“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” – LK 8: 15

 

Today God invites us to reflect on, Trust, Justice, and Eternal Understanding, urging us to seek His personal guidance and to be mindful of the needs of others, particularly those who are marginalized.

As Catholics, we are to trust in God.  This means relying on His Goodness, Reliability, and Promises, even in difficult times.  This includes surrendering our very life to His Will, knowingthat Our Father always knows and wants what is best for us.  Think of all the various stories and teachings in the Bible.  How God not only spoke to us in ways to understand these concepts but also showed us how, through the life of Jesus, especially during His Mission and Passion.

God gives the contrast of trusting in humanity and the world versus Himself from the prophet Jerimiah today.  Going as far as cautioning us against placing our trust in human power or possessions.  This will leave us to be barren and empty, having nothing fruitful to share or be remembered by.  God warns us that He will not just probe our mind but will also test our heart.  How we live our Faith, Hope, and Love for not just Him but all those we encounter in life will determine the reward Our Father will give us.  God, through Jeremiah, reminds us today how He will reward everyone according to our ways.

From a Catholic perspective, Justice is a virtue that involves giving God and our neighbors what is due, encompassing both individual and social dimensions, with a focus on respecting human dignity and promoting the Common Good.  It is important for us to live our lives byunderstanding and promoting that every person, from conception to natural death, has inherent dignity and a right to life.  

In a world marked by division and inequality, the Catholic Church offers a timeless message, true Justice must always be tempered with Mercy. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus and upheld through centuries of Catholic Tradition, Justice and Mercy are not opposing forces but complementary virtues that reflect the Heart of God.

Justice, in its simplest form, means giving others what they are due. Mercy, on the other hand, goes beyond Justice, offering forgiveness and compassion where it is not deserved.  Jesus Himself embodied the perfect balance of Justice and Mercy. In the Gospel of John, when a woman caught in adultery was brought before Him, Jesus upheld the law's demand for Justice but tempered it with Mercy, saying, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" (JN 8:7). His words remind us that while Justice is necessary, it must always be accompanied by Mercy and Understanding.

Which leads us to Eternal Understanding.  As Catholics, we understand that Heaven is a profound reality rooted in Scripture and Tradition.  Scripture and Tradition, along with the Magisterium, are needed to help us in our believe or Faith in God.  The Catholic Church teaches about our Eternal Home, including the concepts of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory after death.  Good works are required by God, and obedience to His commands or teachings leads to us to Eternal Liìe.

Thus, today’s Gospel and the parable that Jesus shared with us.  In that parable, we heard how the actions of the rich man, his ignorance of the plight and sufferings of Lazarus led to him being cast into Hell for his lack of empathy and love for his fellow men, while Lazarus received his right rewards and was raised to the bosom of Abraham in Heaven.  This means Lazarus willenjoy forever the happiness and joy that he had been lacking in life. Through this example and story, the Lord wanted to let us all, His disciples and followers, know that as Christians, all of us must not be ignorant of the plight and sufferings of the poor and those others who are in need of help around us. We are reminded that should we follow the path of the rich man, then we may end up in the same fate as him, where an Eternity of regret and suffering awaits us.

Therefore, we do not just keep ourselves away from the corruption of sins, that may lead us into the damnation of Hell, but we must also remind ourselves not to commit the sin of omission. Therefore, by our own conscious neglect of our duties and responsibilities as Christians, where we could have done something for the benefit of those others present around us, we decided to have chosen not to do so, just as the rich man had consciously ignored the poor beggar, Lazarus.

 

May God’s Grace and Blessings Always be with You and Yours!! 

Shalom,

Deacon Bob

St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church

Houston, TX