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.

Do As Jesus Says.

And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.
Matthew 25:31-46 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father there is so much to think about with this reading. What have I done for another whose circumstances are less than mine or for that matter who has more but is still in need in some way. Jesus gives us such beautiful messages to stop looking at our own needs and to look at our neighbors and say to ourselves what have I done to bring hope to their life. Asking myself these same questions Jesus posed so long ago, did I feed someone who was hungry, did I give them water for their thirst and so forth. Did I give them spiritual food or spiritual water? Or did I avoid helping when I knew they needed help, did I snicker rather than console. The greatest danger is not helping at all but thinking these people need to walk on their own two feet. But according to this reading, Jesus exhorts us to help, to do for others lest we find ourselves in everlasting punishment. Have I then given help to another so they could also walk in the light of Christ. Let us then do as Jesus says. Amen