Who’s the rich man?

Twenty sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C

Collect

O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading
Am 6:1a, 4-7

Their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos

Thus says the LORD the God of hosts:
   Woe to the complacent in Zion!
Lying upon beds of ivory,
   stretched comfortably on their couches,
   they eat lambs taken from the flock,
   and calves from the stall!
Improvising to the music of the harp,
   like David, they devise their own accompaniment.
They drink wine from bowls
   and anoint themselves with the best oils;
   yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
   and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. :

℟. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Blessed he who keeps faith forever,
   secures justice for the oppressed,
   gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

℟. Praise the Lord, my soul!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

The LORD gives sight to the blind.
   the LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
   the LORD protects strangers.

℟. Praise the Lord, my soul!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
   but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
   your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.

℟. Praise the Lord, my soul!
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Second Reading
1 Tm 6:11-16

Keep the commandment until the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,
   devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called
   when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
   and before Christ Jesus,
   who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,
   to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
   until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
   that the blessed and only ruler
   will make manifest at the proper time,
   the King of kings and Lord of lords,
   who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
   and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
cf. 2 Cor 8:9

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 16:19-31

You received what was good, Lazarus what was bad; now he is comforted, whereas you are tormented.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

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.’”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

Today’s Gospel begins by stating that Jesus was addressing the Pharisees before telling his parable. A few verses earlier, the Evangelist Luke says: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at him” (Luke 16:14). Jesus is the Master who teaches the Way. What he says stirs love in some, hatred in others, and indifference in the rest. When it comes to his teaching about money and earthly wealth, Jesus shows that these have value only in this life, and there is a strong and powerful temptation to make them our god, an idol, our life’s purpose. Greed is the uncontrolled craving for material wealth as if it were the sole purpose of life. In the parable, Jesus presents us with two characters: the rich man and the poor man. The rich man is nameless … perhaps to show that, in eternity, he loses everything. The poor man is named Lazarus (like the brother of Martha and Mary, friends of the Lord) … perhaps to show that he is a friend of God in eternity, his name written in the Book of Life. Did the Pharisees realise who Jesus was likening them to? They surely did! And what about us? Do we realise who we resemble? What value does material wealth hold for us? How much do we employ for the benefit of others? Let’s speak plainly. Here Jesus is not speaking about abstract matters or values we can interpret in different ways. He is speaking clearly and directly about money!

That is why the Evangelist explains that the Pharisees’ moral failing was, namely, their love of money. What are we doing with our money? Some people fight over inheritance. Some do not give workers what they rightfully deserve. Some simply hoard it. Others waste it on reckless shopping, or blow it on whatever takes their fancy, saying, “Didn’t I work for it?” What are we doing with our money?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you lived among us and gave us powerful examples of how to trust in the providence of your Father. We ask you to grant us your Spirit, because through our own strength we cannot control our impulses—including our greed for money. Make us your disciples even in how we use money, for the glory of the Father. Thank you, Lord.

 

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