Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Lectionary: 233
Lectionary: 233
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.
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
PsalmPS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (40:5a)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.
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.
Verse Before
The GospelSEE LK 8:15
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
GospelLK 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.'"
"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.'"
Meditation: Lazarus was
carried to Abraham's bosom
What
sustains you when trials and affliction come your way? The prophet Jeremiah
tells us that whoever relies on God will not be disappointed or be in want when
everything around them dries up or disappears (Jeremiah 17:7-8). God will not
only be their consolation, but their inexhaustible source of hope and joy as
well.
We
lose what we hold on to - we gain what we give away
Jesus' parable about the afflictions of the poor man Lazarus brings home a similar point. In this story Jesus paints a dramatic scene of contrasts - riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. We also see an abrupt and dramatic reversal of fortune. Lazarus was not only poor, but sick and unable to fend for himself. He was "laid" at the gates of the rich man's house. The dogs which licked his sores probably also stole the little bread he got for himself. Dogs in the ancient world symbolized contempt. Enduring the torment of these savage dogs only added to the poor man's miseries and sufferings.
Jesus' parable about the afflictions of the poor man Lazarus brings home a similar point. In this story Jesus paints a dramatic scene of contrasts - riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. We also see an abrupt and dramatic reversal of fortune. Lazarus was not only poor, but sick and unable to fend for himself. He was "laid" at the gates of the rich man's house. The dogs which licked his sores probably also stole the little bread he got for himself. Dogs in the ancient world symbolized contempt. Enduring the torment of these savage dogs only added to the poor man's miseries and sufferings.
The
rich man treated the beggar with contempt and indifference, until he found his
fortunes reversed at the end of his life! In God's economy, those who hold on
possessively to what they have, lose it all in the end, while those who share
generously receive back many times more than they gave away.
Do
not lose hope - God rewards those who trust in him
The name Lazarus means God is my help. Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not lose hope in God. His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven. The rich man, however, could not see beyond his material wealth and possessions. He not only had every thing he needed, he selfishly spent all he had on himself. He was too absorbed in what he possessed to notice the needs of those around him. He lost sight of God and the treasure of heaven because he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth rather than God. In the end the rich man became a beggar!
The name Lazarus means God is my help. Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not lose hope in God. His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven. The rich man, however, could not see beyond his material wealth and possessions. He not only had every thing he needed, he selfishly spent all he had on himself. He was too absorbed in what he possessed to notice the needs of those around him. He lost sight of God and the treasure of heaven because he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth rather than God. In the end the rich man became a beggar!
Do
you know the joy and freedom of possessing God as your true and lasting
treasure? Those who put their hope and security in heaven will not be
disappointed (see Hebrews 6:19).
"Lord
Jesus, you are my joy and my treasure. Make me rich in the things of heaven and
give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others the
spiritual and material treasures you have given to me."
A
Daily Quote for Lent: Creator
of both rich and poor, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God
made both the rich and the poor. So the rich and the poor are born alike. You
meet one another as you walk on the way together. Do not oppress or defraud
anyone. One may be needy and another may have plenty. But the Lord is the maker
of them both. Through the person who has, He helps the one who needs - and
through the person who does not have, He tests the one who has." (excerpt
from Sermon 35, 7)
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, LUKE 16:19-31
Lenten Weekday
(Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1)
Lenten Weekday
(Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1)
KEY VERSE: 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead" (v. 31).
TO KNOW: In Jesus' day, it was believed that prosperity was a sign of God's favor and suffering a sign of God's displeasure. Jesus told a parable that was counter-cultural to this idea. In the story, a rich man feasted in sumptuous luxury while Lazarus, a poor man, suffered from disease and starvation at the rich man’s gates. When the rich man died he ended up in Sheol, the abode of the dead where the wicked were consigned. When Lazarus died he was escorted to the bosom of Abraham, a metaphor for the resting place of the righteous. The irony was that in their lifetimes, a chasm of poverty and wealth existed between Lazarus and the rich man, whereas in death there was an abyss of punishment and reward between them. The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his family so that they might avoid his fate. Abraham replied that Moses and the prophets had already proclaimed God's word, and if the rich man's family failed to listen to the warnings in Scripture, they would not be convinced even if someone rose from the dead (an allusion to Jesus' own resurrection).
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, open my eyes this Lent to see the suffering people at my doorstep.
TO SERVE: What is my parish doing for the poor? Do I help?
Thursday 21 March 2019
Jeremiah 17:5-10. Psalm 1:1-4, 6. Luke 16:19-31
Happy are those who hope in the Lord – Psalm 1:1-4, 6.
‘The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with
Abraham.’
Today’s reading provides us with two very poignant images.
Lazarus, the beggar, is presented as someone who after a life of isolation,
suffering and poverty enjoys the fruits of human destiny in the company of
Abraham. In opposition to this we have an unnamed person who enjoyed a lavish
and somewhat self-centred earthly life and now seeks relief from the torment of
eternal life.
What do these images say to us about our world today? How often
do we become immersed in values that carry us away from God? There is always
something better on offer – a bigger home, more clothes, a new car. The point
Jesus makes in the parable is clear. A person’s material and physical
circumstances are no measure for God’s eternal grace. When we share our good
fortunes and opportunities with others, we bring joy and happiness to others
and to ourselves.
Blessed John of Parma
Saint of the Day for March 21
(1209–1289)
 |
| St Bonaventure Enters the Franciscan Order | Francisco de Herrera the Elder |
Blessed John of Parma’s Story
The seventh general minister of the Franciscan Order, John was
known for his attempts to bring back the earlier spirit of the Order after the
death of Saint Francis of Assisi.
He was born in Parma, Italy, in 1209. It was when he was a young
philosophy professor known for his piety and learning that God called him to
bid good-bye to the world he was used to and enter the new world of the
Franciscan Order. After his profession, John was sent to Paris to complete his theological
studies. Ordained to the priesthood, he was appointed to teach theology at
Bologna, then Naples, and finally Rome.
In 1245, Pope Innocent IV called a general council in the city
of Lyons, France. Crescentius, the Franciscan minister general at the time, was
ailing and unable to attend. In his place he sent Friar John, who made a deep
impression on the Church leaders gathered there. Two years later, when the same
pope presided at the election of a minister general of the Franciscans, he
remembered Friar John well and held him up as the man best qualified for the
office.
And so in 1247, John of Parma was elected to be minister
general. The surviving disciples of St. Francis rejoiced in his election,
expecting a return to the spirit of poverty and humility of the early days of
the Order. And they were not disappointed. As general of the Order, John
traveled on foot, accompanied by one or two companions, to practically all of
the Franciscan convents in existence. Sometimes he would arrive and not be recognized,
remaining there for a number of days to test the true spirit of the brothers.
The pope called on John to serve as legate to Constantinople,
where he was most successful in winning back the schismatic Greeks. Upon his
return, he asked that someone else take his place to govern the Order. At
John’s urging, Saint Bonaventure was chosen to succeed him. John took up a life
of prayer in the hermitage at Greccio.
Many years later, John learned that the Greeks who had been
reconciled with the Church for a time, had relapsed into schism. Though 80
years old by then, John received permission from Pope Nicholas IV to return to
the East in an effort to restore unity once again. On his way, John fell sick
and died.
He was beatified in 1781.
Reflection
In the 13th century, people in their 30s were middle-aged;
hardly anyone lived to the ripe old age of 80. John did, but he didn’t ease
into retirement. Instead he was on his way to try to heal a schism in the
Church when he died. Our society today boasts a lot of folks in their later
decades. Like John, many of them lead active lives. But some aren’t so
fortunate. Weakness or ill health keeps them confined and lonely—waiting to
hear from us.
Lectio Divina: Luke 16:19-31
Season of Lent
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
many of us never had it so good, and
so we have become smug and self-satisfied, happy in our own little world.
God, may our ears remain open to Your word
and our hearts to You
and to our brothers and sisters.
Do not allow us to forget You,
or to place our trust in ourselves.
Make us restless for You
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
many of us never had it so good, and
so we have become smug and self-satisfied, happy in our own little world.
God, may our ears remain open to Your word
and our hearts to You
and to our brothers and sisters.
Do not allow us to forget You,
or to place our trust in ourselves.
Make us restless for You
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) 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.'"
3) Reflection
• Every time that Jesus has something important to communicate,
He creates a story and tells a parable. In this way, through reflection on an
invisible reality, He leads those who listen to Him to discover the invisible
call of God, who is present in life. A parable is meant to make us think and
reflect. For this reason it is important to pay attention to even the smallest
details. In the parable in today’s Gospel there are three persons: the poor
Lazarus, the rich man without a name, and Father Abraham. In the parable,
Abraham represents the thought of God. The rich man without a name represents
the dominating ideology of that time. Lazarus represents the silent cry of the
poor in the time of Jesus and in all times.
• Luke 16:19-21: The situation of the rich man and the poor man.
The two extremes of society. On the one side, aggressive richness; on the
other, the poor man without resources, without rights, covered with wounds,
without anybody to accept him, to receive him, except the dogs which came to
lick his wounds. What separates both of them is the closed door of the rich
man’s house. For the rich man, there is no acceptance nor pity concerning the
poor man at his door. But the poor man has a name; the rich man does not. That
is, the poor man has his name written in the book of life, not the rich one.
The poor man’s name is Lazarus. It means God helps. And through the poor man,
God helps the rich man who could have a name in the book of life. But the rich
man does not allow himself to be helped by the poor man, because he keeps his door
closed. The beginning of this parable is a faithful mirror of what was
happening during the time of Jesus and the time of Luke. It is a mirror of
everything that is happening today in the world!
• Luke 16:22: The change which reveals the hidden truth. The
poor man died and was carried away by the angels into Abraham’s embrace. The
rich man also died and was buried. In the parable the poor man dies before the
rich one. This is a warning for the rich. During the time when the poor man is
alive and at the door, there is still the possibility of salvation for the rich
man. But when the poor man dies, the only instrument of salvation for the rich
man also dies. Now, the poor man is in Abraham’s embrace. The embrace of
Abraham is the source of life, where the people of God were born.
Lazarus, the poor man, is part of the people of Abraham, from which he was
excluded when he was before the rich man’s door. The rich man, who believes
that he is a son of Abraham, does not go toward Abraham’s embrace! The introduction
to the parable ends here. Now its significance begins to be revealed, through
the three conversations between the rich man and Father Abraham.
• Luke 16:23-26: The first conversation. In the parable, Jesus
opens a window on the other side of life, the side of God. It is not a question
of Heaven. It is a question of the life which only faith generates and which
the rich man, who has no faith, cannot see. It is only in the light of death
that this ideology disintegrates; then appears as what the true value of life
is. On the part of God, without the deceptive thinking of the ideology, things
change. The rich man sees Lazarus in the arms of Abraham and asks to be helped
in his suffering. The rich man discovers that Lazarus is his only possible
benefactor. But now it is too late! The nameless rich man is pious, because he
recognizes Abraham and calls him Father. Abraham responds and calls him son. In
reality, this word of Abraham is addressed to all the rich who are alive. In so
far as they are alive, they have the possibility of becoming sons and daughters
of Abraham if they know how to open the door to Lazarus, the poor man, the only
one who in God’s name can help them. Salvation for the rich man does not
consist in Lazarus giving him a drop of fresh water to refresh his tongue, but
rather, that he, the rich man, open the closed door to the poor man so as fill
the great abyss that exists.
• Luke 16:27-29: The second conversation. The rich man insists:
“Then, Father, I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house, because I have
five brothers!” The rich man does not want his brothers to end in this place of
suffering. Lazarus, the poor man, is the only true intermediary between God and
the rich. He is the only one, because it is only to the poor that the rich have
to return what they had and, thus, re-establish the justice which has been
damaged! The rich man is worried for his brothers, but was never concerned
about the poor! Abraham’s response is clear: “They have Moses and the Prophets;
let them listen to them!” They have the Bible! The rich man had the Bible. He
knew it by heart. But he was never aware that the Bible had something to do with
the poor. The rich man’s key to understanding the Bible is the poor man sitting
at his door!
• Luke 16:30-31: The third conversation. “No, Abraham, but if
someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!” The rich man recognizes
that he is wrong, he has committed an error, because he speaks of repenting,
something which he never heard during his life. He wants a miracle, a
resurrection! But this type of resurrection does not exist. The only
resurrection is that of Jesus. Jesus, risen from the dead comes to us in the
person of the poor, of those who have no rights, of those who have no land, of
those who have no food, of those who have no house, of those who have no
health. In his final response, Abraham is clear and convincing: “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 conversation ends this way and is
the end of the parable!
• The key to understanding the sense of the Bible is the poor
Lazarus, sitting before the door! God presents Himself in the person of the
poor, sitting at our door, to help us cross the enormous abyss which the rich
have created. Lazarus is also Jesus, the poor and servant Messiah, who was not
accepted, but whose death changed all things radically. And everything changes
in the light of the death of the poor. The place of torment, of torture, is the
situation of the person without God. Even if the rich man thinks that he has
religion and faith, in fact, he is not with God, because he does not open the
door to the poor, as Zacchaeus did (Lk 19:1-10).
4) Personal questions
• How do we treat the poor? Do they have a name? In my attitude
toward them, am I like Lazarus or like the rich man?
• When the poor come in contact with me, do they hear the Good News?
• Who do I consider are the poor? There are many kinds of poverty. Identifying these kinds of poverty should cause us to expand who we help, rather than limit us to “giving a donation” and not becoming personally involved.
• When the poor come in contact with me, do they hear the Good News?
• Who do I consider are the poor? There are many kinds of poverty. Identifying these kinds of poverty should cause us to expand who we help, rather than limit us to “giving a donation” and not becoming personally involved.
5) Concluding Prayer
How blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wicked
and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company with cynics,
but who delights in the law of Yahweh
and meditates on His law day and night. (Ps 1:1-2)
and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company with cynics,
but who delights in the law of Yahweh
and meditates on His law day and night. (Ps 1:1-2)
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