by: Deacon Paul Rooney (deaconpaul@cox.net)
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Cycle “C" - September 26, 2004)

Q. 286: Is this “parable” of the Rich Man and poor Lazarus, a reversal of fortunes (Lk 16:19-31), an indictment of the rich?

A. 286: No. Riches in and of themselves are not evil. It is what one does with riches - - or better, what one does not do with riches that causes the problem. As my namesake says, it is the love of money that is at the root of all evil, not the money itself (1 Tm 6:10). Sometimes we have a tendency to think, “Well, I'm not rich so this parable isn't talking about me.” Remember to keep the parable in context: it is not talking just about money, but about two major character traits: selfishness and unbelief.

Each one of us has a God-given special gift or even many gifts. Perhaps it is a teaching skill; or perhaps a way of making people smile through their pain with a kind word; or perhaps a sports or musical talent that could bring joy to others if they had a chance to see or hear it. What are you doing with your special gifts? Do you thank God for your giftedness? Has any selfishness crept into our life related to those gifts, so that you hoard them for yourself?

Even more subtle is the element of unbelief. If we become “selective” in what we will accept from Church teaching, then are we really “hearing” the word of God, his prophets? The rich man in the parable did nothing deliberately to harm the poor man Lazarus. But by ignoring him he was automatically ignoring the word of God through the prophets, such as Amos in today's first reading (Amos 6:1a,6-7). So, if one will not believe “Moses and the prophets” -- and that unbelief is indicated by your response to those prophets, who include the “prophets” in the Church Magisterium today -- what do you think it will do to your eternal life?

Know Your Catechism! What has been your response to the prophetic teaching of our Church Magisterium? Like the gospel Rich Man, do you “pick and choose” what you want to hear and see? No one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, written in our conscience (CCC #1860). Each of us will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with our works and faith (CCC #1021).

Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha