TRUST THE LORD, NOT OUR RICHES - 03/17/22 (Thursday of the Second Week of Lent)

Luke 16;22-23,31 

22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz'arus in his bosom.

31 He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

For the full readings, click here: 

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

For more information on the Optional Memorial of St. Patrick, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/march-17-saint-patrick-bishop/

Blessed Thursday! In today's gospel reading, the rich man was too focused on himself, and he was not compassionate with Lazarus, the poor man. The rich man was always feasting while he could not even feed Lazarus. At the end of their lives, the rich man went to hell where he is tormented while the poor man went to Paradise. The fact that Lazarus joined Abraham in Paradise proved that he trusted in the Lord, and he followed His will even amidst his poor health and other difficulties. In the same way, if we want to enter heaven, we need to trust in Him and to know the means by which our hope in Him will increase. 

The rich man trusted in what the world promoted. The world desires that we become rich and receive many honors without even considering what pleases our Lord. But, the poor man trusted in the Lord. A person who trusts in the Lord and in His promise of eternal life will remain strong amidst the problems we experience. They may refer to our financial problems, family problems, health problems and other personal problems. A devoted person is focused on one goal - to be with God in heaven. On the other hand, a person who focuses on worldly things will desire less of God. His heart will turn away from Him, and he may continue in his sinful ways rather than persevere in holy life. 

So, what should we do for our hope to increase and deepen? When Abraham spoke, he said that the brothers of the rich man would not repent if they did not listen to Moses and the Prophets. Abraham was referring to the Old Testament. Now, we have the fullness of the Truth because we have both the Old and New Testament, and the Catholic Church proclaims to us the teachings of Christ. Our Lord Jesus guides the Church, and He speaks to us personally through the Scriptures. As we persevere in living the Catholic faith, we should meditate on God's word and apply it in our lives. By doing this, we will desire even more the promise of everlasting life in heaven as we fall in love with God. Unfortunately, people who spend too much time on material things and recognition will have lesser to no time of reflecting on the Scriptures. There is a danger of not seeing the sins that offend our God and the sins we need to repent of. 

Are there times when we are worried about things like our wealth or health? Are we envy of rich people because of the miseries we experience? The ending of the life of Lazarus should give us the hope in our Lord. Whatever state we are in our lives, let's remember that what matters most is our faithfulness to God. True and everlasting happiness is found in Him alone. May we remember the importance of the Scriptures in our lives. We are God's children. He will direct our hearts to heaven where we can join all the angels and saints as long as we trust in Him always. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic