March 16 2006

Lk 16:19-31 Jesus said to the Pharisees:“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linenand 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 persuadedif someone should rise from the dead.’”
The rich man has compassion for his brothers and although he knows it is too late for he, himself to be saved, he pleads for their sakes. This makes me feel more compassion for the seemingly hardhearted rich man who ignored the starving man begging at his doorstep. Some of our greatest challenges at our doorsteps could be calls from God to help others to listen to the voices of the prophets. And yet I always turn from the unpleasant person, the person who needs more than I seem to have to give. Often my reaction, is why me God instead of why not me. I often feel that I do not have the riches and resources needed to help the beggars and yet if this is what God asks of me of course God will provide. The people that I least want to help are most likely those that are being sent from God for me to help. I do not want to share in the suffering. I want to sit at the feast table but not at the curbside of the beggar. I want to sound kind and loving but when the most difficult case is pushed onto me, I push it away without hesitation.

I pray today for more kindness, giving and compassion for those who in the eyes of other people are the most unloveable.