Homily for 28 Sept 2025 Sunday Wk26 Ord Time

Charity is self-help!

Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16,19-31

Curiously, in the parable in our Gospel Reading today, Jesus does not name the rich man but only names the poor man, calling him Lazarus, which means ‘God helps.’ Clearly, the poor man received God’s help, for when he died, he was ‘carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham’ and was comforted, reminiscent of Mary’s song, ‘He has lifted up the lowly.’

However, notice how the rich man was also offered help while he was still enjoying his earthly life, dressed in fine clothing and feasting on sumptuous meals. He had his chance in the needy Lazarus at his door, who would have gladly eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. But he turned down God’s offer of help. Time ran out for him, and he missed his chance when he turned a blind eye to Lazarus and did not open the door for him. Victor Hugo, in his novel ‘Les Misérables’, observed that “There is always more misery among the lower class than humanity among the upper class.” But it was not his riches that sent the rich man to the torments of Hades; it was his sin. Not that he attacked Lazarus or ordered that he be cast away. He simply ignored the poor man. Indifference was his biggest sin of omission. At the start of the Mass, do we truly mean it when we beg for God’s mercy, including ‘for all that we have failed to do’? Amos, in the First Reading, prophesies: Woe to the complacent in Zion.

Mother Teresa gently offers an excuse, saying: Very often, the rich do not know who the poor are. Without knowledge, there can be no love; without love, how can there be service? A generous benefit of the doubt!

But ignorance is no excuse because there is no excuse for ignorance. There is no reason for the rich man not to see Lazarus. The wall of his house became the walls of his heart, blocking his view of those outside his preferred world. Everything else is ignored and made invisible. We build walls of exclusivity—walls of family, race, color, nationality, class, religion, education, and whatever other human whim can conjure up to shut out the Lazarus from our private world! God gave us the big, wide world to see His goodness and the evil we should avoid.

The Auschwitz survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel, once said, ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.’ There is always the danger of indifference, as there abounds the opportunities to extend love to those around us in need – maybe just good manners and respect for people we meet; maybe just a smile, a kind word, calling someone by name, or simply listening. Sometimes, it may involve sacrificing our preferences or convenience for the good of others. There are many ways to acknowledge the Lazarus in our midst, to show they are not invisible and that we are aware of their needs. It simply requires living among others in the real world, beyond our narrow, private worlds.

Charity turns tables. Loving others by extending help to our neighbors is actually helping ourselves on the road to eternity.

In the afterlife, the rich man addresses Abraham as father. He knew his faith. He claims his rightful status as a descendant of Abraham, yet he never truly lived by it.

Today, God reminds us of His offer of help. He sends us Lazarus—those in need among us, maybe not for anything material but simply our presence our companionship. Let us not miss our chance to claim our share of being God’s people by living accordingly. Consider the Lazarus around us as God’s wake-up call, urging us to realize we are just one among His people. The Lord tells us, Whatever you do to the least of your brethren, you do it to me. May others’ misery be met with God’s mercy through us.