For my
gospel reflection today, I have two different personal stories, which point out
my own struggles with what Jesus taught His
disciples by telling the familiar parable of the unnamed rich man and the poor
man Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). In it,
Jesus highlights how “things” can blind us and hinder our need to reach out to
those closest to us who are in need — the poor.
I went to
the service station one morning to gas up my Pathfinder, which uses only
premium fuel. As I was pulling up, I
noticed a man doubled over in pain, and obviously drunk. My heart was torn, because although I wanted
to walk up and talk to him to ask him how he was and if he needed any help, I
didn’t. When I went inside to pay for
the gas, the kid behind the counter was LAUGHING about the man’s
discomfort. He said he had called the
POLICE, when what the man needed was obviously an ambulance. Not very Christ-like on either of our parts. I was ashamed for both of us.
How could a
man who has (relatively) everything allow another man, whose only possessions
were apparently the clothes on his back, to suffer right before his eyes? How could a man who fills his SUV with costly
premium fuel not budge to share even a few dollars from his wallet, much less a
kind word, with the troubled neighbor just trying to get by?
It seems
absolutely unthinkable—and irreparably scandalous—but we know it happens all
the time, like it apparently happened on my ‘watch’. Like
the rich man in the gospel story, we can use wealth and luxury to insulate us
from the intolerable sufferings of others.
We can become so accustomed to making self-satisfying pleasures the
driving desire of our lives that we become comfortably oblivious to the
afflicted and destitute among us, the many who, like Lazarus, are so grievously
deprived of what any human being needs to survive that they die a little more
each day.
This
parable’s punch shows us that when we fail to help a neighbor in need,
intentionally distancing ourselves from them, we likewise distance ourselves
from God. After a while, that distance
becomes an abyss. As the rich man
belatedly discovered, this truth may surprise us, but it will also condemn us.
My
grandchild and I were at the drive-through at McDonald’s a few years ago, when Lily
saw a young man standing and shivering in the pouring rain, holding a sign that
said simply, “Need Help”. When Lily saw him, tears began to form in her
eyes, and she asked what we could do for him.
I had an all-weather coat in the back seat, as I was intending to donate
it to the local homeless shelter. I had
inherited it from my brother Bob when he passed away. He had purchased it while on a trip to
Alaska. It was a very heavy, waterproof,
lined coat—perfect for that current day’s weather. We could see that the guy standing out in the
cold, driving rain was about the right size, so I had Lily hand it to him. Both Lily and I noticed the young man’s
posture straighten immediately, and a huge smile formed on his face! As my compassionate granddaughter and I talked
about it on our way home, we discussed things like how the guy may have become
so needy, why I—and others—didn’t appear to ‘see’ him (in other words, ignored
him), and more importantly, why we both seemed to feel the same warmth in our
souls that the young man felt physically after donning the coat.
Jesus has
come to free us from our “slavery”.
Freedom is the key to the reality of both poverty and wealth. If we’re attached to material things, we
easily forfeit our freedom…like the rich man in the gospel with his fine
clothes and sumptuous meals. Apparently,
he was so wrapped up in his pleasures that he paid little attention to God or
his fellow human beings…even poor Lazarus begging at his door! The rich man sacrificed his freedom because
of his attachment to the pleasures of wealth – he had turned inward, selfish.
On the other
hand, being poor limits a person’s freedom!
We need a basic share of God’s material gifts to have the leisure of
time and thought to worship God and also be concerned about fellow humans. If a person must spend their every energy
trying to secure basic necessities – wondering about their next meal, or health
or clothing or lodging – then they can hardly focus on God or others. That person has lost their freedom because of
the destitution which is poverty.
Lent is the
time of year that we especially seek renewal in our prayer and our generosity,
helping us move beyond selfishness to reaching out to others…be they the poor
beggar at our door, on our streets, outside of the drive-through at McDonald’s,
or the family member or co-worker or stranger who needs a listening ear and an
encouraging word. Together we can move
beyond our petty differences to sharing healing and life. Jesus and Lazarus call out to us today.
****************************
The parable
above is just one of many, many that Jesus used to proclaim the Kingdom of God,
which leads me to my Lenten project of presenting meditations on the Highs and Lows
and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary through the mysteries of the
prayer. I continue with the 3rd
Luminous mystery:
III. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Brief meditation:
Throughout
the Gospels, Jesus reveals the Kingdom of God to us in various ways. But the message is always clear and
consistent. We’re called to God’s
Kingdom through Jesus Christ. He came
into our world to show us the way. We are to
repent for our sins and trust in God. For
He, in His mercy, will forgive our sins and draw us to Him.
The Kingdom
of God is nearer to us than we often think, for
it is in God Himself and in all His creation. It’s not in some far-off place or time. We’re called each and every day by the voice
of God to follow Jesus into God’s Kingdom. We have but to trust completely in God and
follow. Crossing over into the Kingdom
of God is a matter of faith for which we are completely dependent on the mercy
and grace of God.
Do I seek
the Kingdom of God each day by reconciling myself with God and praying for His
mercy? Do I follow the example of Jesus each day by trusting completely in God
for all things?
I pray for
the grace and mercy of God so that I might empty
myself and enter into His Kingdom by turning all things over to Him.
Scriptural
meditations:
1. Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel
of the kingdom of God, and saying "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom
of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)-Hail Mary…
2. “Unless a man be born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)-Hail Mary…
3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)-Hail Mary…
4. “Blessed are they who suffer persecution for
the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)-Hail
Mary…
5. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of
the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew
5:20)-Hail Mary…
6. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in
search of fine pearls. When he finds a
single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
(Matthew 13:45-46)-Hail Mary…
7. “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and
become like little children you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 18:3)-Hail Mary…
8. “Children, how hard it is for those that
trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
(Mark 10:24)-Hail Mary…
9. “I must proclaim the kingdom of God, for this
is why I have been sent” (Luke 4:43)-Hail Mary…
10. “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John
18:36)-Hail Mary…
No comments:
Post a Comment