Jesus says, "whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

But who is he referring to as "the least of these?"

The rich man, become blind to the struggles of the poor and marginalized.

The chief sin of the rich man was not his wealth.

The irony is that the rich man, endowed with abundant resources, could have helped many.

 

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Jeremiah 17:5-10

This is what the Lord says,

"Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life,

while his heart is drawn away from the Lord!

He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places,

in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness.

Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord and whose confidence is in him!

He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream.

 

He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green;

the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.

Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him?

I, the Lord, search the heart and penetrate the mind.

I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.

 

Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 & 6

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 16:19-31

Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day.

At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table.

Even dogs used to come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died,

and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died, and was buried.

 

From the netherworld where he was in torment, the rich man looked up

and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest.

He called out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus,

with the tip of his finger dipped in water, to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire!'

 

Abraham replied, 'My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off, while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune.

Now he is in comfort, and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed,

so that no one can cross over from here to you, or from your side to us'.

The rich man implored once more, 'Then I beg you, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house,

where my five brothers live. Let him warn them, so that they may not end up in this place of torment'.

 

Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them'. But the rich man said,

'No, Father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent'.

Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,

they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.'

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Erred by doing nothing.

Our Gospel reading today serves as a cautionary tale for those of us who, desensitized by privilege and comfort,

become blind to the struggles of the poor and marginalized. Traditionally called Dives (Latin for rich),

the rich man erred by doing nothing. In contrast, the long-suffering man Lazarus,

meaning 'God is my help,' was ultimately taken to heaven.

 

The chief sin of the rich man was not his wealth but rather that his economic status, whether deserved or not,

prevented him from walking in solidarity with his lowly neighbor. Lazarus's pain neither disturbed the rich man nor moved his heart.

The irony is that the rich man, endowed with abundant resources, could have helped many.

Yet, in the afterlife, he was rendered so helpless and ineffective that he could not even warn his brothers of their impending doom.

Reflecting on our lives, have we been as unaware as the wealthy man?