20230309 THE OBLIGATION OF RICHES
09 March 2023, Thursday, 2nd Week of Lent
First reading |
Jeremiah 17:5-10 © |
A curse on the man who puts his trust in man and turns from the Lord
The Lord says this:
‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
who relies on things of flesh,
whose heart turns from the Lord.
He is like dry scrub in the wastelands:
if good comes, he has no eyes for it,
he settles in the parched places of the wilderness,
a salt land, uninhabited.
‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.
He is like a tree by the waterside
that thrusts its roots to the stream:
when the heat comes it feels no alarm,
its foliage stays green;
it has no worries in a year of drought,
and never ceases to bear fruit.
‘The heart is more devious than any other thing,
perverse too: who can pierce its secrets?
I, the Lord, search to the heart,
I probe the loins,
to give each man what his conduct
and his actions deserve.’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 1:1-4,6 © |
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Lk15:18 |
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
I will leave this place and go to my father and say:
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.’
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Or: | cf.Lk8:15 |
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Gospel | Luke 16:19-31 © |
Dives and Lazarus
Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.”
‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them.” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’
THE OBLIGATION OF RICHES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 17:5-10; PS 1:1-4,6; LUKE 16:19-31]
What struck me in today’s parable of the rich man is that nothing negative was said of him. He was just minding his own business. He did not do anything to harm anyone. He was blessed with riches. He dressed “in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day” and probably invited his good friends to dine with him frequently. He committed no wrong in doing that as it is not a sin to be rich or to enjoy the good things of life. We should not feel guilty simply because we are able to afford a good meal or a good holiday. The Church is not against private possessions.
So what was the sin of the rich man? He was oblivious to the needs of others, especially those who were suffering. He was living in a world of his own. He forgot that he had a duty to be his brother’s keeper. The rich man was condemned because he failed to take notice of the poor Lazarus who was just outside his gate, hungry, tattered, torn and suffering from sores. Jesus condemned the rich man not because he was rich but because he used his possessions only for himself and failed to realize that he was obliged to share his goods and wealth with the poor and the needy.
Although we might have done nothing evil, yet the failure to use our wealth and resources responsibly for the good of all is itself a sin of omission. The point of the gospel story is that we are all children of Abraham and most of all, children of God, redeemed by Christ, created in God’s image and likeness. Every life is sacred to God and bought with the precious blood of Christ. We share a common humanity. Necessarily, we are called to follow Christ in reaching out to those who are poor, suffering and disadvantaged. Many are starving in the world, deprived of basic needs of life, food and accommodation because of famine and wars. Respect for the dignity of our brothers and sisters in Christ means that we are to ensure a fairer distribution of material resources to all. Poverty exists today simply because the minority rich owns 80% of the world’s resources! So it is not that we do not have enough food to feed all. It is just that the few are taking the food of the poor.
Today, the poor includes those who are spiritually and affectively poor as well. Depriving a person of God and His transcendent call is to short-change a person in finding fullness of life. When religions are discriminated or even prohibited, we are depriving the human person of the opportunity to find peace and happiness in God. The psalmist says, “A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of the flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord. He is like dry scrub in the wastelands: if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness, a salt land, uninhabited.” Of course, we must not forget the many elderly today who are left alone to look after themselves because their children no longer live with them as they have their own lives to live.
Today, we are called to change our attitudes in the way we handle our riches and resources. In the first place, the gospel reminds us that earthly possessions are passing things. They do not withstand the test of time. We cannot bring even a needle into the next life. Like the rich man in the gospel, upon death, in the face of God’s love, he will find himself unable to be one with God and with the saints in heaven because he lacks the capacity to love. Upon death, only those who are generous of heart can enter the kingdom of God. Those who lack the capacity to love would have to undergo the purification of self in purgatory, not excluding the possibility of eternal hell for those who are completely closed to goodness and love.
Indeed, hell is but a state of selfishness and self-centeredness. It is a state of isolation from God and our fellowmen. Whenever we are not in union with others, we experience pain. The greater the union we share with our brothers and sisters, the greater is the joy. This explains why the rich man was never given a name as he did not know anyone and no one knew him. Only the poor Lazarus had a name because he was loved and acknowledged by God. The rich man without a name implies that he had no identity at all. He did not know what he was living for.
In other words, we need each other. The rich need the poor to find meaning and purpose in life. Only when they see God in the poor and the suffering, will they then begin to value what they have and be grateful for God’s blessings. Unfortunately, the rich man realized it too late. God gave him the poor to help him appreciate His love and share in His joy of giving, but he did not understand. Lazarus was a gift of God to the rich man to awaken his heart of love, but he did not receive it. Conversely, the poor need the rich to help them in their financial, personal and emotional needs. Lazarus was looking for support. God gives us to each other so that we can help each other. We are social beings, not just individuals. We are created as individuals, different and unique in order to love. Otherwise, we will love ourselves selfishly and that would be narcissism. In truth, we all need each other to be truly happy. No one is self-sufficient. Happiness is in giving and receiving. The rich give money and the poor give love. God gives us to each other so that we can share in His love and joy.
Consequently, we are called to walk the ways of the Lord if we intend to find real happiness in life. “A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord. With the Lord for his hope. He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream: when the heat comes it feels no alarm, its foliage stays green; it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit.” If the rich man had walked in the ways of the Lord, he would have found happiness on earth and a greater happiness in heaven. Although Lazarus did not find happiness on earth and suffered much, yet, he was comforted in the next life.
Today, we are called to imitate Abraham, the father of hospitality. From the bible, we know that Abraham was a rich man and he had many flocks of sheep and goats; herds of cattle. But he was welcoming to strangers who came by. (cf Gn 18:1-5) Although he was the master, he made himself a servant to them. “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.” (Gn 18:3) Instead of asking the servants to prepare the food for the strangers, he asked his wife to do it instead. (Gn 18:6) He treated every stranger as if they were the masters of the house. He was never selfish and welcomed travellers to stay in his tent. He would not let a passer-by leave without providing shelter and food. He would save those under persecution from their enemies. (Gn 14:14-16) He welcomed strangers not because they were great and rich people but simply because he cared for them, regardless of their status and condition.
By so doing, unknowingly, he welcomed the Lord. Indeed, God came in the three strangers. Isn’t this what the Lord said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” (Mt 25:35f) “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Not surprisingly, we read in the gospel, “Now the poor man died and was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.” Abraham was the home of God because God lived in him as his guest. The poor man Lazarus was in the arms of Abraham and not any other prophet because the latter was a symbol of hospitality.
So, let us be forewarned of the reversal of values in the eyes of God. The psalmist counsels us, “Happy indeed is the man … who ponders his law day and night. He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper. Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind, for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.” The gospel of Luke underscores this theme even more forcefully in this parable when the rich man was cursed and punished whereas the poor man was blessed. God is on the side of the poor, for the name Lazarus means “God is my help.” God is faithful to the just at the end of time.
Alas, will we listen to this warning from the Lord? Many of us are oblivious, like the rich man. In his torment, he requested Abraham, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning, so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” But Abraham made it clear, “They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them. If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.” How true! The Lord knows the hearts of men. “The heart is more devious than any other thing, perverse too: who can pierce its secrets? I, the Lord, search the heart; I probe the loins to give man what his conduct and action deserve.” So let us not miss the opportunity to do good whilst we can. There are many Lazaruses out there waiting for us to encounter God through them. Let us not be like the rich man who lost sight of God because he was too preoccupied with himself and his enjoyment, seeking happiness only in the worldly things. Instead of growing in love through sharing and giving, his treasure was only on earth, not in heaven.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment