“Hungry
for love, He looks at you. Thirsty for kindness, He begs of you. Naked for
loyalty, He hopes in you. Homeless for shelter in your heart, He asks of you.
Will you be that one to Him?” – Mother Teresa
(Gospel
Text:
LK 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.’“
What’s in a name? Quite a lot,
actually. Think about people who never seem able to remember your name. You
notice, don’t you? By contrast, when someone calls you by your name, it helps
you feel connected, valued, cared for.
So it’s interesting that the parable
in today’s Gospel reading is the only parable in which one of the
characters—the poor beggar, Lazarus—is actually named. The prodigal son, the
vineyard owner, the sower with his seeds—none of these is named. Even the rich
man in the story remains anonymous. Only Lazarus is dignified in this way.
Why Lazarus? Most likely it’s because
of the special place that the poor have in God’s heart. God loves all his
creation. He knows every person by name, and he wants to see us live in a way
that affirms our common dignity. He wants us to build a society that supports
the health and well-being of everyone. So when that didn’t happen for Lazarus
in the story, God righted the injustice by bringing him right “to the bosom of
Abraham” (Luke 16:22). This parable shows us how deeply grieved God is by the
injustices that reduce his children to beggars longing in vain for scraps from
their more fortunate neighbors.
We all know that as a society we must
care for the poor and needy in our midst. But beyond simply providing for their
physical needs, God is calling us into his heart for the poor. He is calling us
to see everyone, even the poorest and most desperate, as our brothers and
sisters—and to treat them with the dignity they all deserve.
Our heavenly Father doesn’t express
his love in generalities, and neither should we. This is why the Lenten
practice of almsgiving is so important.
Helping
out at a food bank, visiting those in a nursing home or in prison,
participating in a clothing drive—these are just a few ways that we can reach
out and touch our needy brothers and sisters. These are just a few ways that we
can learn that we are all one in the Lord.
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