on his shoulders and comes home rejoicing.Bartolomé Esteban MurilloMurillo, who painted the shepherd as a child so that nobody would be frightened of him.Museo del Prado, MadridThe Museo del Prado, Madrid.Museo del Prado, Madrid
Roman Lectionary
GospelLuke 15:3-7Lk 15:3-7
Second ReadingRom. 5:5b-11Rom 5:5b-11
First ReadingEzek. 34:11-16Ez 34:11-16
Responsorial PsalmPs. 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1)Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1)

Overview & Insights

"Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep." (Luke 15:6)

Answering Pharisees who grumble that he eats with sinners, Jesus tells of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to search for one lost one, then throws a party when he finds it. It is the Gospel image behind the feast's devotion to the heart of Christ that seeks out the lost.

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Commentary

Luke 15 Commentary: The Joy of Finding the LostLk 15 Commentary: The Joy of Finding the Lost Enduring Word · David Guzik

Guzik walks through the parable's details, from the shepherd's search to the neighbors' rejoicing.

Luke 15:4 CommentariesLk 15:4 Commentaries BibleHub

Gathers classic commentators on the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine for the one.

Luke 15 - Gill's ExpositionLk 15 - Gill's Exposition StudyLight

Gill's detailed notes on the parable's setting among tax collectors and sinners.

Luke 15 CommentaryLk 15 Commentary Precept Austin

A verse-by-verse, cross-reference-heavy study of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son.

Commentary on Luke 15:1-10Commentary on Lk 15:1-10 Working Preacher

Treats the lost sheep alongside the lost coin as a matched pair of parables about God's search for the lost.

Background & Word Study

Luke 15:1-10, The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost CoinLk 15:1-10, The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin Enter the Bible

A passage-level introduction to how the two parables work together to answer the Pharisees' complaint.

LukeLk BibleProject

Shows where the lost-and-found parables of chapter 15 sit in Luke's larger travel narrative.

Luke 15:4 InterlinearLk 15:4 Interlinear BibleHub

Lays out the Greek word for word behind the shepherd's search for the one sheep.

The Church Fathers

Catena Aurea on Luke 15Catena Aurea on Lk 15 Catena

Aquinas's chain of patristic comments on the lost sheep, drawn from Ambrose, Augustine, Cyril, and others.

Sermons & Reflections

Losing and being lost (Luke 15:1-10)Losing and being lost (Lk 15:1-10) The Christian Century

A preaching reflection on how the shepherd's relentless search implicates the hearer as also once lost.

Worship & Prayers

Proper 19, Year C The Lectionary Page

Gives the collect and full set of propers for the Sunday that shares this Gospel text in the ecumenical calendar.

Art & Music

Year C, Proper 19: art for the lost sheep readings Vanderbilt

A curated gallery of artworks on the lost sheep parable and its companion texts.

Study Hub

Luke 15Lk 15 Textweek

A long-running index of commentary, sermon, and art links for this chapter, kept for its breadth.

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