Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
September 25, 2016
Gospel: Lk 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who
dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And
lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 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.
When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels
to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld (1),
where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus
at his side. 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.' 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. Moreover,
between us and you a great chasm (2) is established to prevent anyone from
crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to
ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I
have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place
of torment.' But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them
listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead
goes to them, they will repent.’ 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.’”
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)The netherworld is the place the Jews thought
the dead souls go.
(2) A chasm is a large, deep gap or
distance between two sides, or people, or things. A chasm is like a huge canyon
or gorge.
This week’s spotlight
I confess
The Confiteor (Latin for “I confess”) is one of the
prayers of sorrow for sin that may be recited by the people during the
penitential rite at the beginning of Mass. This prayer admits that we sin by
what we have done, and also - like the rich man in today’s Gospel - by what we
have failed to do. We ask Mary, the saints, and the whole Church to pray for us
in our weakness.
Prayer for the dead
During the eucharistic prayer we pray for many people.
We pray for the living, such as the Pope, the bishops, the priests, and the
assembly. We pray also for those who have died, especially those whom we knew
and loved. Death is not the end. We believe that our prayers for the dead not
only help them on their way to see God, but they also strengthen their prayers
for us.
Reflection
Sharing and feasting
Jesus uses very strong language in this week’s Gospel.
When the rich man dies, he finds himself suffering with no one to help him. How
did this happen to him? Is it wrong to be rich? It was not what the rich man
did that led to his suffering, but what he failed to do. Jesus is teaching us
that God wants us to notice and care for those in need.
God calls us to love without thinking about what we
will get in return. What a difference it would have made to Lazarus if the rich
man just once invited him to supper. But, the rich man barely noticed that
Lazarus was there. Blinded by his selfishness, the rich man did not listen to
the word of God handed down by Moses and the prophets. God invites us to open
up our eyes and our hearts. The story shows above all else that God notices the
poor and suffering. He is our hope.
Discussion questions
1.What does the poor man in the story need?
2.Does the rich man notice Lazarus?
3.What happens when the rich man dies?
4.What happens when the poor man dies?
5.What does the story teach about caring for the poor?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Your
love gives us the responsibility and the grace to notice and care for those in
need. Help me to share the gifts you have given me.
This week…
Open your eyes; open
your heart
This week, think about the people you normally ignore.
Say a prayer for someone in need: the person who asks for money at the traffic
stop, the person in the hospital who has no one to visit, the person in jail
who wants to change.
Opening up to others
This week, pay attention to the smaller kids at school
and at home. Spend some time with them and invite them to be a part of your
activities.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm