Wednesday, February 27, 2013

2nd Week of Lent, Thursday, 28-02-13

Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Luke 16:19-31

What Jesus told in the gospel is a parable about the rich and the poor.

As much as it is just a parable, it is also not that difficult to imagine what the rich man is like and what the poor Lazarus is like.

That is because we ourselves have seen the great disparity between the rich and the poor.

We have heard stories about the "filthy" rich and we may have seen them for ourselves.

Yet, at the same time, we have come across the destitute living a shabby and even filthy conditions.

Yet, the gospel parable does not intend to discuss further the disparity between the rich and the poor.

Rather, the gospel parable intends to show us the pain that God feels when He sees His children being reduced to begging and longing in vain for scraps that fall from the table of the rich.

But for all the injustice that the poor suffers, they will be vindicated by being brought to the bosom of Abraham - they will be comforted (in the hereafter ... )

But for us who are rather comfortable and having it quite easy, let us not be like the man who is described in the 1st reading who relies on things of the flesh and whose heart turns from the Lord, and if good comes he has no eyes for it.

Let us remember that the poor are also our brothers and sisters. It is our duty to help them in whatever way we can.

And the Lord who knows our hearts will give each of us what our conduct and action deserves.