Good morning good people! May the Lord give you peace, health and happiness in the Holy Spirit. It is 20th March 2025. We reflect on Jeremiah 17:5-10 and Luke 16:19-31.
Pope Francis reminds us: “Wealth can be good when used well, but when it becomes an idol, it enslaves the heart and distances us from true happiness.”
In the first reading, Jeremiah speaks about two kinds of people. One type relies solely on their own strength and wealth, believing in their flesh and riches as the foundation of their security. The other type of person places complete trust in God, depending on Him for their existence and sustenance. The evil person, consumed by worldly desires, fails to recognize God’s goodness and blessings due to their relentless pursuit of self-satisfaction. Their spiritual life is like a barren desert, a salty wasteland where no true life can flourish. Their existence is marked by emptiness, like a wilderness void of hope.
On the other hand, those who trust in the Lord are blessed abundantly. They are like trees planted by the water, bearing fruit in every season. Their lives are marked by generosity, constantly giving and sacrificing without exhaustion. The greed and selfishness of the world do not weary them; rather, they continue to pour out kindness, like a stream that washes away impurity and brings renewal to the land. Their existence becomes a source of hope, love, peace, and joy in the fabric of humanity. These generous souls do not panic in the face of challenges; they stand firm against the winds and heat of selfishness, ever fruitful and unwavering in their faith.
As the Lord declares:
“I, the Lord, search the mind and try the heart, to give to every person according to his/her ways, according to the fruit of his/her doings.” (Jer. 17:10).
A wealthy man asked a humble elder, “Why do you give so much when you have so little?” The old man smiled and said, “Money may fill hands, but only love fills the heart. The joy of giving is a treasure no one can steal.” The businessman walked away, realizing that while he had gained riches, he had missed the true wealth of a generous heart.
The Responsorial Psalm echoes this truth: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” (Ps. 1:1)
In the Gospel, Jesus presents the parable of Lazarus, the poor man, and the unnamed rich man. The story reveals how riches and wealth can create a mentality of indifference, distancing the wealthy from the poor—and ultimately, from God. The rich man, clothed in luxury, dined sumptuously every day, while Lazarus lay at his gate, longing for scraps. The tragedy was not merely the rich man’s wealth but his blindness to the suffering at his doorstep. He never noticed the vast chasm his riches created—one that separated him from the poor in life and from God in eternity.
Wealth, power, and influence are given to us not for selfish indulgence but to uplift others, to restore dignity to those in need. In selfless giving, we cleanse not only the world around us but also our own hearts. When we recognize the face of Christ in the suffering, we begin to see the bruised and broken Jesus in humanity.
We must guard against the trap of self-centeredness and selfishness, for we are called to bring the kingdom of God to earth through our selfless love. By sharing what we have, by noticing the Lazarus around us, we participate in creating a world where heaven is experienced through acts of mercy and generosity.
Let us not wait until it is too late to cross the chasm. Today is the time to give, to love, and to build bridges of compassion that lead us closer to God and one another. May the Lord bless you to be generous.