Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Lk 16:19-31 “The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus“
March 21, 2019 | Thursday

Today’s Gospel

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.'”

Today’s Reflection

All of our actions precede consequences and every sacrifice paves our way to great blessings. In this Gospel, we are reminded to become aware of all the things we have done and we have failed to do. We are given freedom to choose between good and bad and we are privilege to obtain graces through his goodness. Through corporal works of mercy and spiritual works of mercy, we can truly assure that we are following the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ. It requires great sacrifices but most of us will always choose the easier part and the self-serving goods like riches and security on earth that is just temporal. We are called to be merciful and just in all the things we will do before it is too late just like the rich man in the gospel who takes temporal goods rather than life eternal.