26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR C - Gospel Luke (16:19-31) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” (Lk 16:31)

FIRST READING - Am 6:1a.4-7

"Now they shall be the first to go into exile, and the carousing of those who lounged shall cease."

A reading from the Book of Amos

¹ Woe to those who are complacent in Zion, secure on the mount of Samaria,

Leaders of the first among nations, to whom the people of Israel turn. ⁴ Those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge upon their couches; Eating lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall;

⁵ Who improvise to the music of the harp, composing on musical instruments like David, ⁶ Who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils, but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph; ⁷ Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and the carousing of those who lounged shall cease.

SECOND READING - 1 Tim 6:11-16

"Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ."

A reading from the First Letter to Timothy

¹¹ But you, man of God,^[a] avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I charge [you] before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ ¹⁵ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE - Lk 16:19-31

"My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

¹⁹ “There was a rich man^[a] who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. ²⁰ And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. ²² When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and from the netherworld,^[b] where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ ²⁵ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. ²⁶ Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ ²⁷ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ ^30 [c]He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ³¹ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR C - Gospel Luke (16:19-31)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man and a poor beggar at the rich man's gate.

Through this, God wants to tell everyone: the main purpose of human beings when living on this earth is to aim for the Kingdom of Heaven, where there is eternal happiness in the hereafter, not wealth and material things in this world. God loves mankind, so He came to earth to accompany and teach mankind how to live to enter the Kingdom of Heaven - the most happiest place.

Therefore, in today's Word of God, Jesus gives a very specific parable that happens in daily life about a rich man and a poor man. He showed that the rich man was selfish because he only cared about himself and enjoyed himself: he dressed in silk and brocade, feasted every day, but had no charity, did not know how to pity the poor and hungry beggars at his gate, and in the end, he had to pay for the justice and fairness of what he had done when God called him out of this world. Therefore, God always invites everyone to give up all passions for material wealth in this world and move towards eternal life in the future, which is to practice charity, altruism, and love one's fellow human beings as oneself. Because material wealth in the world will have no value and will not exist if one does not know how to turn towards the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the future.

God is rich in mercy. He has mercy on the poor, on those who live in passion and sin. His heart is always merciful to everyone, without excluding anyone. That is why He came to the world to call on everyone: to live and practice charity and love as God has loved mankind. He gave specific examples to teach people what they must do to have eternal life.

The Word of God acts on His prophets and messengers, sent to humanity to warn people: put God above all things, return to God, do not live immersed in sin, indulge in material things, and enjoy worldly goods.

Indeed, from ancient times until now, the Word of God has always reminded in the soul of every person: do not worry about seeking material things to enjoy in this world, but worry about seeking the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the future.

Looking at the image of the rich man in the underworld, we will see: those who only know how to enjoy everything in this world without living in charity, love, and do not know how to share, do not care for others, will end up like the rich man.

As for God, He is the God of love, He always looks at the poor, the persecuted, those with a clean, pure, holy conscience and whose souls always know how to turn to God, always live according to God's call to know how to share with others, to sympathize and support the weak, the abandoned. God also said that: He is present in others, especially in those who suffer. Therefore, whoever helps the poor, the disabled, the blind, is treating God.

Whoever proclaims God as the only Father, the One who loves them, must also know how to love their fellow human beings as themselves, then that proclamation will please God. God will give the reward of the Kingdom of Heaven to all those who know how to live and practice according to His commandment: to live in charity, to love their fellow human beings as themselves. Whoever is given grace by God must also know how to share those graces with others, not keep them for himself, because that is not pleasing to God.

God also calls all His children: to be faithful, loyal to Him and walk in His ways until their last breath. Live humbly, selflessly, be small and simple, gentle and holy according to God's call, so that every day the soul will always know how to glorify and praise God as the Father full of mercy and forgiveness towards humanity.

God always loves mankind and does not want to lose any soul. Therefore, He invites everyone:

• Live with charity and have mercy on the poor and suffering.

• Use the means of wealth that God has given to buy the Kingdom of Heaven. That is sharing, helping others, and showing mercy to your fellow human beings. Do not live selfishly and indulge in pleasure, because all material things in this world are given by God.

• Always listen to and practice the teachings of God taught through the prophets, the messengers and the Word of God for everyone today.

• Be faithful in your promises and confession to a God of love, a God of mercy.

• Live and do according to God's commandments, then you will not have to suffer and fall into hell like the image of the rich man, but will always live eternally happy in the Kingdom of God.

Thanks be to God. Amen.