Thursday, March 12, 2009

Homily – March 12, 2009 – Second Week of Lent - Thursday

We are very familiar with this story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. And we know that the lesson of the story is both the reward of living a life of "having not" and the punishment that might come from "having too much!"

We all want to be on "the side of the reward," but we are not always so content to see that with it, sometimes comes, being treated like a dog! We must remember, however, that eventually, even Jesus was treated like a dog – a dog, however, that turned out to be "Super Wonder Dog" as the newness of resurrected life came as a result of his suffering and death on a Cross.

On the side of "the rich and famous" on the other hand we recognize that there truly is a chasm between the mercifully comforted and the rightly punished; and that it is very difficult for these "purple-clad" aristocrats to stay out of the flames prepared for them! Not even should one rise from the dead to tell them to mend their errant ways would they seriously consider doing so, is Jesus' message in the gospel today. The "purple-clad" have a rhyme and reason, a logic all their own – and are virtually incapable of sound reasoning and right judgment. But it is not impossible; using the Law and the Prophets: using the message and words of Jesus himself – these self-righteous can turn away from their sin and embrace the Gospel of the Kingdom. [And is this not our Lenten theme!]

Our first reading today from the Prophet Jeremiah defines for us who these "purple-clads" are: they are the cursed who trust in human beings, who seek strength in flesh, whose heart easily turns away from the Lord to their own agendas and constructs of reality; those poor and lowly "resting in the bosom of Abraham" on the other hand are those who consistently, simply and wonderfully TRUST IN THE LORD at all times, whose HOPE IS THE
LORD, come what may – in spite of all of that is going on around them in the world. These will always have everything they spiritually need to get through anything and everything that might befall them!

More tortuous that all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? Who can understand why some actually choose – with all they know to the contrary – to be "purple-clads," to be "arrogantly rich and famous and far from the compassionate heart of God" Yet some do choose it.

But the Lord reminds us that he probes the mind and tests the heart,
and will reward each person according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds. May we be counted among the poor, the humble, those who are even treated like dogs at times (as was Jesus himself) – so that our reward will surely be life forever – in the bosom of Abraham, in the heart of God our Father and the Lord Jesus, his Son and our Redeemer!

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest though perseverance.


 

No comments:

Happy New Year 202

  A Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray I am able to keep this blog up to date now that we are entering into the New Year! I would li...