Paul was totally convinced that Christ died for all without distinction. To have the Judaizers claim that the external act of circumcision was essential for salvation negated the principle he believed in and his mission to gain the Gentile world.

Jesus Christ, who found Paul and turned him away from being a mere keeper of the Law, tells us, in the Gospel's parables today, of the rejoicing when the lost sheep and the drachma are found. The emphasis here is on joy - even the Responsorial Psalm (Ps. 104:3) says so. The joy Paul experienced was what Jesus wanted not only for the riffraff He associated with but also for the scribes and Pharisees themselves. They had this in common with Paul before his conversion - they were lost in their blind refusal to see beyond the Law and in a way were 'running away' from God. Jesus used the parables based on everyday experiences to help them understand the love that seeks out those who choose to be distracted from and lost to God.

We too tend to seek our salvation in the particular carrying out of our Christian duties, for example, service of others, the different apostolates, fasting, penance and even solitary prayer. While good in themselves, they can shield us from God and from meeting Him face to face. When we learn to depend on Him alone and not on any action that continually measures our spiritual progress, then only are we 'found' and our joy truly complete.