FIRST READING: Woe to the complacent in Zion, to the overconfident on the mount of Samaria, Leaders of a nation favored from the first, to whom the people of Israel have recourse! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, They eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with. – Amos 6:1.4-7

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free; the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow, but thwarts the way of the wicked. The LORD shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations! Hallelujah! – Psalm 146:7-10

SECOND READING: But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge (you) before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen. – 1 Timothy 6:11-16

HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING SAINT LUKE

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, 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 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.’” – Luke 16:19-31

GOSPEL COMMENTARY

“Recognising the poor Christ”
by Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407)
Priest, Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church

Do you want to show honor to Christ’s Body? Don’t despise it when it is naked. Don’t honor it with silks here in the church while outside you leave it shivering with cold and naked. For he who said: «This is my body» (Mt 26,26), ratifying it with his words, is the same who said: «You saw me hungry and gave me no food» and also: «What you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do for me» (Mt 25,42.45). Here Christ’s body has no need of clothing but of souls that are pure; there it needs plenty of care… God has no need of golden vessels but of golden hearts.

I don’t say this to stop you making religious donations, but I hold that at the same time – and even beforehand – alms should be made… What profit is there in Christ’s table being covered with golden vessels while he himself is dying of hunger? Begin by feeding the hungry and, with what remains, decorate his altar. Are you going to fashion a golden chalice but not give «a cup of cold water»? (Mt 10,42)… Think, too, that it is a question of Christ as he goes about, a wanderer, a stranger, without shelter. Whereas you, who failed to welcome him, decorate the floor, the walls, the capitals of the pillars! You fix up lamps with silver chains but don’t care to notice how he is chained up in prison. I’m not saying this to hold you back from carrying out such deeds of generosity, but I beg you to accompany them – or rather, precede them – with these other charitable works… Therefore, when you decorate the church, don’t forget your brother in distress since he is a temple and more precious than anything.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

When I was employed at a multinational company as an HRD as part of my formation in the seminary, I tend to go to Mass in my Parish Church after my office hours. After an hour in the blessed sacrament as my post-communion time with the Lord, I passed by this old woman who was standing outside the adoration chapel. Everyone was ignoring her despite her constant plea for alms. So I approached her and gave her some alms. The Old woman was very thankful. For me it was nothing. I knew in my heart that old woman like her deserve some alms. But before I could even leave her, she grasp my arms very tight and was looking straight to me with her eyes wide open. As she touched my arms and caressed them with both her hands, I noticed that her fingers are all amputated. They seem like candles that melted away. I ignored her touch and carefully listened to what the old woman was murmuring to me, in what seems to be a giberrish utterance. While I was talking to the old woman, ever passerby was looking at us in amzaement. I don’t know what the fuss was about.

I continued to ignore the people’s attention as I strive hard with great effort to understand what the woman was saying. Finally I understood what she was trying to tell me. The old woman wanted to go home and she was asking me if I can fetch her a cab. I agrred willingly and assited her in walking at least one block from the church to the nearest street where cabs used to stop. As we were walking, with both her hands on a tight grip all over my arms, I noticed that she was limping and was having great difficulty in making a step. I labored patiently to assist her and as we were walking, more and more people were starung at us especially Churchgoers who were sitting at the Church’s patio. Half of the time I was listening to the woman’s sentiments about how people often ignore her when she beg for alms, and half of the time I was very conscious of the people staring at us. What bothers me was not about beeing seen with the old woman, but the question as to why they were staring at us.

When we reached the street, I finally hailed a cab for the old woman, instructed the driver to take her where she would instruct her to drive and then paid in advance for the old woman’s fare. When the cab finally left, I walked my way back to the church where the route to my house is nearer. When I passed by the patio again, a man sitting under the tree told me “Boy, you have the guts to hold that woman”. I asked the man why and he replied: “You are a fool. That woman has leprosy that’s why people are avoiding her. She used to wipe her arms to starngers, hoping that she would inflict others with her disease”. I was stupefied. I was walking toward home still feeling the touch of the woman. But instead of being disturbed or bothered, I wasn’t. In fact I was so convinced that itb was Christ who called me during that time.

The incident happened more than a decade ago and if the woman was really contagious, I would probably showed already early signs of the disease. Later that year, I found out accidentally that the woman has been treated by the City Government with medication and is already on her way to recovery even before I met her.

I was wondering, if at that time, I knew that she had leprosy, would I be able to dowhat I have done for her? Probably not. I would probably have the same reaction as the people around her. Even Saint Francis of Assisi had a repellant reaction towards lepers when he first encountered them. But the Actual Grace of that oincident was, I really felt genuinely what it feels like to meet Christ. The woman may have stained my skin. But she definitely cleansed my soul.