26th SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2022:
AMOS 6. 1a, 4-7; 1TIMOTHY 6. 11- 16; LUKE 16. 19-31: “Rich man and poor Lazarus”
Thrust: Sensitive to sense!
Indicative: Not only doing the wrong is wrong but also not doing the right when possible and needed, is also a big wrong (which is often called the sin of omission, in contrast to the sin of commission)
1. The parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus in the gospel is a typical indicator of the situation of today’s society. There is a steep social and economic inequality, a sharp contrast between the rich and the poor, and the clearest dividing line between the haves and have-nots.
2. There are those who “get fattened” with affluence and surplus and those who are “forced to starve”. There are those who “feast every day”, affording to let plenty of “scraps fall” from their tables and those who wait desperately to collect and swallow those fallen scraps. There are those who “dress in purple” in extravagance and those who “cover themselves with sores”. There are those who enjoy the “company of the high-class people” and those who “keep company with the dogs”.
3. Such an abominable and unjustifiable injustice is the offshoot of indifference and negligence This is again due to a lack of fraternal responsibility. This, in turn, is caused by a lack of sensitivity. Finally, all this is rooted in heightened individualism.
4. This is the greatest malaise of our human life, wherein others do not count at all. There is neither respect nor concern for others’ difficulties. There is no basic human feeling toward others. Sadly there is not even a little prick of conscience. Human sensitivity has become so blunt that no tear or pain of others would touch and move many.
5. Just reflect on what height of indifference and insensitivity many have mounted on: While many go about in rags and worn-outs, they can dress in purple and lavish waste. While many struggle for a potful of potable water, they can booze themselves in the hallucination of liquor bottles. While many crawl into huts and slums, they can stroll leisurely in spacious multi-floored buildings. While for many, three meals a day is a luxury, they can throw huge amounts on wasteful parties. While many sweat their blood to get a good education and find a moderate job, these can pour money like water to buy elite education and sweatless jobs. Is this not a blatant contradiction and heartless injustice?
6. The point here is not implicit jealousy against the rich. It is not an intolerant resentment against all those who have better comfort than others. In fact, the fault of the rich man in the gospel is nothing direct. Directly he did no harm or injustice to the poor Lazarus.
7. But his greatest fault was his total insensitivity, and lack of fraternal responsibility toward the other. He had no attention at all on the poor man because his attention was fully on his own comfort and satisfaction. He would have done better if he were to share a little of his material prosperity with the less fortunate and alleviate their misery.
8. The story also drives home very forcefully the truth that those who fail in charity and generosity toward others will receive a fateful destiny, while those who suffer in good faith here on earth will obtain plentitude and eternal joy. They are really foolish, who are caught up with passing pleasures and enjoyments and lose sight of the heavenly glory and eternal joy.
They are destined to eternal misery, those who neglect their fundamental fraternal responsibility for the wellbeing of others, even being capable to reduce their plight. One may close conveniently one’s eyes and heart to the struggle of others but cannot close God’s eyes to see our injustice!
Imperative: The value and joy of life is not in self-service and self-benefit but in being benevolent and beneficial to others
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2022, 17 MARCH)
Focus: There is always a contrast between being blessed and being cursed. This difference is on the basis of where we place our trust. Trusting in God makes one blessed while trusting in things makes one curse
1. For sure, everyone wants to be a blessed one and not a cursed one. But the whole problem is how one understands blessedness and cursedness and how one pursues the path that leads to them. In fact, these are two modes of being and living, namely being blessed and being cursed. They are fundamental to human living and are mutually contrasting. They also determine the whole meaning and the direction of life.
2. Sadly, despite all intelligence, the world equates blessedness with worldly abundance, pleasure, and success; and cursedness with deprivation, failure, and misery. In simple words, those who have plenty of money and things, those who dictate to others, and those who enjoy comforts and pleasures are considered blessed.
3 On the other hand, those who are poor, those who struggle in life, those who are low in status and are under some others, and those who cannot have even the minimum joys of life are rated cursed and despicable. But today’s readings dismantle this thinking of the world.
4. True blessedness is placing trust in God. And cursedness is placing trust in the world and its things. The blessed are like the tree planted by the water. It is deeply rooted, fresh, healthy, blooming, and fruit-bearing. The cursed are like a shrub in the desert. It is dry and fruitless.
5. The gospel elaborates on this contrast between being blessed and cursed by a touching parable of a rich man and poor Lazarus. In the sight of the world, the rich man is blessed because he lacks nothing and enjoys everything. But in the true sense, he is cursed because he places excessive trust in his riches. He is like a dry and useless shrub. In the sight of the world, poor Lazarus is cursed because he is miserable. But he is truly blessed because he places his total trust in God. He is deeply rooted in God and blossoms with God’s own freshness.
6. The gospel adds another essential feature to this contrast, and that is sensitivity toward others. Accordingly blessed are those who are sensitive and generous toward others; cursed are those who are selfish and indifferent toward others. The rich man is cursed because he failed in his fraternal duty toward the poor man.
7. Their fates are also contrasting. The rich man is condemned to the fire of hell; the poor Lazarus is rewarded with heaven. While on earth, the rich man enjoyed but in heaven, he suffers. While on earth, the poor Lazarus suffered but in heaven, he enjoys heavenly bliss. There is another interesting detail to note. The poor man has a name but the rich man’s name is not mentioned. This indicates something profound: the poor are “counted” in the sight of God. They have a special identity.
Direction: Those who are worried only about worldly and temporary riches and enjoyments are certainly cursed. They will be liable to God’s judgment
(REFLECTION 3 FROM 2021, O4 MARCH)
Focus: Those who place their trust in worldly things and spend all their time and energies on temporal pursuits and interests will meet a fateful destiny
1. Trusting in one's own self and the world, and on the other hand, trusting in God. Trusting in self or the world and investing and consuming all the energies over self and worldly interests may bring temporary profit and satisfaction. But the end is disastrous. Not only the end but also the way towards the end: Those who vainly pursue the human and earthly concerns, are like a bush in the desert, dry and barren and eventually drained and dead; but those who are oriented to God in trust and loyalty are like the plant by the streams, evergreen and fresh, ever flourishing and productive.
2. The theme of the fateful end of trust in one’s own self and the world is powerfully illustrated in the gospel by the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus. The problem here is not the matter of having more riches. But, the real problem is placing too much trust in the things of the world. It is the neglect of God and a total lack of sensitivity and concrete concern toward the needy. The rich man was totally tied up with his own self, his self-comfort, and enjoyment. He could not rise up to God, or at least could not reach up to the poor Lazarus.
3. Hence, the ends are reversed: the high rich man languishes in the bottoms and the low Lazarus enjoys in the heights. This parable is the clearest mirror of our own society. We live in a society that is steeped in abyssal indifference and selfishness. It is no more a story of a certain rich man in the gospel but is the replica of the live heights of unconcern and3. insensitivity.
Direction: One reaps what one sows. We cannot expect to reap a rich harvest of real joy if we have planted a scanty crop of goodness, whether on earth or in heaven
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