Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets. He teaches us by words and deeds to care for the poor, their misery making us ill.

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus teaches us to care for those who are poor. Though we can safely say that the helpless beggar is resigned to his misery, still the parable does not teach resignation.

Nor does the parable guarantee to the poor good things in heaven to make up for the bad things on earth. The rich use this idea of making up and that of resignation to exploit the poor. That is why exploiters like to hold up Lazarus as a model of resignation and final reward.

The parable, however, does not suggest that the rich man hurts the wretch who is lying at his door. But just the same, the rich man ends up suffering the fires of hell. Obviously, we are to know that it is not enough that we do not harm the poor. We cannot be uncaring either in the face of the miseries of poor people. That is, their miseries should make us ill.

And all this reaffirms also the law and the prophets (Amos 2, 6-7; 4, 1-5; 6, 4-7; Is 58, 7; Ex 22, 25; Dt 15, 4. 11; 24, 10-13). The difference is that Jesus fulfills them.

Fulfilling the law and the prophets, Jesus does not stop to care for the poor.

Time and again Jesus is moved with pity for the poor, for those lying at the outskirts. So, he makes the rounds of towns and villages. He teaches in their synagogues, proclaims the Good News of the kingdom and cures also every disease and illness.

And to bring to fulfillment his ministry, he lays down his life for us poor and sinful people. Great indeed and beyond compare is his love. So also does he consummate his compassion for us that has led him to become exactly like us in every way but sin.

True Christians, of course, do their best to care for the poor. Rightly, then, does St. Vincent de Paul state (SV.EN XII:222):

To be a Christian and to see our brother suffering without weeping with him, without being sick with him! That is to be lacking in charity; it is being a caricature of a Christian; it is inhuman ….

Every time I behave, yes, like the rich man toward a Lazarus of our day, the less human I become. And the more I deny him a name and remain nameless myself. The more, too, that I do not witness to the truth that “My God helps.”

Lord Jesus, make us a community of one heart and mind. May those who receive in life what is good help those who receive what is bad. Thus, there will be no needy person among us. Never allow us to demean the Eucharist by letting those with nothing go hungry.

29 September 2019
26th Sunday in O.T. (C)
Amos 6, 1a. 4-7; 1 Tim 6, 11-16; Lk 16, 19-31