From pastor’s desk on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C
This Sunday, again, we are presented with an issue of wealth and how we use it. Our Lord Jesus tells a parable of the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who lived at the gates of the rich man’s house. The story ends with both men dying, the rich man going to the place of torment (read hell) and the poor Lazarus at the side of the patriarch, Abraham (read heaven). Now the rich man is suffering as he realized that he was indifferent to the suffering of Lazarus who lived by his luxurious mansion. At that moment, the rich man understood that his lack of compassion was cruel and inhumane; there was no excuse for his behavior. We learn that the life of pleasure blinded the rich man and killed his conscience. Now he is suffering the consequences of his choices during his life on earth. He wants to warn his brothers, but he cannot because of the “chasm” between the netherworld and the earth. Meanwhile, Lazarus is now enjoying a life of peace and fulfillment. He has been rewarded for the misery he endured while on earth. It seems that through his poverty he learned obedience and faith, and never complained but trusted God’s mercy. Meanwhile, the rich man was immersed in a life of pleasure, forgetting about the love of God and neighbor.
This story told by Jesus, reminds us of the importance of the greatest commandment. Though the commandment is not explicitly mentioned, it presumes that the listeners know it: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” The one who sincerely loves God, also knows how to love other human beings; the one who does not have God in his heart, also does not have love for other men.
Our Lord Jesus warns us to not be indifferent to the suffering of others. For there may be a poor man like Lazarus, lying at our door, but we are too busy to see or perhaps it is very inconvenient for us to reach out and change our habits. The poor man, like Lazarus, is not just a beggar or homeless person in our neighborhood. The poor man may be anyone who is desperately waiting for our love and acceptance, but we are too involved in our little world to even consider going out of our way for another human being. People in need are all around us, in our families, in our jobs, in our local communities, but we need to open the eyes of our heart in order to see them. Let us remember that our Lord Jesus identified Himself with the poor and suffering, not with those who were wealthy and well. So, when we help another human person, we help Christ Himself.
As we approach the month of October, I would like to invite you to pray the Holy Rosary on a daily basis. We must not forget how important the role of Mary was in the history of Salvation—through Her was born the Son of God, Jesus the Savior of the world. As we know from the numerous apparitions, the Blessed Virgin Mary still plays a crucial role in the life of the Church. Mary calls us to conversion and teaches us how to love God and Jesus; in a sense, we are at the school of Mary. And if someone denies the importance of Marian devotion, we say “where Mary is, there also is Her Son, Jesus.” Thus, while meditating upon the mysteries of the Holy Rosary we learn about the mysteries of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. We also come to know that Mary was always there with Her Son, Jesus, and the disciples in the nascent church. But this is not the end of Her story, for the Most Holy Mary still wants to be with us in our journey of faith.
So, please consider praying the Holy Rosary as couples and families, for it is a powerful weapon against the evils that attack us every day. Please teach your children and grandchildren how to pray the Rosary, as a simple, yet profound and beautiful prayer, that can accompany all our human endeavors. It would be really wonderful if you could also bring your children and grandchildren to Mary’s courtyard at our parish. It is such a beautiful place that can help you to foster devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and build stronger ties in our community.
I wish you a truly blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor