Category: Uncategorized

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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 does not condemn this man for being rich; wealth is not a sin. Jesus condemns him for being selfish.

Whereas the rich man dressed in fine purple linen, feasted daily at his home, and guarded his property with a rod-iron fence, Lazarus was a poor cripple covered in sores. 

The only creatures willing to make contact with him were dogs licking his wounds, adding insult to injury.

In fact, the rich man doesn’t even acknowledge Lazarus until they are both dead. In stunning irony from the depths of the netherworld, the rich man calls upon Lazarus to be his servant, maintaining his sense of superiority.

“Father Abraham,” the man cries out from the flames, “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” 

Have the fires of Hades taught this foolish man nothing? 

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Since the rich man preferred to separate himself from Lazarus in this life, the stakes are raised in eternity. As the Lord describes, “Between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing.”

Lazarus, on the other hand, was abandoned by humanity in this life, but God comes to his aid in death, granting him the unmerited gift of eternal life. 

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So, what might this parable mean for us?

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Perhaps two things. First, we all bear some sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of our neighbors, which we are reminded of in Lent.

Secondly, we shall live in eternity the way we have lived here on earth, either in harmony with God and his creation, or separated.

Based upon my actions, what might it look like for me?

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Image credits: (1) MIT Press Reader (2) Illustration of Lazarus at the Rich Man’s Gate, Fyodr Bronnikov (3) BibleLyfe.com

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Gospel: Matthew 1: 16-24

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel provides some of the clearest insights we have into the heart of Saint Joseph.

The passage begins with shock. Mary, Joseph’s bride-to-be, is found with child and Joseph knows he is not the father. Imagine his immediate reaction, that the woman whom he loved and trusted has seemingly betrayed him in a profoundly intimate way.

Though virtuous, Joseph is only human. I’d imagine after hearing the news, he cried out to God as many of us would: “God, why would you allow this to happen? Do I not pray to you in the Temple? Do I not offer sacrifice? Do I not follow your commands?”

After the initial shock settled in, we see Joseph’s virtue emerge. Although the Law permits him to have Mary stoned, he decides not to expose her to public shame, rather to divorce her quietly. 

Such a gentle dismissal of his bride-to-be reveals the compassion of a man who must’ve felt betrayed, for he has yet to understand God’s plan.

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Once that plan is revealed, however, we see a deeper dimension of Joseph’s heart.

An angel appears to him in a dream, assuring him that Mary has not been unfaithful to him, that his future has not been ruined, and that his marriage can proceed, only on terms he never imagined.

Suddenly, the darkness breaks. 

This doesn’t mean that Joseph understood the depths of God’s plan – he must’ve had a thousand different questions. But like Mary, Joseph doesn’t require perfect clarity to say “yes” to God’s will.

So, he takes Mary and the Christ-child into his home, revealing that he is, in his heart of hearts, a man of faith and surrender.

His docility to God’s will continues after Christ’s birth as he leads Jesus and Mary into Egypt, then helps to raise the Christ-child into his adolescent years.

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Which of Joseph’s virtues do I try to practice? Compassion? Gentleness? Faith? Surrender?

Or, ideally, all of the above.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus, Guido Reni (2) The Annunciation to Saint Joseph, Renata Sedmakova (3) Ibid.

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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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The only group Jesus criticizes in the Gospels are the religious authorities of his day, because they turned religion into a matter of rules, which could be followed without ever invoking the heart. 

For some, religion was strictly an external affair. “All their works are performed to be seen,” Jesus laments.

“They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets and seats of honor in synagogues.”

This temptation to appear religious – to simply follow the “rules” – is timeless, even for Catholics during Lent. 

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Over the course of these forty days, the Church encourages us to pray, fast, and give alms. But like the scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus rebukes in today’s Gospel, we can do all of these things without ever changing our heart.

We can avoid meat on Fridays while still harboring a grudge.

We can write a check without ever seeking contact with the poor.

We can pray for strangers while remaining estranged from loved ones. 

Missing a meal or checking a box will not turn us into Saints. We must walk the path of humility and love in order to please the Lord.

As the Lord cries out through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading, “Wash yourselves clean! [Cleanliness is a matter of the heart.] Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.”

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Only when we allow God to change our hearts, will we be holy and pleasing in his sight.

What might that look like for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) JewishBoston (3) Bible Study Tools