Dear Parishioners,
What Will It Take for Us to Listen?
How many times do we know we may not be doing exactly what the Lord would want us to do, but because things are going well, we just ignore that little voice that tells us to step back and possibly do something differently?
The story of Lazarus brings this point home. Lazarus has nothing to call his own on this earth. He doesn’t even have anyone to care for his wounds, yet he seems to just take each day waiting for someone to show some degree of kindness. In contrast, the rich man in the story is really enjoying the pleasures of life -– he had beautiful clothes and plenty of food to eat yet it probably never occurred to him that he could easily share what he has with poor Lazarus. It was almost as if he didn’t see Lazarus. He looked beyond him just to avoid seeing a person who was in desperate need of help. It was only after the rich man died that he realized the consequences of his actions. When the rich man died, he realized that he should have behaved very differently while on this earth. This harsh reality caused him to plead with God to send a message to his brothers telling them to change their ways.
Although God did not comply with his wishes, God did give him the best advice — advice we can all benefit from. God sent us the prophets for a reason. These prophets worked tirelessly to tell the people that they should reform their ways. It would have been so good if everyone listened to them, but they didn’t. Because of their unwillingness to love others, God had to send Jesus to show us how to behave. What a patient God we have!! This is a God that knows no bounds when it comes to giving us His mercy. Let’s try to make God proud — let’s try to listen the first time — let’s listen to every word that comes from the mouth of God!!
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito