The readings from Amos and Luke indicate that selfishness will be avenged. Is this correct?
Some people have often found this gospel (Luke 16:19-31) to be a sad gospel story for them. Our heart cries out for those who walk a path that leads away from eternal life, rather than leading them to an eternity with God.
Some hearts are very hardened, especially on the dignity of life issues; other hearts just seem to pick and choose from Holy Scripture whatever fits their chosen lifestyle, and ignore the rest of the revealed truth. All we can do is
try to set a good example by clinging to and living the truth revealed by Jesus our Saviour, and pray for those who suffer, withouteven knowing it, from a hardening of the hearts.
The focus of this gospel story is on the ease with which riches can harden one's heart, if we are not careful. It’s not by
chance that Jesus spoke elsewhere of the camel unable to go through the eye of the needle, because he knew from simple observation the way some hearts lust after money and the vices that follow its search. The rich man must have been aware of the poor Lazarus sitting outside his gate, since he passed Lazarus every day when he entered or left his estate.
Also, he recognised him in the after-life and even called him by name. We’re called to know and live by the values of Jesus Christ, not the values of our immoral society and world. The former values lead us to reach out to the less fortunate; the sick values of our society lead us to become selfish, like our present society itself. What hurts the most about this story is the gross indifference of someone who is able to help. Such indifference leads immediately to a deadly blindness about the harm they’re causing others not through acts of commission, but through acts of
omission.
After reading this gospel it’s a good time and opportunity to check upon our own compassion. The poor are all around us, and Jesus tells us that they will always be with us. So how is that observable fact affecting your
choices?
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!
The presence of those who hunger because they lack bread opens up another profound meaning of this petition: “give us this day our daily bread” .The drama of hunger in the world calls Christians to exercise responsibility toward their brethren, both in their personal behavior and in their solidarity with the human family (CCC 2831). This petition of the Lord’s Prayer cannot be isolated from the parables of the poor man Lazarus and of the Last Judgment
- “CCC” stands for Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc2.
Some people have often found this gospel (Luke 16:19-31) to be a sad gospel story for them. Our heart cries out for those who walk a path that leads away from eternal life, rather than leading them to an eternity with God.
Some hearts are very hardened, especially on the dignity of life issues; other hearts just seem to pick and choose from Holy Scripture whatever fits their chosen lifestyle, and ignore the rest of the revealed truth. All we can do is
try to set a good example by clinging to and living the truth revealed by Jesus our Saviour, and pray for those who suffer, withouteven knowing it, from a hardening of the hearts.
The focus of this gospel story is on the ease with which riches can harden one's heart, if we are not careful. It’s not by
chance that Jesus spoke elsewhere of the camel unable to go through the eye of the needle, because he knew from simple observation the way some hearts lust after money and the vices that follow its search. The rich man must have been aware of the poor Lazarus sitting outside his gate, since he passed Lazarus every day when he entered or left his estate.
Also, he recognised him in the after-life and even called him by name. We’re called to know and live by the values of Jesus Christ, not the values of our immoral society and world. The former values lead us to reach out to the less fortunate; the sick values of our society lead us to become selfish, like our present society itself. What hurts the most about this story is the gross indifference of someone who is able to help. Such indifference leads immediately to a deadly blindness about the harm they’re causing others not through acts of commission, but through acts of
omission.
After reading this gospel it’s a good time and opportunity to check upon our own compassion. The poor are all around us, and Jesus tells us that they will always be with us. So how is that observable fact affecting your
choices?
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!
The presence of those who hunger because they lack bread opens up another profound meaning of this petition: “give us this day our daily bread” .The drama of hunger in the world calls Christians to exercise responsibility toward their brethren, both in their personal behavior and in their solidarity with the human family (CCC 2831). This petition of the Lord’s Prayer cannot be isolated from the parables of the poor man Lazarus and of the Last Judgment
- “CCC” stands for Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc2.
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