Good morning. And happy first day of Spring!
After I emailed Father Morgan on
Monday offering to preach later this week, he said how about Thursday?, and I
quickly agreed. Then I went home Monday
evening and read these readings, especially this Gospel, and made a mental note
– “note to self,” I said, “next time read the readings before signing up to
preach!”
Reason being that Our Lord’s words
hit me squarely between the eyes, as perhaps they do you. A little too close to home. Ouch!
I mean - here I stand in fine
linens, wearing purple, and even if I don’t dine sumptuously each day, I sure
ain’t starving either. It brings to mind
a saying I heard in my homilies class a few years back – homilies are necessary
hypocrisy – meaning of course that someone must preach, even though whoever
preaches is to some extent going to be a hypocrite
Well with this Gospel – I stand
before you guilty as charged.
For I live in a nice house, eat
well, and have for most of my years enjoyed a very comfortable life. My family’s not rich by American standards,
and like many are burdened by kids in college, a mortgage to pay,
weddings to plan for, retirement to save for.
But very wealthy by most of the world’s standards, to be sure.
And not always attuned to the needs
of those around me, especially the poor.
Not always all that generous with God’s gifts to me, to us, sometimes
clutching, holding on, worried about the future, not fully trusting that the
Lord will provide what we need. Maybe
not exactly like the rich man in the Gospel, but also not exactly with a heart as open as
Jesus is demanding.
So reading this Gospel I heard the
Lord speaking directly to me. Calling on
me to open my eyes, open my heart.
Perhaps speaking to you, too, huh?
For I think the real sin of this
certain rich man wasn’t so much his lack of charity – it was his
closed-heartedness. It’s almost like he
didn’t know Lazarus was even there, he was so self-focused on his things, his
wealth, his “stuff.” And Lazarus, if he
even noticed him, was beneath him. Even
after death he held on to this attitude, telling Father Abraham - send Lazarus to bring me a drop of water.
Now the good news is that for us who
claim to be His disciples, the Lord is at work in us – gradually changing our
hearts and opening our eyes to those around us.
By grace, gradually loosening our attachments to our “stuff” and
strengthening our attachment to Him.
Softening our hearts so that we may be sensitive to and respond to the
needs of the Lazaruses in our lives.
Giving us grateful hearts as we become more and more aware that
everything we have and are is His gracious gift.
Indeed, Our Lord is telling us that
having grateful, generous, caring, loving hearts is the very sign of Christ’s
presence within us!
So as we progress in this Holy
season of Lent, may God continue to open our hearts, minds and eyes to the poor
and needy among us, in our community and around the world, so that for them we
may bring the comfort and solace of Our Lord, and we ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
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