Homily: The Second Thursday of Lent

The Second Thursday of Lent (Lk. 16:19-31) “Eyes of Compassion”

The story of the rich man and Lazarus begs the question of whether the sin of the rich man was one of commission or omission? Did he deliberately refuse to give food to Lazarus.

At no time in the story does Lazarus call out to the rich man dining in the house asking for food. We are told that he wished he could be fed. The rich man then did not consciously deny Lazarus food.

The wealthy man’s sin was one of omission. He probably entered his house every day. We are told that Lazarus lay by the door starving to death. Lazarus had become part of the landscape. He was as interesting to the wealthy man as a bush or a rock.

The rich man had become oblivious to Lazarus’ plight. How often does that happen in our society. We are bombarded with sad stories every day in the media. As modern people we are desensitized even more than the rich man in the parable.

We see the plight of the people in Gaza. We observed the people of Ukraine being bombarded by the Russians on news reports. The people we see are nameless and faceless and far away.

In the parable Lazarus is named. Jesus names very few people in his parables. When he does it is a sign that he is speaking about someone that his audience knows. Perhaps Lazarus was a beggar who frequented the neighborhood where Jesus was preaching.

How do we keep from being desensitized to the needs of others. Perhaps one way we can do that is to take a moment to at least acknowledge the stranger that we meet. A simple hello and eye contact can lead to a greater awareness of the fact that we are all part of the human family. This involves taking a risk. We might not be able to do this with everyone, but perhaps we can try to interact with at least one stranger each day of Lent; we may find we will grow in compassion.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Do I every acknowledge the person that offers me service at the store? What door might this open?

2.   Do I ask people’s name when I meet them? Why is knowing a name important?

Dear Parishioner,

            I will be introducing the “His Heart Our Hands” program this upcoming weekend. Almsgiving is a very important part of our Lenten journey. Everyone will be asked to reflect on their offertory gift.

During this time of the year my mind is on my income tax return. I go through all my receipts and see how I spend my money. This is a time-consuming process. And gain insight into what I value most and where I spend my time. I also am aware of how much I worry about material things.

            We are called by Jesus to share with others. Hopefully, we can all let go of things and share what we have.

            May Our Lady of Peace pray for us,

            Fr. Mark