The Wisdom of Age

A Reflection on the Gospel for September 25th, 2022:
​Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Luke 
16. 19-31

Jesus told this parable to those among the Pharisees who loved money: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
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“The poor man died and was carried away by the Angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

“The man who had been rich said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house — for I have five brothers — that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

I identify in this Gospel with the rich man when he asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to warn them. I see this as a bit of a redemptive moment for this character. He is first of all concerned with his own comfort but, when he realizes he cannot change his circumstances, his thoughts turn to his loved ones and he hopes to prevent them from suffering as well. 

This brings to my mind the many conversations I’ve had with practising Christians as we bemoan the lack of faith in the lives of our own loved ones. Sometimes I also find myself telling God, “If you would just do this, then they would believe.” We think of different ways to try to share our beautiful Truth with our loved ones. Maybe if I take them with me on a pilgrimage somewhere? Maybe if I can get them to come to Adoration? If they would only talk to this wonderful priest I know, then they would finally get it! What about if I pray this novena? 

Our best and most labour-intensive efforts to “save” others fall so far short of the mark. The rich man in the story has perhaps the only right answer. He asks Abraham to send a man back from the dead to convince his brothers. Abraham denies him, saying that they already have what they need to believe. Jesus is teaching that this extraordinary effort called for by the rich man is futile. And yet, this is exactly the action that God Himself takes – if faith was not engendered in our hearts by what we had already received, He will take any action, even the most far-fetched, to reach us. 

The painful and beautiful reality is that all of us, and all of our loved ones, already have what we need to believe. We have the witness of loving Christians (to fill the role of Moses) and the witness of Scripture (the Prophets) who point us in the direction of Christ. After this, we must leave our loved ones in the hands of the One who came back from the dead. He has the power to speak to their hearts as He does to ours.



Sr. Gemma MacLeod

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