The daily Word of God
Sunday, September 28th, 2025
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 16:19-31 "Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.'"
First Reading: Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Thus says the Lord the God of hosts:
Woe to the complacent in Zion!
Lying upon beds of ivory,
stretched comfortably on their couches,
they eat lambs taken from the flock,
and calves from the stall!
Improvising to the music of the harp,
like David, they devise their own accompaniment.
They drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the best oils;
yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R./ Praise the Lord, my soul! or: Alleluia.
Blessed he who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R./ Praise the Lord, my soul! or: Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R./ Praise the Lord, my soul! or: Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R./ Praise the Lord, my soul! or: Alleluia.
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,
devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called
when you made the noble confession in the presence of
many witnesses.
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus,
who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,
to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
that the blessed and only ruler
will make manifest at the proper time,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
Gospel Reading: Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and 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 persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"
“They have Moses and the prophets: let them listen to them.”
Dear brothers and sisters, peace and goodness to you.
Last week, the prophet Amos spoke against unjust merchants—those who served money before God, forgetting the time that should be dedicated to the Lord. Today, the ones “criticized” are those who feel self-secure, thinking themselves righteous, very pleased with their own importance. They were convinced that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing.
There was a time when people thought God was on the side of the rich: well-being, luck, and abundance were considered signs of His favor. The first time the Hebrew word for “silver” or “money” appears in the Bible, it is about Abraham: “Abram had many flocks, silver, and gold.” Isaac sowed in the land and that same year harvested one hundredfold. Jacob had countless possessions: “oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female servants.” The psalmist even promises the just man: “Wealth and riches are in his house” (Ps 112:3).
Poverty, on the other hand, was seen as a curse. It was thought to be the result of laziness or idleness: “A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the arms to lie back, and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, want like an armed man” (Prov 24:33-34).
The prophets slowly began to warn that not every means of becoming rich is acceptable. Solidarity and justice must never be forgotten. That is why Amos speaks today against those who think they are saved simply because they have accumulated many goods. God does not want the unjust division between rich and poor to last forever.
Amos denounces false security in wealth. Trust in the city of Jerusalem, which seemed impossible to conquer, and trust in luxury, perfumes, fine food… But this comfort does not prevent disaster. Violence was being prepared. The punishment would be exile.
To be ready and not fall into laziness, Paul exhorts Timothy in the second reading to remain firm in the faith and the teaching he had received from the Apostle to the Gentiles. After being ordained as pastor of the community, Timothy hears a whole list of virtues, necessary to be a good servant of the Gospel.
At that time, the worship of emperors was widespread. Perhaps that is why Paul makes a strong statement about Jesus, the blessed and only Sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who alone can give true joy and salvation to all who remain faithful to Him. In our own time, so full of idols, this reminder is still needed.
Paul also warns about false teachings that can enter the Christian community. That is why he calls Timothy to keep the Gospel pure, without stain, as it was first announced to him. Today there are many schools that offer methods to reach inner peace or nirvana, but there is only one Teacher who gives salvation: the Lord Jesus. Certain practices coming from the East can sometimes help us relax, for example before prayer; but behind them there is often a philosophy that is not compatible with the Catholic faith.
Do you remember? Last Sunday’s Gospel ended with Jesus saying: “You cannot serve God and money.” That Gospel connects with today’s. In between, there are a few verses that explain the context. The next verse says that some Pharisees, who loved money, heard this and mocked Him. They thought of themselves as righteous and laughed at Jesus. That is why He tells them this parable—to answer their mocking and to show a very different image of God: a God who does not accept the rich man’s indifference toward poor Lazarus, a God who stands with the poor.
Jesus also said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” God has totally identified Himself with the poorest and most needy of our world. So this Gospel is not far from our own reality. It is not an exaggeration. The tragedy of hunger is still unsolved, and we are still surrounded by “Lazaruses” who, if they are lucky, eat only the crumbs that fall from our tables. In his message for World Food Day, 21 years ago, Saint John Paul II wrote: “How will history judge a generation that has all the means to feed the whole world, yet refuses to do so because of blind selfishness?” Sadly, little has changed.
This must not only move our hearts, but also move us to action and commitment. God’s Word remains the true measure for a real conversion of our hearts and of our attitudes toward the poor. “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
Many commentators call this parable “the parable of the five brothers.” The rich man, now in torment, worries because he has felt in his own body what hell means. Just this past Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV said: “Hell, in the biblical sense, is not so much a place as an existential condition. A condition where life is weakened, and pain, loneliness, guilt, and separation from God and from others reign.” The brother who experienced in his own body the pain of God’s absence did not want his brothers to make the same mistake of ignoring others. But…
But it was already too late; his earthly life had ended. Maybe that is one of today’s lessons: we must listen to Moses and the prophets, and above all to the greatest Prophet, Jesus of Nazareth, while we still have the chance. We do not know if the rich man’s brothers ever listened. But we, every day, are given the opportunity to meet the Word of God, to hear it, meditate on it, and put it into practice. We still have time. Before death comes to visit us and our future is decided for all eternity—on one side or the other of the abyss. That is something worth thinking about.
Your brother in faith,
Alejandro, C.M.F.Greetings
Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ:
to him be honor and everlasting power.
May his grace and peace
be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Open Your Eyes
How come that we are merely aware of the misery—poverty, discrimination, injustice around us? Is it because we have not learned to see, or that we prefer not to see? It is said of God in the Old Testament that he saw the misery of his people, and, seeing it, he liberated them. Jesus saw the misery of the people around him and he did all he could to free them. Let us ask the Lord here with us that we may learn to see our own afflictions and those of the people around us. Then we can, with God's help, do something to remedy them.
B. Bridging The Gap Between Rich And Poor
We know that in our country and elsewhere—in fact, in large parts of the world—there is a wide gap between the rich and the poor. Many ask themselves, hopefully we too, "What can I do about all this misery? My means are very limited, and I cannot carry the burden of the world." But we know what the Gospel asks of us. If all contribute, each in his or her own place, their share toward solving the problems of poverty, need, and suffering, how much better our whole world would become and how much nearer the kingdom! We need no angel to come and tell us. Listen to the message of the Lord himself.
Penitential Act
Blind as we are to our faults and to the needs of people
let us ask the Lord to forgive us and to open our eyes.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you saw in the eyes of sinners
their hunger for acceptance and forgiveness:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you saw the silent need of the poor
to share in the life of the community:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you saw the need
of the sheep without shepherds
for someone to follow and to believe in:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Take our sins away, Lord,
and open our eyes to compassion and love.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to God
for compassionate and generous hearts
(pause)
Our generous and loving God,
your Son Jesus is risen from the dead
and tells us to see the needs of the poor
and to give them food and drink.
In them, may we recognize your Son
and love him and care for him.
You have filled us with good things,
all free of charge.
Make us poor of heart, that we may understand the poor,
generous enough not to measure our gifts,
and grateful for all you have given us
by bringing joy and liberation to the needy.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: The Rich Will Be Made Poor
The prophet Amos rings out God's indignation over the insensitive rich. They enjoy life without any concern for the poor. God cannot accept that any person or community would tolerate such inequality and indifference.
Second Reading Introduction: Witnessing To Christ With Our Lives
Christians, especially leaders in the community, must bear witness to the Father and to Jesus by their Christian living. For they owe to God their salvation in Jesus Christ.
Gospel Introduction: God Will Make The Poor Rich
The rich man of the parable is unconcerned about the poor man. But God's justice reverses the situation: the poor will become rich before God, the selfish will lose everything.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to our loving Father, the protector of widows and orphans and the support of the humble and of strangers. Let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• For a prophetic voice for the Church, that it may not tolerate the poor to be trampled upon or to be silenced, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• For open minds for the leaders of nations, that all the money wasted on weapons of destruction may be used for the welfare of people, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• For open hands to all who extend theirs, whether in friendship or as an appeal for help, that we may welcome them and fill them, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• For open hearts to all loneliness, to all fear and bitterness, that we may respond by becoming healers in the name of the Lord, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• For open eyes toward the humble and the little ones, that we may respect and restore their dignity as human beings and children of the Father in heaven, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• For communities in which the rich care for the poor and the poor teach the rich how to be patient and dependent on God, let us pray:
R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
God our Father, help us to use the goods of this earth to bridge the gap between rich and poor, for we are all your sons and daughters, now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father,
here are bread and wine,
simple food and the drink of joy.
By this gesture of offering
we assume our responsibility for the poor.
With your Son, let us never remain indifferent
to the human and spiritual misery
of our brothers and sisters in need.
Accept the poverty of our own hearts
and be our only lasting riches,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Let us praise the Father with Jesus for showing us his compassion through his Son. May he give us a lively and warm concern for our brothers and sisters in need.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
Recognizing that we are all poor
before our Father in heaven,
we pray to him with all trust
the prayer of Jesus, his Son:
R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from all selfishness
that closes our hearts and hands
to the needs of the people around us.
Keep us from becoming enslaved
by the things we have, even by our talents.
Help us to free your people from want and fear
with the gifts of our minds, hearts,
and with material goods,
that we may prepare for the full coming
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus our Lord.
He invites us to share his meal
and to learn from him to share
what we are and have.
Happy are we to be invited to his supper.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God, Father of the poor,
your Son has been here among us
and he has knocked on the door of our hearts.
We have welcomed him,
but it was he who gave us to eat.
May we keep receiving him
and making him feel comfortable as our brother
every time someone begs for our help
or, when in need, is too timid
to express where it hurts.
We ask you for this sensitivity
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
In this Eucharistic celebration
the Lord has enriched us with his word
and with the gift of himself.
His bread of life tasted better
because it was shared.
We are now ready to enrich one another
and to make our happiness greater
by sharing it,
with the blessing of Almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
in one another. R/ Thanks be to God.
