20250320 THE SILENT SCREAM
20 March 2025, 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 SILENT SCREAM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 17:5-10; PS 1:1-4,6; LUKE 16:19-31]
One of the most powerful movies that evoked the consciences of many was the screening of “The Silent Scream”. It is an anti-abortion film produced in 1984 depicting through ultrasound, the abortion of an 11-week-old foetus where the foetus is described to be screaming in pain and discomfort during the abortion process. Today’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus is another silent scream. This time the scream is not coming from the womb but from those already born and are living in the world in poverty, pain, and suffering. They are found everywhere in our city, in our backyard and every corner of the world, where dogs live better than people. This parable challenges us to address the pains and sufferings of a voiceless humanity whose lives are constantly at risk because of poverty, war and injustice. This is why we are called to reflect deeply on the scripture readings of today, and to search our conscience.
It must be made clear from the outset that the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not about those who are wealthy. It is not wrong to be rich. Jesus is not against wealth. He accepted Zacchaeus, and He had some wealthy people who supported Him in His ministry. Rather, it is about our attitudes and the way we use and manage our wealth. It is about the roots of our heart. It is said that the heart of all the problems of the world is the human heart. This is what the first reading reminds us – “The heart is more devious than any other thing, perverse too: who can pierce its secrets?” As the Lord said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mt 6:19-21)
And so, we read about “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.” The truth of life is that there are some who have plenty and others have nothing. This is the divide between the rich and the poor. Whilst the rich man had everything, Lazarus was in a most pitiable state. He was poor, sickly with sores on his body and dependent on the generosity of people for his sustenance. His situation was really pathetic. We can see this even in Singapore, especially among the abandoned elderly who cannot look after themselves. We might not see them in public, but they are locked up at home as they cannot get up or walk.
Indeed, this parable is a portrayal of humanity, showing the stark contrast between the rich and the poor, the reality and injustice of life. It is not so much about two persons, one who indulges himself and is oblivious to the sufferings of the poor around him, or about the poor being abandoned and had nothing. The rich man in the parable is not named because he represents the danger of wealth. The poor man called Lazarus, which means “God helps”, is named, signifying that in the eyes of God, he is of value. God does not differentiate us, whether we are rich or poor, of status or just a nobody. On the surface, the rich seem to have all the blessings while Lazarus had nothing and was a nobody. But the way we read is not the way God sees them. This is glaringly shown when both the rich man and Lazarus died, the former being sent to hades and the latter to the bosom of Father Abraham.
This parable calls us to examine our values in life – not just from the perspective of this life, but from an eternal perspective. What we see is the reversal of position between the rich man and Lazarus. After their death, we see Lazarus at the side of Abraham whilst the rich man is now poor, living in torment and thirsting for just a drop of water. Lazarus now shares in the blessings of Abraham whilst the rich man is in hades. Indeed, it is a warning to us all as to how we use our wealth and resources that the Lord has given to us. There will be eternal consequences for the way we live our lives on this earth. This is why, the scripture readings invite us to consider the object of our faith. We are all people of faith, even those who do not subscribe to a religion. The point is that when it comes to making decisions, plans and priorities, we are all exercising some form of faith. The question is, who do we trust, and where do we put our trust? “
The Lord says this: ‘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.” If we trust only in man, in ourselves and in the things of this world, relying on our riches and wealth, and turn our heart away from the Lord, we will lose our direction in life. We will find ourselves empty, unfulfilled and alienated from our fellowmen, until one day, we lose our humanity, because we can no longer feel for and with our brothers and sisters. Our self-absorption will cause us to be less than a man, and hence like the rich man, we will be “nameless.” We will be lifeless as those in Sheol because they are not life-giving.
However, “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 our heart is rooted in God, then we will yield fruits of love, peace, joy, kindness and generosity. We will be recognized as a child of God with a name. Even in times of distress, we will remain strong and firm in the Lord. We know that God will see us through. We have confidence in God even when we suffer injustice because as Jeremiah prophesied, “I, the Lord, search the heart; I probe the loins to give man what his conduct and action deserve.” We know that God will stand by us.
The tragedy of the rich man is that he learnt his lesson too late. There is now a real chasm between him and Lazarus who is in heaven. “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.” When they were on earth, he kept his distance from Lazarus and the poor. He was oblivious to their suffering and their needs. It is ironical that the distance he kept from others when he was on earth has now become a chasm he cannot cross. Only at this stage did he start thinking of others, his brothers. He has learnt his lesson, albeit too late. He thought that even if he could not save himself, perhaps he could save his brothers. The rich man appealed, “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.”
The lesson that the rich man learnt is also ours. It is clear that true wealth in the eyes of God is that we have a heart of love, mercy, generosity and compassion; a heart of God. His brothers unfortunately shared his disastrous philosophy about life, relying on their wealth, pleasures and power. They, too, were oblivious to the sufferings of others. We too can be so absorbed in our own needs and enjoyment that we forget to use some of our resources to help the poor. We are called to examine our lifestyle and our values during this season of Lent. This is why the Lord asks us to fast so that we can begin to feel with the privation of others, not just material resources but of mercy, love, friendship, understanding and loneliness. Let us not confuse spiritual blessings with worldly blessings.
Finally, the answer given to the request of the rich man is also a warning for us. 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.” Hearing the Word of God that is addressed to us today, we cannot afford to delay our response. There is no need to look further for a sign. If we are not receptive and our hearts are closed, regardless what signs the Lord gives to us, we remain hard-hearted and find all excuses not to repent. So before it is too late, repent!
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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