Thursday, March 05, 2015
2nd Week of Lent
1st Reading: Jer 17:5–10
Gospel: Lk 16:19–31
Jesus said to his disciples, “Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest.
He called out: ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.’
Abraham replied: ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from your side to us.’
The rich man implored once more: ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father’s house where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham replied: ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ But the rich man said: ‘No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Abraham said: ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.’”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
It was not for his wealth that Davis was condemned but for his failure to do good. True, he did not maltreat Lazarus nor drive him away from his gate. But neither did he do something to ease the pangs of Lazarus’ hunger. The beggar did not ask for a lion’s share of Davis’ meal. “He (only) longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table”.
In today’s first reading, we read: “I, Yahweh… reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah, 17:5-10). Christianity is a fruit-oriented religion. As such it contemplates of a lifestyle that goes beyond mere avoidance of evil. Just as Davis did not go to hell for his wealth but for failing to make that wealth work for others, we too will be judged not solely by the many sins we have avoided, but also by the good we failed to do. The gage will be “our ways and the fruits of our deeds” (Jer. 17:5-10). – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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