Gospel Reflection Sept 28 – Deacon Frank Iannarino
Sunday, September 28
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 16: 19-31
Gospel:
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.'”
Gospel Reflection:
This weekend’s gospel always leaves me feeling guilty. No doubt, I am blessed to live a fairly comfortable life. I have a nice place to live, enough to eat, a bed to sleep in, I always like to go out occasionally for a nice meal and, within reason, I am free to go where I would like to go and say what I like to say. Sadly, I realize there are so many people like the poor man named Lazarus and the rich man (who is given no name by Jesus) that we hear about in the gospel this weekend.
Like many of you, I try to give generously to charity, but the many people suffering all over the world is overwhelming. I’m sure many of you feel the same way. At the same time, I just try to do what I can, knowing I can’t solve every problem. However, it’s good to be challenged by Jesus because unless we’re challenged, we easily become complacent and self-centered. That’s what happened to the rich man in this Sunday’s gospel.
Our readings this weekend will once again help us to consider our personal attitude toward the material blessings we enjoy. Probably no society in the history of this world has enjoyed comfort than so many of us do in the United States today. Comfort is not sinful yet comfort can make us turn our attention increasingly toward ourselves and help us to forget about our responsibility to help others.
Most often Jesus words are very comforting, but this weekend‘s gospel may make us uncomfortable, especially if we need to be more sensitive to the suffering of others. Jesus does not share this parable to “threaten us” with eternal torment, but to offer a moral teaching that what we do in this life matters – and there are eternal consequences to our actions. What he wants for us to learn, is to love as he loves, especially in showing mercy and generosity, and not being indifferent to the plight of those less fortunate and in need.
With his grace, may we go from Mass to be his hands of mercy in the world.
Deacon Frank Iannarino