Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
Luke 16:19-31 The difference between the rich man and Lazarus (“God has helped”) was not only an imbalance of possessions, but also an imbalance in power. The rich man took to himself all that he could get, and because he was very wealthy he purchased and gathered to himself not only necessities but as many luxuries as he wanted. Lazarus on the other hand was, for whatever reason, a beggar who needed to be ‘brought to the rich man’s door’. He then waited to receive crumbs from the rich man’s table and soothing licks from stray dogs that eased his sores. The rich man’s great and hellish poverty turned out to be the most notable product of his ‘power’ – he was unable to give, to pass on, the ‘goods’ that he accumulated for himself. Lazarus’ great treasure, it turned out, was his need to receive –not only his food, but also his transportation, and even his ‘medical attention’, offered to him from the godly generosity of others, even the dogs of the streets. Am I willing to enter into the holy flow of godly generosity by giving (and receiving as necessary) the riches of God? Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me be generous with all that I have. Happy are those who depend on the Lord their God, the Creator of heaven, earth and sea, and all that is in them. (Psalm 145: 5-6) For we brought nothing into the world, and so we can take nothing out of it. Saint Paul, I Timothy 6:7 www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca & Gospel Mystery of the Day on Facebook Soli ad gloriam Dei
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AuthorBeverly Illauq lives in Kemptville, Ontario, where she greets each morning by seeking the Gospel Mystery of the Day - the Word of the Lord for direct and practical application to the specific challenges & joys of the day. Archives
November 2023
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