Romans 14:7-12 / Luke 15:1-10
If we believe that God is Creator and that He planned and designed all things, then we must also believe in this.
We must also believe that nothing happens by coincidence. Everything that happens to us and around us happens for a reason.
We may see the reason immediately or we may see it much later. Be it persons that we know along the way or experiences that we had in life, all have a bearing in our lives.
So when the 1st reading said that the life and death of each of us has its influence on others, we will certainly agree with it.
It was only yesterday that we celebrated All Souls Day and we remembered our departed loved ones and friends.
We would have remembered what they did for us and said to us, and they have influenced us in many ways.
From this we will be able to see that we don't journey in life alone and by ourselves. Nor is salvation just a personal business.
We are all connected to each other because in Christ we form one body.
And as Jesus said in the gospel, we must pay special attention to the lost and wayward one. They are the ones who need our prayer and our care.
They are not just a coincidence. Because it is to God that we have to give an account for them, besides giving an account of ourselves.