Luke 16:19-31

the holy Gospel according to Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used t ocome and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father, Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you recieved what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise recieved what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'" Amen.

I should like to know, O rich man, if you in your suffering excuse even your own self. You would not have come to these evils if on earth you had given a crumb from your huge barns and a drop from your great wine presses. What the flesh needs, and nature demands, and suffices for life, is littel. Avarice is the reason why a man stores up many great possessions, not for himself but for others, and that clearly to his present or future suffering.

But you object, O rich man: "Even if I did refuse to give wine, what I ask for is water, which the Creator himself of all beings and nature gave as something common to all human beings." I think, O rich man, that you refused even water to the poor man. You exposed him to as many dogs as you could to keep him from entering your door and coming to your well.

"Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water." What is the meaning of this which you say if he is not to bring the water? Evidently, that water is nearby to you. And if it is near, why do you not take it from nearby? Why? Because your hands are rightly bound, O rich man. Because you spurned to give help to Lazarus' hand when they had lost their strenght through weakness. Man should certainly share his members with the weak. When Job was not so much giving them as giving them back, he spoke as follows: "I was an eye of the blind, and a foot of the lame. I was the father of the weak." O man, if you do not have a coin, give a poor man your hand, because he shows greater mercy who by his own hand leads a poor man who is weak to his table. He gives his very self to the poor man who devotes himself to his service, makes himself the poor man's servant. -- St. Peter Chrysologus

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Perhaps what struck me the most strongly in this Gospel reading are the last lines: "'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'" For some individuals are so steadfast in thier ways and beliefs that no amount of our efforts will turn them towards Christ. How pitiful!