It is not how much we possess, but how we share it.

Today’s Gospel speaks about the rich and the poor. There is much poverty in the world today. At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. In Canada, 10.2 per cent of the population - approximately four million Canadians - lived below the poverty line in 2023. At the same time very few hold most of the world’s riches. The enormous disparity in distribution of wealth: The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income. The Gospel parable seems to be simplistic in addressing the problem of the poor and the rich. You are rich now, you will suffer after death (the rich man). You are poor now, you will be happy in heaven (Lazarus). Its true meaning though is more challenging. The rich man didn’t care about Lazarus. He knew him (he recognized him by Abraham’s side) but he did nothing to change his miserable life. And even after death he wants to use him as a servant (to bring him some water), assuming that he is better than Lazarus. We have selfishness, arrogance and pride in the rich man’s attitude. Not the riches but his attitude towards other people, especially the poor determine his eternal fate. The world and the poor need rich people; they are the ones who can help. But they need to be willing to use their money and power to create a better world, where the weak and the poor are taken care of. The riches tend to seclude the rich in their own world in their selfishness in separation from the poor. The only way to live a truly Christian life is to have open hearts to others, be sensitive to their needs, be their brothers in life’s journey, ready to help with whatever we posses. It doesn’t really matter in the eyes of God how much we have but what we do with it. Even if we have little, but use it only for our selfish needs, it won’t secure us a place in heaven. Loving others and helping them with whatever we have will gain us a place in heaven!

Fr. Janusz Roginski S.A.C.