Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 16, 19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied,
‘My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'”

Fine Linen

1. Lazarus. It’s interesting that the rich man has no name, but the poor man does. Perhaps that nameless rich person might be you or me. When your life is reduced to wanting only to make money or to constantly acquire things, you might end up selling yourself to get what you want. You might sell your identity and authenticity just to have things that life will eventually take away.
2. To satiate. Mystery creates anxiety, and speculation leads to restlessness. That’s why you can’t live your life constantly wondering what will happen, what others will do to you, or whether your situation or somebody else’s might change. You can’t be a person with the mental poverty of a “beggar of life”, someone who constantly waits for others to solve their problems and to tell them what decisions to make. Learn to make your own life decisions.
3. Tell them. It’s clear that in this life, all actions, good or bad, have consequences and eventually the results of those actions must be faced. So, never say never, because you might need help from the person you least expect. Learn to help while you can and remember that everyone has something to contribute to your life. Don’t be so arrogant as to think you can always do things on your own. Time is a wise teacher, and sooner or later, it will make you understand that the person you least expect will end up helping you, and also that the person you least expect might end up betraying you. Life is a one-way road, and some people stop only to look at what model car a person has, instead of looking at their heart to understand what they can contribute to that person’s happiness.

Never forget that something good is on the way!

God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.