Homily – March 4, 2010 – Second Week of Lent - Thursday

+ The gospel passage today is about a rich man who did not make it to the bosom of Abraham – not that all the rich are like him. It is possible to be wealthy according to the standards of the world and still faithful and spiritual. Such a rich person would share his wealth with others – knowing that he cannot take it with him – and that it would do more good here helping others than being squandered by potentially greedy relatives later on. But the rich man in the gospel passage used his wealth to glorify himself – it was his god – and so in the end it brought him the sum total of nothingness – and a chance never to be with God. The poor man on the other hand was of the acceptable kind to be admitted to the bosom of Abraham. He was poor and trusting in God – who helped him to better himself. He did not take advantage of his poverty. He did was not lazy and slothful – he was simply poor – economically and spiritually. And God did take care of him in the end.

Jesus tells us in the passage that the entire Jewish Scripture and everything that he himself said in his public ministry was all about the blessings that the truly poor had – the ones who must trust in God for everything – the Kingdom of Heaven was theirs. He also says that the obstinately rich would never change their minds and hearts – even if one should rise from the dead to tell them to mend their ways – because it is true: there is life ahead for the trusting poor, but eternal separation and pain for the unrepentant rich.

The first reading today tells us to trust in God absolutely and completely and thus be blessed; and the opposite is true: a curse awaits those who trust simply in men and human affairs: they will never reach satisfying and satisfactory goals: they will never reach heaven.

Knowing then that God rewards everyone according to his ways, according to the merits of his deeds: let us trust him today, in our poverty, in our want, in our need – and be prepared to be helped by him – who loves us so very much!

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.