RICH MAN AND LAZZARUS

If you are one of the Jeepney passengers in the Philippines, you will not be indifferent to the suffering of the Jeepney drivers at this moment. More than 100,000 drivers launched a national strike against govt plans to provide new Jeepneys. A Jeepney driver says, “Govt is indifferent to our livelihood."

The theme for today is indifference or carelessness toward the other and it is visible in today's readings. We are called to be sympathetic, concerned and helpful to the other who is living next to us. As human beings we are responsible for others, we can not give God the irresponsible answer of Cain, "am I guardian of my brother?" 

1. The parable tells vividly the amount of wealth that separates the rich man from Lazzarus. Apart from this wealth, there is also Lazzarus' experience of suffering that has to be noted; Lazzarus body was full of sores, even dogs were licking his sores. The rich man was indifferent to the pain of Lazzarus all his lifetime. (In Old Testament, chronic diseases were considered cursing. Society had a lot of rules of isolation for the sick person because they wanted to care the society. In the parable of the good samaritan also, the two persons passed by on the other side being indifferent to the suffering of the other). 

Remember! physical suffering in this world is temporary suffering. Death puts an end to this. What the rich man was experiencing today in hell is "eternal torment". We need to show solidarity with the suffering ones in our temporary life. Solidarity is not merely a question of helping others, but it is more than that - it is a matter of justice.

2. The rich man and Lazarus had one thing in common. Both were Jews. Both were sons of Abraham. According to Torah, one Israelite should help another Israelite. In a special way, he should be concerned with the poor and abandoned. In this case, he disobeyed Torah also. He did not even concern his own family member. Charity begins at home. People who need our help are all around us. If our vision is focused on wealth, fame and power we may not care about them. 

3. Everyone should make this reflection, "Who is poor for you?". We may help the poor persons generously. But with what attitude? The rich man did not even have concerns about the poor Lazzarus in the next world. He argues with Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. In his mind, Lazzarus  is still a slave, a work that he could command at any time and by whom he should be obeyed. The first reading is opening our eyes in regard to this. God is God. The poor are not God for you, we should treat him equally so that we identify Jesus in then. For Jesus said, "whatsoever you do to the least ones, you do to me" (Mt 25). In today's first reading, God curses the people who put their trust in human beings. We can share our love with the people, and we can help and feed them, but we cannot believe them, we can only believe in God. 

Be Merciful as God is merciful

BE MERCIFUL 

Which is best in front of God? To be perfect according to His mind? Or To be merciful like Him? 

Actually, both are same, but are different aspects of His identity. Matthew writes, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), which echoes Leviticus 19:2: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." Luke makes a single but remarkable word change, "be merciful, just as your heavenly father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). 

Luke’s Gospel was believed to be written  10 to 15 years after the gospel of Matthew. Maybe it was Luke who wanted to change the way of looking at the holiness of God. How can we understand the word of Jesus as per today's gospel reading according to Luke? 

1. No one can be perfect, but everyone can show mercy. And in showing mercy we approach divine perfection. Luke records the perfection used by Matthew as the mercifulness of God.  

God's perfect life is donated to imperfect people. God's face is nothing but his mercy. When we say perfection, what comes to our minds are hardness, rigidity, and roughness. But the Mercy of God does not include inferiority, fear and negative feelings. Jesus said, “I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world” (Jn 12:47). Jesus did not judge even his own murderers. Instead, He was thinking well of them, excusing them and praying for them: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). As His disciples, we are invited to be like the Master.

2. Throw away the judgemental attitude: There are two strong imperatives used in the sayings of Jesus; Stop judging and stop condemning. When Jesus says: “Do not judge”, Jesus is not prohibiting the exercise of our faculty of discernment, nor are we asked to approve everything that our brother does. What He is forbidding is to attribute an evil intention to the person for acting thus. Let us not spend time judging others for it is not our work. Rather, we are asked to help, discern and correct others who are traveling with us without taking the role of condemning. 

3. The flow of forgiveness: Just if we laugh at them, we think about their ignorance, and we have pity on them. It becomes mercy. Why they are just unable to understand the people? How small are still people? They are not exposed to the environment of love. It is written, "Give and gifts will be given to you": how can we understand. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father gave gfts to both the sons, but what did  he receive from them in return? Yet, the Father receives happiness. Remember there is no happiness in having or receiving, but rather in giving. If you want to remain satisfied, just give whatsoever you can, offer time, and give love in case of negligence. 

Surrendering is important to achieve the happiness, like the father by simply offering. In the first reading, Daniel prays to God, he surrenders to God, he surrenders the people. Daniel is satisfied. Happy. 

ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK (Mt 7:7-12)

Today’s gospel reading narrates many things, but one thing is prevalent, that is "interdependence". Jesus invites us strongly to come out from our self-centered living and to move towards other-centered living and therefore to God-centeredness. 

Most of us think very often that we can make it alone. At times, we understand that it is not possible at all. We are not created alone in this world. Please reflect on these three words; Ask, Seek, and Knock.  We cannot achieve anything if we do these three actions alone.  At times, we feel that asking for something is a humiliating experience,  we become weak and vulnerable if someone is helping us. We become shameful when help is denied if we have asked. We go near the door, yet we sometimes return without knocking because it will disturb other people. 

Not only in prayer but also in our social and commercial interactions we need to ask, seek and knock. Jesus says our Father in heaven is a God of goodness and benevolence. 

We may take as an example the prayer of the Queen Esther before she goes to the king to plead for the people. The implication is that it was not she who brought liberation to help people, but God, God alone. Esther seeks the presence of God to accompany her. In her childlike trust, she knocks, and the doors are opened for her. 

These are the simple messages from today's Gospel: 

• We are dependent as human beings. 
• We are here not to compete but to complement each other. 
• We need to collaborate and cooperate for the common good that brings success not confrontation with others.