The daily Word of God

febrero 29, 2024

Weekday in Lent

Luke 16:19-31 People suffer, see their needs

First Reading: Jeremiah  17:5-10

Thus says the Lord:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
          who seeks his strength in flesh,
          whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
          that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
          a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
          whose hope is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
          that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
          its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
          but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
          beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the Lord, alone probe the mind
          and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
          according to the merit of his deeds.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R./  Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Blessed the man who follows not
          the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
          nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the Lord
          and meditates on his law day and night.
R./  Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

He is like a tree
          planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
          and whose leaves never fade.
          Whatever he does, prospers.
R./  Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Not so, the wicked, not so;
          they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the Lord watches over the way of the just,
          but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R./  Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

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.’”

The Desire for Comfort

“Throughout his Gospel, Luke calls upon his community to identify with Jesus, who is compassionate and tender toward the poor, the outcast, the sinner, and the afflicted, toward all who acknowledge their dependence on God. But he is severe toward those who are proud and self-righteous, particularly those who place material wealth before God’s service.” (Catholic Study Bible)

This call is particularly evident in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Both men in today’s Gospel story share a common desire: comfort. Lazarus needed the comfort of care and to be nourished and healed. The rich man did not want to give up his comfortable lifestyle, even with such a pitiful human as Lazarus at his door.

All of us have a Lazarus in our lives who keeps appearing at our doorstep and inviting us to respond to the Gospel imperatives. Perhaps your Lazarus is a lonely person who wants to talk to you more than you want to talk to them. Maybe he is the homeless person you pass by on your way to work every day or a child who cries out for attention. Perhaps he is the unknown millions who haunt us with their suffering from poverty, natural disaster, and war and who need our prayers and our actions.

Whenever we are confronted with a Lazarus, our faith demands that we risk our own desire for comfort by responding to theirs. Consider asking for forgiveness for times when you failed to recognise or respond to the needs of others.

Bible Claret