Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’

 

Where are you in your Lenten journey?  The past couple of messages have focused on turning our eyes upward to the Lord.  Finding the path that leads us to heaven and abandoning those earthly things that prevent us from walking with Christ.  Today’s Gospel message goes much deeper, it asks us to sacrifice our gifts for the others.  Today’s Gospel is the parable about the rich man and Lazarus.  In this parable the rich man “dressed in purple garments and fine linens and dined sumptuously each day” and poor Lazarus was a poor many lying at the door covered in sores and would have “gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.”  It appears from the beginning of this gospel that the rich man has been blessed with much wealth while Lazarus has been punished with poverty.  But in the end, Lazarus is received into the arms of Abraham and the rich man rots in the fires of hell.  Treasures of every kind, material or not, are gifts from God.  These gifts are given to us so that we may share them with others.  If we hoard these gifts, then we deny the gifts that have been given to us.  Wickedness is not always obvious; the neglect of simple kindness kills our soul as does open violence and hatred.  And if we brag about our treasures and put them on display for others, we have magnified the evil of our sin.  “As you have given, so shall you receive.” 

 

The social teachings of the church tell us that God’s covenant with Israel (that’s us by the way), is dependent upon how his people treat the poor and less fortunate.  The United States Bishops pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, tells us, “as followers of Jesus, we are challenged to make a fundamental ‘option for the poor’ – to speak for the voiceless, to defend the defenseless, to assess lifestyles, policies, and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor.”  In others words, we are called to be a social society where we not only care about ourselves, but about the wellbeing of all humanity.  “If someone who has worldly means sees his brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?” (1 John 3:17)  The poor are those who stand in need of our love, our time, our talents and our concern. 

 

Saint Peter Chrysologus tells us in his Compassion for Lazarus, “But, you object, O rich man: ‘Even if I did refuse to give wine, what I ask for is water, which the Creator himself of all beings and nature gave as something common to all human beings.’  I think, O rich man, that you refused even water to the poor man.  You exposed him to the many dogs as you keep him from entering your door and coming to your well.”  While I reflect upon this passage, I think about the times I have seen a homeless person and turned the other way, or passed a begger on the side of the street and locked my door to keep him out.  Are you building barriers that prevent access to the basic necessities of life for those that are less fortunate.  This Lent, make an extra effort to spend your money and free time for the poor, for those who could truly benefit from the gifts that God has given you.  Your gifts are treasures for you to spend on earth, your entrance into heaven is not based on how much you have amassed, but how much you have given away.  It is better to die having spent all your gifts and live in heaven then to live on earth in the glory of gifts and die to the eternal life.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

O God, you loved us so much that you gave us your only son to sacrifice his life for us.

Strengthen our will so that we can live like Christ and be a sacrifice for others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon