Rich and Poor Alike: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 29, 2019

So, how are we doing? I feel drawn in a hundred different directions. It has been, to say the least, a chaotic and disturbing week. Into our week comes God’s Word, in the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke. We are presented with the familiar story and imagery of the rich man and Lazarus. We are presented with the imagery of the great chasm between the rich man in torment and Lazarus sitting comfortably in the bosom of Abraham. We might ask, what dose this have to do with me?

For a moment let the image of the rich man sink in, right down deep, so we can feel him in our bones. The first image that comes to my mind is Jabba the Hut in Star Wars; huge, self-satisfied, caring nothing about anyone else except his own comfort. I imagine him dressed in the finest silk robes, eating a pile of lamb chops, they are my favorite main course. He’s sitting at a finely crafted dining room table, throw in a couple of gold candelabras; and a iPhone at his right hand, an iPad at his left to make him at least feel connected to the world.

Now we have the image of the great chasm. It is depicted as only in the after life but that great chasm is already in the rich man’s life, it has always been there, it is in all of our lives too, he just doesn’t notice it, or care about it. He, and we, may go to great lengths to distract ourselves from it; but it gnaws away at us all the time, especially if we try to ignore it. And so, what do we, what do I, do? We try to fill up the chasm with more lamb chops, gadgets, music, movies, activities in a vain attempt to quiet this dark beast.

So, the question: what’s the problem here, in the story and in us? The problem isn’t that the rich man didn’t give any food to Lazarus, the problem is that he never saw Lazarus, pretended that he didn’t know him or even knew his name. We know, however, that he did know him, and knew his name because he tells Abraham to send LAZARUS to warn his brothers, that they don’t wind up in the same situation. Sometimes people don’t mean anything to us until we discover what they can do for us. If someone is useful we welcome them in. I’ve been in a number of situations where someone jus thought it would be neat to have a priest in the mix; other than that I’d never be invited. I don’t do cameo appearances any more.

Now, let’s look at the story from God’s viewpoint. Notice that Lazarus is the only one known by name. The rich man shared nothing, not even his name. Sadly he didn’t want to be known - just left alone. Lazarus is taken into the very bosom of Abraham, Lazarus is a beloved Child of Abraham, Child of God. The rich man desired this, wanted this relationship but didn’t want to deal with the darkness, didn’t care to build a bridge across the chasm. I suspect that the way we learn to live life now will be the way we live life in all eternity.

Thomas Merton as a young Trappist monk found himself on a very busy day stood at the corner of Walnut and Pine in Louisville Kentucky and there had an insight that he was one with all the people in that busy intersection; and that he love each and every one of them. Until we can see everyone and I mean everyone as our sisters and brothers, even those who are annoying and obnoxious, until we can see them all as beloved children of God, no matter what they believe or don’t believe, what they do or where they are from, their orientation ior status in life, we will not have inner peace until we make connections. We begin the process of attaining inner peace by making connections and building bridges wherever we go. And we can begin right now by turning to the nearest person around us that we don’t know, learning their name and where they are from, so we can truly offer a sign of peace and unity later in the mass. Soon we will be sent out to be the body of Christ for others; sent out to make connections, to build bridges connecting if only by eye contact and a smile. Dare to be the body of Christ for others, dare to always do more.

Fr. Michael Evernden, CSP