Illustration by Gustave Doré of the Rich man and Lazarus[/caption]
In the Gospel of the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus presents the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. We are told that Lazarus lived by the rich man’s gate; he had no home, no food, and his body was covered with sores. He was invisible to the rich man and all who passed by the gate each day. Despite his many physical privations, how could he not also feel the profound pain of being ignored and unloved by all those around him? In the First Reading, the Prophet Amos chastises the people for the same attitude that we find in the rich man of the Gospel. These people were blind to the needs of the poor because they were self-absorbed. Their indifference would lead to their own destruction. The Readings remind us that we should all have a preferential option for the poor. This means that those who are poor and vulnerable deserve the preferential concern of us all. This is what God asks of us and, as the Gospel reminds us, it is also the measure of our salvation. Sep292019
26th Sunday of Ordinary Time
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Illustration by Gustave Doré of the Rich man and Lazarus[/caption]
In the Gospel of the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus presents the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. We are told that Lazarus lived by the rich man’s gate; he had no home, no food, and his body was covered with sores. He was invisible to the rich man and all who passed by the gate each day. Despite his many physical privations, how could he not also feel the profound pain of being ignored and unloved by all those around him? In the First Reading, the Prophet Amos chastises the people for the same attitude that we find in the rich man of the Gospel. These people were blind to the needs of the poor because they were self-absorbed. Their indifference would lead to their own destruction. The Readings remind us that we should all have a preferential option for the poor. This means that those who are poor and vulnerable deserve the preferential concern of us all. This is what God asks of us and, as the Gospel reminds us, it is also the measure of our salvation.
Illustration by Gustave Doré of the Rich man and Lazarus[/caption]
In the Gospel of the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus presents the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. We are told that Lazarus lived by the rich man’s gate; he had no home, no food, and his body was covered with sores. He was invisible to the rich man and all who passed by the gate each day. Despite his many physical privations, how could he not also feel the profound pain of being ignored and unloved by all those around him? In the First Reading, the Prophet Amos chastises the people for the same attitude that we find in the rich man of the Gospel. These people were blind to the needs of the poor because they were self-absorbed. Their indifference would lead to their own destruction. The Readings remind us that we should all have a preferential option for the poor. This means that those who are poor and vulnerable deserve the preferential concern of us all. This is what God asks of us and, as the Gospel reminds us, it is also the measure of our salvation. Category: Publications
Posted by: Margaret