Listen to the voice of creation”
Gospel  25. September 2022  Luke 16: 19-31      Lazarus and the rich man

There is a sick and hungry beggar lying in his misery at the well-guarded gates of a millionaire’s  villa. Hundreds of people walk past him every day, even the guests of the rich man pay no attention to him. They see him in his misery, they hear his sighs, but they feel no compassion in their hearts. Perhaps one even makes the cynical remark that the man is to blame himself for his situation.
He is despised by everyone; dogs are his only companions.
Is this not a picture of our world?

Reflections:

We belong to the class of the rich

Do we realize how privileged we are? We are among the 20% of the world’s population who claim 80% of all resources for themselves. Even if we try to live simply, even if we are religious who take a vow of poverty, stilll, we live in a nice house, have three meals a day, and are cared for by good doctors when we are sick. Equal distribution of wealth is not possible, and perhaps not desirable. But what can we do to help reduce the scandalous inequality?

Do we hear the cry of the poor and of the earth

The earth is crying out. We hear and see it every day. Forests burn, crops wither on the fields, rivers and lakes dry up. At the same time, storms devastate entire regions, towns and cities are flooded, islands and coastal cities are sinking into rising sea levels. In this 4th week of the Season of Creation, we remember that the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth are inseparable. In “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis tells us, “The earth itself, is burdened and devastated, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of the poor; it “groans in birth pangs” (Rom 8:22). When we, the rich nations, abuse Mother Earth and her resources, it is the poor nations that are disproportionately affected and suffer the most.

Jesus allows himself to be moved by the suffering of the poor

Often we read in the Gospels. “and Jesus had compassion”, literally: He was moved inwardly. Jesus allowed himself to be touched by the hunger of his listeners, by the sick and disabled, by the “unclean” who were excluded from the community. The Risen Christ identifies also today with the hungry and the sick, the refugees and the prisoners. “Inasmuch as you did it for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it for me.” (Mt 25) Jesus was open to all who came, to the point of exhaustion.
We are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in need and the amount suffering in the world. We cannot help everyone. But we must feel with the one the suffering person who comes to us right now and help according to our means.

Prayer

God our Creator
In a world deeply torn apart by injustice and unhuman living conditions,
our faith allows us to recognise your presence in the poor and oppressed.
Give us strength to work for the realisation of brotherhood and justice among people,
to overcome selfishness and abuse of power.