Homily for Thursday
2d Week of Lent
Feb. 29, 2024
Luke 16: 19-31
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, N.R.
Dives & Lazarus (Gustave Dore')
In his
parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus strongly contrasts the 2
characters. The rich man, often called
by the Latin term Dives, “rich,” is wealthy beyond comprehension, in his
clothes and his menu. If he were around
here, we could imagine him on a 20-acre gated estate in Greenwich with a Range
Rover in his garage, a BMW in the driveway, a pool, a tennis court, etc.
Of
course, in that scenario, Lazarus wouldn’t get anywhere near Dives’ door, and
Dives could more easily ignore him. In
Jesus’ world, tho, the poor were readily at hand and could be ignored only by
deliberate choice.
Lazarus
is so miserable that his only companions are street dogs, and they’re the only
ones who show him any compassion, and they provide his only medical care by
licking his sores. He’s so miserable
that he can only lie at Dives’ door—not sit or stand.
Lazarus
is precious to God. In all his parables,
Lazarus is the only character Jesus names.
Jesus must feel a special affinity for him.
Jesus
addresses the parable to the Pharisees.
He wishes they—and all of society’s rich and comfortable people—would
feel some affinity for the poor, and would act on that. The collect today prayed that we’d be not
only “steadfast in faith” but also “effective in works.” Acting begins with noticing—noticing the
wretched on our border, in flimsy boats on the Mediterranean, in the rubble of
Gaza and Kharkiv, in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and even on the off ramps of
our highways.
After
noticing, then what? We can pray, at
least. Perhaps we can urge our confreres
to give their students opportunities to take part in Midnite Run or serve in
soup kitchens or go on a mission trip.
We might make family members aware of the poor at their doors.
And we
can practice compassion here in our house—with our brothers and our staff.
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