No, Pat, I didn't miss my daily post. Just a little late today! Long story...but here I am!This story is one of Jesus' most amazing stories. We see a rich man who had all he needed and more. We see poor Lazarus, who has nothing. He would have loved the scraps. Both men die. Lazarus is in God's presence. The rich man, who once knew life in sumptuous luxury, now knows only torment. The lesson of the story is basically this: How did the rich man treat Lazarus, and how did that affect his eternity?
This all goes back to how we treat the least among us. Read through the Scriptures, and you will find a multitude of verses concerning the poor, the widows, and the fatherless. We are to care for those who cannot care for themselves. Is this socialism? No! It's Christianity in action!
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It occurs to me that St. Paul wrote that we have been created for good works (Eph. 2:10). Those works are to be works of mercy for the poor, the defenseless, the outcasts, and the forgotten. We tend to think we are doing spiritual work when we pray, read the Scriptures, fast, or meditate. But that is only the preparation for the work. The work is in those things listed above.
I hate to confess that in this Lenten season I find myself terribly deficient in such spiritual work- the very reason for which I was created and re-created.
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