My old boss in the Navy used to say, “The best surprise is no surprise.” Usually that’s true, especially if the surprise isn’t good news. Last Sunday at the 10 o’clock Mass, I was surprised by our Knights of Columbus. I knew they were going to make a donation to the kitchen/hall renovation project, but the check was much more than I expected. It was for $30,000.00! Knights thank you ever so much for your generosity.
In this week’s gospel (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man experienced a very different surprise after he died. Back in those times, wealth was thought to be a sign of God’s favor and that the person had a good relationship with the Lord. The rich man did not, and upon his death, he found himself in Hell because of his greed and insensitivity to poor Lazarus. Had he shown some generosity and concern for Lazarus, he too would have been welcomed by Abraham.
May we be grateful for God’s blessings and share what we can with the poor. As St. Paul tells us, “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7)
- Fr. Carl
“People talk about Lazarus who had the joy of
entertaining the Divine Saviour in his home; but
Lazarus only had him by his side, while we, if we will,
may have him in our heart just as often as we wish.”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars
