Gospel: 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.’”
- rich: having abundant possessions and especially material wealth; well supplied or endowed; magnificently impressive; abounding in resources.
- Do I understand the riches include many things besides money and possessions? In what ways am I rich? Do I wrongly look at wealth as sinful - and the rich as automatically condemned? Do I see it rather as a means to do good and serve others - and pray for the wealthy to be generous?
- poor: lacking material possessions; characterized by poverty; less than adequate; inferior in quality or value; having little or no money, goods or other means of support; deficient or lacking in something specified.
- Do I understand that poverty includes many things besides lack of money and possessions? Oftentimes, the poor are just as attached to their possessions as the rich - am I detached from what I have, be it a lot or a little? Do I trust in God's providence over my own desire to be self-sufficient?
- comfort (comforted): to give strength and hope to; to ease the grief or trouble of; consolation in time of trouble; a feeling of relief or encouragement; contented well-being; to soothe or reassure.
- What do I turn to as sources of comfort? What relationships or activities might procure greater, truer comfort in my afflictions, whether they are associated to material wealth or not?
- torment (tormented): the infliction of torture; extreme pain or anguish of body or mind (agony); a source of vexation or pain; to cause severe usually persistent or recurrent distress of body or mind to; to afflict with great bodily or mental suffering.
- Do I see the tormented in my midst - both rich and poor? Do I value relationships above all things? Do I value my relationship with God above all other human relationships?
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