DAILY- HOMILY

September 29, 2019 - 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Green.

Am 6: 1a, 4 – 7 / 1 Tim 6: 11 – 16 / Lk 16: 19 – 31

FROM THE 1ST READING: Am 6: 4 – 7
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and sprawl on your couches; you eat lamb from the flock and veal from calves fattened in the stall.. You strum on your harps, and like David, try out new musical instruments. You drink wine by bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils; but you do not grieve over the ruins of Joseph.

Therefore you will be the first to go into exile, and the feast of sprawlers will be over.

FROM THE 2ND READING: 1 Tim 6: 11 – 12
But you, man of God, shun all this. Strive to be holy and godly. Live with faith and love, with endurance and gentleness. Fight the good life of faith and win everlasting life to which you were called when you made the good profession of faith in the presence of so many witnesses.

GOSPEL READING: Lk 16: 19 – 31
Jesus spoke this parable, "Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores.. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest.

"He called out: 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'

"Abraham replied: 'My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well- off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from your side to us.'

"The rich man implored once more: 'Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father's house where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment.' Abraham replied: 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' But the rich man said: 'No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"Abraham said: 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.'"

REFLECTION
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in today's Gospel reading teaches us to take our life on earth very seriously for our eternity depends upon how we live our life on earth.

The rich man was well off in life, dressed in purple and fine linen, and feasted every day: presumably his life was about himself, his comfort and fine living. The poor man Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at the rich man's gate, longing to be fed the scraps from the rich man's table: presumably he endured his misfortune and pains with great patience and perseverance.

At his death, the rich man was buried in the torments and fires of hell. Lazarus was carried into the joyous bosom of Father Abraham.

We are not uninformed about heaven and hell, about eternal happiness with God and eternal damnation with the bad angels: Moses and the prophets, the Lord Jesus and the Church have spoken about the loving and just God.

The first reading said that the man who lived in selfish luxury like the rich man in the parable will be the first to be banished into exile. In the second reading Paul urges all to pursue holiness and godliness.

Let us listen and learn and with God's grace and mercy, hope and pray and live that we be rewarded with eternal rest with Lazarus and Father Abraham.

FINALLY, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.


Have a good day!

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