Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
In today's readings, Jesus offers an interesting parable. We hear the story of two men - one, a rich man living a luxurious life of grandeur and ease and one a poor man who sat outside the rich man's door, desperate for some scrap of food to eat. And then we hear of their afterlife. The poor man is taken by angels to the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man is tormented in the netherworld.
This is a lesson for all of us, whether we relate to the poor man or the rich man, to examine how we are living our lives. We hear in the first reading, "I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds." The Lord knows our deepest thoughts, the desires of our hearts and sees the merit of our deeds.
Both lifestyles come with their challenges. If we are blessed to live like the rich man during this life, our challenge is to pay attention to the cry of the poor, care for the poor around us and be generous with all that we have been given. For these blessings are not for us alone but are for us to share. We cannot ignore the needs of those around us and still expect a great reward in heaven. On the other hand, if we live a life like that of the poor man - tormented in this earthly life - our challenge is to maintain a deep hope in the saving hand of the Lord. We must remember that the Lord is our salvation and will redeem us when this earthly life has past.
There may be areas of our life where we are deeply blessed in this earthly life and other areas where we are tormented. We must remember to be generous and also to hope in the Lord, to trust that we will be redeemed.
This Lent let us spend time in prayer, reflecting on those parts of our lives where we are more like the rich man - taking this to prayer, listen to the ways in which the Lord is challenging you to generosity, to share your riches. And as you examine your life - pray also about the areas of deep torment, the areas of your life where you need more hope in the Lord. And commit to prayer in these areas, commit to taking these needs to the Lord, our hope and our salvation. Amen.
Amanda Grimm