Twenty-sixth Sunday of the Year: C: September 28, 2025

 THE PERILS OF NEGLECTING THE POOR

Introduction: In today's Gospel we have an interesting story of two people: A rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus is a very poor man. He is dressed in rags, full of sores, and hadn't even a crumb of bread to eat. He has no friends except the street dogs. He is in utter misery, with nothing to depend on. The rich man, on the other hand, is very well off. He lives in a mansion, wears  the most expensive clothes and eats and drinks and enjoys life to the full. Yet, in the eyes of God, the rich man is the poorer of the two. Jesus invites us to have a look at ourselves and see our poverty before the Almighty. Ask His forgiveness for our numerous and persistent refusals to share our possessions, our refusal to forgive and our refusal to share our love with the lonely and the unloved.

First Reading: Amos 6: 1 and 4 to 7

Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6: 11 to 16

Gospel Reading: Luke 16: 19 to 31

   *First Reading is from the book of Prophet Amos. Amos speaks harshly to the wealthy and  powerful people of Judah and Israel. He sternly warns the complacent who live luxuriously and neglect the poor and the needy. They do not care for the plight of the poor. Besides, their conduct will bring disaster to whole nation. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Timothy. Paul praises Timothy and encourages him in his pastoral care. He gives the example of Jesus who was always faithful to His call in the face of hostility and even death. He exhorts that Christians should lead a life of righteousness, love and kindness. They should be always be faithful to God's call. 

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus                                                           Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is narrated in great detail. The rich man(who is not named in the parable) lives a lavish life: Expensive clothing, sumptuous meals and palatial houses are at his disposal. Whereas Lazarus the poor man - sick, sores all over the body and starving - is lying at the gate of the rich man. During his earthly life, the rich man enjoys life to the brim. Whereas Lazarus suffers much and finally dies. After his death, Lazarus finds comfort in Abraham's bosom. The sin of the rich man, as narrated in the parable, consists not in what he did but rather what he did not do for this poor Lazarus, who was in dire need and in total misery. Finally, the rich man too dies. Death is a great leveler of all inequalities. The reversal of fortunes of these two is the central theme of the parable. With death, the roles of the rich man and Lazarus are dramatically and irrevocably changed. Now, it is the turn of the rich man to get some attention from Abraham and the pity of Lazarus who is enjoying the comfort of the next life. But it is too late. An abyss separates them and it is an abyss for which the rich man himself is responsible. The parable graphically explains what happens when we enjoy our wealth selfishly, showing little or no concern for the poor and the downtrodden of the society. The central point of the parable is the outlook we have on happiness. Happiness consists in experiencing God present in our own lives - in good times and in bad times; amidst plenty and amidst poverty. Happiness is in helping the poor lying at our 'gate': By showing compassion and love, by caring for the aged and physically challenged, comforting the depressed and the oppressed. Hence, Jesus' parable invites us to live more simply, to share more readily, and to live more fully so that we can be true followers of the Lord. As a Rabbinical saying goes: "A person's wealth consists not in what he keeps but in what he gives away." In this context St. Cyril of Jerusalem says: "The parable declares that they who abound in earthly riches, unless they will relieve the necessities of the poor, shall meet with a heavy condemnation." St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta says: "The biggest disease in the world today is the feeling of being unwanted [like Lazarus at the gate of the rich man]. And the greatest evil in the world today is the lack of love." 

Conclusion: Some may think that this parable is not addressed to us: We are not rich, just enough to make both ends meet. Even though we may not be immensely rich like the rich man in the parable, we have many things that we can share with someone in need. The question is: "Who is sitting outside our 'gate'?- begging not necessarily for bread, but maybe for a word of recognition, or companionship, or love or forgiveness." And the time to share is now. If not, it may be too late as in the case of the rich man in the parable. 

May the Lord Jesus, who teaches us the necessity of sharing our resources with the poor and the needy, bless you and give you a generous heart and eternal happiness in the world to come. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, September 28, 2025." Thanks.)