TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY: FAILING TO SEE… amos 6:1, 4-7; 1 timothy 6:11-16; luke 16:19-31 usccb.org/bible/readings/092913.cfm a botanist was observing heather-bell (a tiny flower found in the scottish highlands) through his microscope. a shepherd approached and asked him what he was doing. rather than explain, the botanist invited the shepherd to observe for himself. when the shepherd saw the wonder of the flower, he exclaimed: «my GOD, and i have been tramping on them all my life!» with his eyes blinded by the cares of his world, the shepherd had failed to see the tiny flower; it took a special lens to see it. that was the sin of the rich man in the gospel parable! blinded by his life of luxury,* he failed to see the homeless and non-descript lazarus‡ lying at his door. dogs noticed lazarus, the rich man did not. however, after death and in torment in hades, he notices lazarus! it takes the lens of suffering for him to see lazarus. moreover, even in hades, the rich man clings to the illusion of his superior status and «commands» abraham to send lazarus with water to cool his tongue! like the leisured upper classes in jerusalem at the time of amos, who were incapable of imagining the collapse of joseph (cf. first reading), the rich man cannot grasp the reality of his situation and persists in thinking that he can secure his family’s future. the parable highlights the apathy that riches cause… an apathy and numbness that neither moses nor the prophets nor even the ONE who rises from the dead can penetrate. who are the lazaruses that i fail to see in my life? what is it that blinds me to them? what lenses do i need to see the tiny and non-descript people in my life and stop tramping them? * the rich man dressed in purple—which only royalty and the upper echelon could afford—and fine linen, and «dined sumptuously everyday». ‡ the name «lazarus» is the hellenised form of the hebrew name «eleazar» which means «GOD is my help.» lazarus is a poor man who believes and trusts in GOD.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 17:46:34 +0000
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