Fr Piero Lazzarini sx
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today in the Gospel (26th Sunday, Year C) the Church gives us a blunt invitation to consider and reflect on how some people behave towards their fellow human beings. It is the parable - a strong one indeed ! - of the rich man (whom I would call the "greedy glutton") and poor Lazarus. It is about the use of money, of richness, of material goods. It shows the hardness of heart and the blindness to which human beings may sink in their behaviour.
There are two distinct parts in the parable.
The first one shows the contrast between two human situations in the present life: that of the rich man (greedy glutton) and the other one of the poor Lazarus, a beggar. The rich man is drinking and dining without restraint, totally unconcerned about a poor man, sitting at the gate of his palace. Yet he knows him, even by name, as is clear from the continuation of the story, his dialogue with father Abraham. He knows him and is aware of his state, but ignores him and is totally indifferent to his misery. Cruelty? Inhumanity? That is the effect of richness: it makes people blind and insensitive. Poor Lazarus appears totally forgotten, marginalised. Only dogs feel compassion for him and go to lick his sores to soothe his pain.
In the second part of the story, we see what happens after death: a radical upturning of the situation. The poor man is welcomed in the bosom of Abraham, i.e. paradise, while the rich man is thrown into hell. Father Abraham still addresses him as "my son", but this one - the former rich man - cannot avoid coming face to face with the effects of what, stupidly and culpably, he refused to see and acknowledge in the previous world. His selfish, insensitive, blind attitude to the starving beggar led him to a total disaster, without remedy, for all eternity.
There is an inescapable justice that waits us all, at the end of this present life!
Here it would not be out of place to make a reference to Matthew, chapter 25, the scene of the last judgement. Judgement and justice will be done in the end for everybody on the basis of the law of charity, the love of neighbour, the works of mercy.
It is important to show the close, central relationship between love of neighbour and the use of money, of material goods, of richness.
One can also mention the frequent reference of Pope Francis to the globalisation of indifference in the present world.
Finally, one stark statistic: OXFAM's (the well-known humanitarian agency) recent statement: "The 62 richest men in the world today possess the equal amount of riches (money, goods, financial power) of HALF of the world population (i.e. 3.5 billion people)!"
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today in the Gospel (26th Sunday, Year C) the Church gives us a blunt invitation to consider and reflect on how some people behave towards their fellow human beings. It is the parable - a strong one indeed ! - of the rich man (whom I would call the "greedy glutton") and poor Lazarus. It is about the use of money, of richness, of material goods. It shows the hardness of heart and the blindness to which human beings may sink in their behaviour.
There are two distinct parts in the parable.
The first one shows the contrast between two human situations in the present life: that of the rich man (greedy glutton) and the other one of the poor Lazarus, a beggar. The rich man is drinking and dining without restraint, totally unconcerned about a poor man, sitting at the gate of his palace. Yet he knows him, even by name, as is clear from the continuation of the story, his dialogue with father Abraham. He knows him and is aware of his state, but ignores him and is totally indifferent to his misery. Cruelty? Inhumanity? That is the effect of richness: it makes people blind and insensitive. Poor Lazarus appears totally forgotten, marginalised. Only dogs feel compassion for him and go to lick his sores to soothe his pain.
In the second part of the story, we see what happens after death: a radical upturning of the situation. The poor man is welcomed in the bosom of Abraham, i.e. paradise, while the rich man is thrown into hell. Father Abraham still addresses him as "my son", but this one - the former rich man - cannot avoid coming face to face with the effects of what, stupidly and culpably, he refused to see and acknowledge in the previous world. His selfish, insensitive, blind attitude to the starving beggar led him to a total disaster, without remedy, for all eternity.
There is an inescapable justice that waits us all, at the end of this present life!
Here it would not be out of place to make a reference to Matthew, chapter 25, the scene of the last judgement. Judgement and justice will be done in the end for everybody on the basis of the law of charity, the love of neighbour, the works of mercy.
It is important to show the close, central relationship between love of neighbour and the use of money, of material goods, of richness.
One can also mention the frequent reference of Pope Francis to the globalisation of indifference in the present world.
Finally, one stark statistic: OXFAM's (the well-known humanitarian agency) recent statement: "The 62 richest men in the world today possess the equal amount of riches (money, goods, financial power) of HALF of the world population (i.e. 3.5 billion people)!"