Sunday, September 25, 2016

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Woe to the complacent in Zion!" It is doubtful that anyone reading this actually identifies with the rich man. We are people of God, not Pharisees. We "pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness." We would never knowingly ignore Lazarus or his kin. But none of that lets us off the hook, for we are just as susceptible to complacency as are the gluttons and the hedonists. There will always be more oppression and hunger than we can ever possibly satisfy. We know better than most that our Parent is the only one who can meet our siblings' needs. So it is easy to convince ourselves that we are giving enough, helping enough, doing enough. But an ivory bed is an ivory bed, no matter how well-meaning its occupant. Let us challenge ourselves ruthlessly, so that when we meet Lazarus and his kin, we can honestly tell them that we did our best to be good brothers and sisters.