30/09/2007 - 26th Sunday in O. T. - Year C
First Reading: Amos 6, 1.4-7 Psalm: 146
Second Reading: 1Timothy 6, 11-16 Gospel: Luke 16, 19-31
Jesus goes on reflecting with his disciples about the influence of wealth and
richness is exercising on men. His thoughts and reflections are confirmed by
the clear words of the prophet Amos (1. reading). There are persons whose thoughts
go only around themselves; looking for cosmetics, music etc, in search of nice
food, excellent drinks; not caring about other people, sometimes even their
own people. The words of Amos are actually a true picture of today's situation
in our world; who thinks much about tomorrow? Who is preoccupied about the future
of the world? The parents who want only one child do they think that their child
in the future will have not relatives and will be alone? Today's society, and
still more the society of the future is saturated with egoism, and for this
reason at the power of anybody. "They shall be the first to go into exile,
and their wanton revelry is over", says Amos.
These monitions are repeated also by Christ. The Lord is using a parable in
which we may find various lessons. Wealth and money are not bad things by themselves;
they are even considered as a blessing of God. But if we give them our heart,
they will lead us astray, mislead us. If someone considers them as the main
goal for his life, he does not even see the poor man or woman besides him; nor
does he see their needs; he does not think that poor people are his brothers
and sisters. If someone does not first of all pay any attention to the words
of God, but on the contrary uses his wealth and richness only for his own, personal
and very often egoist aims, he is not on the right way. Actually God entrusted
to us his gifts in order to give us the possibility to live like His children
loving and helping other people around us. If we do not do this we are preparing
for us a bad future. Hell has no way out, no exit; and there one of the main
sufferings is the absence of love and communion. Some modern thinkers pretend
there is not hell; but this assertion is just an empty statement. Abraham and
Lazarus of today's Gospel reading are in peace and joy thanks to their faith
and their obedience to God and His commands. Those who reject faith in God and
do not accept to partake His mercy, where are they now and where will they be
later?
Here on earth we are preparing our future; most important for this, and actually
decisive is our obedience to the Lord; this obedience consists also in the fact
of taking notice and care of the others, particularly their pains and troubles.
In today's Gospel reading Jesus tells us that only the dogs were approaching
poor Lazarus. We know that the word dog was in that times used as a kind of
nickname for all pagans, those who do not know God. This means that who thinks
that the fact of belonging to the people of God is by itself sufficient in order
to be saved will be surpassed by the pagans!
In order to help the egoistic wealthy people to see their own situation, what
can be done? Perhaps we think that are necessary some important miracles that
would shake them. But miracles are only astonishing people; they do not really
convert them; "even if one should rise from the dead" they, i.e. rich
ones "will not be convinced", tells us Jesus in today's Gospel reading.
By these words Jesus explains also in advance to His disciples who can not understand
how it is possible that the leaders of the Jewish people are so hostile to Jesus
and will not even believe to His resurrection. His teaching is very plain and
clear: those who do not believe the Lord who has spoken through the Prophets
and Moses, i.e. the Low, will not believe the miracles either. Who does not
believe to the Lord's Word will not even believe the miracles. Thus we should
not look after miracles, on the contrary we should pay attention to the Word
of the Lord and be obedient to Him.
This is also the exhortation of St. Paul to on today's second reading. We have
to know also that the fact of being obedient to the Word may be sometimes painful
and can even be occasion of persecution. But this obedience is joining us today
and in the future with Jesus who testified in front of Pilate and of the whole
people for the light of the invisible and almighty Lord.