The poor, the rich

Brethren, do you know that the selfish and extravagant use of God’s blessings, like wealth, without sharing them with the poor and the needy is a serious sin deserving of eternal punishment?

Today’s readings stress the covenant responsibility of the rich for the poor, reminding us of the truth that wealth without active mercy for the poor is great wickedness. They also warn us about making money the goal of our existence.

In the first reading, the Prophet Amos issues a powerful warning to those who seek wealth at the expense of the poor and who spend their time and their money on themselves alone. He prophesies that those rich and self-indulgent people will be punished by God with exile because they don’t care for their poor and suffering brothers. 

The Responsorial Psalm praises Yahweh, who cares for the poor. In the second reading, Paul admonishes Timothy, and us, to pursue virtue (righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness); to compete well for the faith; to lay hold of eternal life; and to keep the commandment of love, instead of seeking wealth.

In the Gospel today, Jesus gives us a warning, pointing to the destiny of the rich man who neglected his duty to show mercy to poor Lazarus. The rich man was punished, not for having riches, but for neglecting the Scriptures and what they taught on sharing his blessings with the poor.

We are all rich enough to share our blessings with others. God has blessed each one of us with wealth or health or special talents or social power or political influence or a combination of many blessings. The parable invites us to share what we have been given with others in various ways, instead of using everything exclusively for selfish gains.

We need to remember that sharing is the criterion of the Last Judgment. Mattthew (25:31ff) tells us that all six questions to be asked of each one of us by Jesus when He comes in glory as our judge are based on how well or how poorly we shared the blessings we have received from Him with our brothers and sisters like, for example, food, drink, home, even mercy and compassion.

Let us remember that Jesus identifies Himself with each of those in need.

Therefore, each and every one of us aside from being reminded is expected to live a life that is truly worthy of the Lord in all the things that we say and do.

Being committed to God and in loving Him wholeheartedly, we also ought to show the same love to everyone around us, to those whom we love and who are precious to us, and to those who have no one to love them, those who are poor and needy, all those whom the Lord has placed in our path so that through the opportunities, the blessings, and all the good things He has given us, we may use them to touch the lives of others positively.