Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31

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.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus doesn’t condemn the rich man for doing anything wrong. He condemns him for not doing something right.

Lazarus literally laid outside of his home, covered in sores, starving to death. It was impossible to ignore him; the rich man would’ve had to step over Lazarus just to leave his home!

Had the rich man been a little more steeped in scripture, then he would’ve known that it was Christ suffering in Lazarus, not just a person down on his luck. 

As the Lord says in his final sermon, The Judgment of the Nations, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”

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The Gospel application is clear: serve those less fortunate than ourselves.

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However, we’d give this passage an unfair, surface-level reading if we only interpreted it physically. While we should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless, there are plenty of others who suffer in silence.

Nobody walks around with a t-shirt on saying, “Hi, I’m lonely.” … “I’m struggling with my mental health.” … Or, “I just received a malignant diagnosis.”

It’s takes a little more effort on our part to dig beneath the surface, seeing what’s actually happening in the mind and heart of our neighbor.

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Think about a handful of people whom you interact with often, whether it’s family members, co-workers, or friends.

Say a prayer for them. Ask how they’re doing. Listen, even probe a little bit out of love. Offer a hug if needed.

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Whatever we do to them, we do to the Lord himself.

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Image credits: (1) Google Play (2) Illustration of Lazarus, Fyodor Bronnikov, 1886 (3) Real Solutions Nursing Consultants

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; whoever humbles himself will be exalted,” Jesus says.

What does it mean to be “humble?”

The word humility comes from the Latin humus, meaning earth. 

A humble person is well-grounded; their feet are firmly planted, allowing them to stand neither above nor below, but shoulder to shoulder with their neighbor.

They make everyone feel comfortable standing in their own skin.

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I’m sure we can all think of a humble person we know and love.

It’s the spouse who foregoes the last word or the need to be right in an argument in order to preserve peace in the household.

It’s the athlete who gets second place in a competition, but sincerely congratulates the winner.

It’s the dad who foregoes a golf game in order to attend a meeting at church.

It’s the person who quietly drops off a batch of fresh baked goodies for our SPX café; who prepares pasta in our soup kitchen; who washes the linens for Mass.

Anyone who performs a random act of kindness that often goes unnoticed. The humble person doesn’t do it for the recognition anyway; they do it out of love.

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While we may not see all of the little sacrifices a humble person makes for their family, friends, or community, the Lord sees it all and promises that person will be exalted.

I wonder, how might we be humble in our affairs today?

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Image credits: (1) Happy Teachers, Dynamic DGS (2) Ford Madox Brown, Public Domain (3) Differencebetween.com

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Gospel: Luke 6: 36 – 38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel is a snippet of Jesus’ most popular sermon, known as the Sermon on the Mount.

In it, he not only re-interprets the law of the Old Testament; he also adds his own teachings.

For example, in the Old Testament, the Law stated, “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.” This is sometimes called the “Silver Rule,” because it tells you what not to do, instead of what you should do.

Jesus ratches the “Silver Rule” up a notch, commanding us to treat others the way that we want to be treated – the “Golden Rule.” 

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Consider the difference.

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Instead of, “Don’t lie.” 

“Tell the truth because you want others to be honest with you, as well.”

Instead of, “Don’t gossip.”

“Be affirming in your language towards others, because you also want them to affirm you.”

Instead of, “Don’t judge.”

“Look for the good in other people, because you also want them to focus on what is good in you.”

Instead of simply avoiding harm, do good to other people, even if you must go first.

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How do we live out the Golden Rule? In what ways can we do good for other people today?

“The measure with which you measure,” Jesus says, (or the good that you do), “will in turn be measured out to you.”

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Image credits: (1) Coffee and Carpool (2) Christian Publishing House Blog (3) Skeptic Ink