Thursday, February 21, 2008

Poor Lazarus, Poor Us

There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen; and feasted sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, and no one did give him; moreover the dogs came, and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom: and he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazareth evil things, but now he is comforted; and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come hither. And he said: then, father, I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments. And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. But he said: No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance. And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again from the dead.
Luke 16:19-31 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father this is a wonderful example and so simple to understand. Are we like this also, where we offer to those less fortunate our cast offs. The goods that we don't want, pretty much the crumbs. Do we offer the choicest food, the choicest piece of clothing, or for that matter the choicest furniture. Amazing, but when we refurbish we give ourselves the best. We grocery shop we buy the best cut of meat, the best fruit. Do we offer these to those of our neighbors. We often are like this rich man Jesus gave as an example, does that bode good for us then. What's truly amazing, we too look to the dead to also find the answers of the hereafter. When all we have to do is look to Moses and the prophets. And as Jesus said if we look to the dead who will we then believe even if it came directly from Him. Maybe we all need to work on doing a better job of taking care of our lives and doing a better job of taking care of our neighbors as it is pointed out in this reading about poor Lazarus. But most of all we all need to work on our belief in Jesus and you Dear Father.

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