The readings last Sunday remind us that now is the time for conversion, because when we die it will be too late to convert.
In the first reading the prophet Amos returning from the desert of Samaria finds the leaders of the Chosen People completely given over to the pleasures of the world. At that time Israel was experiencing a period of prosperity and peace. But instead of thanking God for it and using it to plan for the future and to help the less fortunate, the leaders in Jerusalem threw themselves into a lifestyle of indulgence and luxury. They ignored their responsibility towards God and their neighbours, especially towards the less fortunate, and spent all their time partying! These people were lying on ivory beds, sprawling on sofas, feasting on lambs and stall fattened veal, drinking wine by the bowlful and using the finest oil for anointing themselves. They were completely oblivious to the needs of the poor. Amos warns them that their neglect and self-indulgence will backfire. Their life of luxury will weaken the nation, expose them to conquest by foreign powers and result in their exile. They laughed at the prophet, but he warned them that they would be the first to be exiled.
Twenty years later in 721 BC the Assyrian empire invaded Palestine and devastated the northern part of the country and although they didn’t destroy Jerusalem, they took many of its leaders into exile along with the Israelites from the north. We can picture them in exile: prisoners, slaves in a foreign land, living on bread and water, maimed and blinded as a sign of the conquerors’ superiority and power, full of regret and remorse, wishing they had lived differently when they had the chance – just like the rich man in the parable. We all need to remember that life is a pilgrimage, a time of growth in virtue and preparation for Heaven.
In the Gospel parable, Jesus contrasts two extreme conditions: vast wealth and extreme need. The rich man’s sin was a serious sin of omission. He had completely forgotten that we are not the owners of what we have, but only stewards or administrators. He indulged himself completely and did not know how to share with the beggar at his gate. His eternal punishment was for selfishness and disloyalty. Selfish people come to treat others as if they were objects without value Our life on earth is a testing ground for our generosity. Jesus taught that it is better to give, than to receive. A person gets more from giving, than from receiving because what we get is Heaven.
In the second reading St Paul teaches that covetousness or selfishness is the root of all evils and that sins of omission come from a habitual attitude of self-centredness. Today’s idols include things such as: Success, power and approval of others. Idolatry isn’t just about graven images, but the Catechism (CCC 2113) teaches that it is about anything we place above God. For example, many Catholics replace Sunday worship with sport and other forms of entertainment. This is idolatry because it replaces the debt of Sunday Worship, which is an obligation taught by the Church with entertainment and self-interest.
The parable last Sunday is a mirror of our souls and a warning that our choices in life have eternal consequences. So, we can ask ourselves which god do we serve?
In the 1400’s St Joan of Arc saved France from being conquered by England. She was just a very pious teenager from a peasant background when God entrusted her with this task. St Catherine of Siena, St Michael the Archangel and other Saints were sent by God to guide and encourage her. When she prayed, she would hear these Saints speaking to her in her heart. She referred to them as “her voices”. She eventually managed to get an audience with the rightful King of France, Charles. He had not yet had the opportunity to be crowned because of the intensity of the Hundred Year war, with England. During the interview with the King, Joan explained her mission and “her voices”. The King didn’t believe her at first, but eventually she mentioned some things that only he would know, and she said the voices told her about them. He then began to believe, but was still a little irritated and asked why he didn’t hear the voices? Joan answered:
They come to you too, but you do not hear them. If you prayed from your heart and listened, you would hear the voices as well as I do.
The King had lost sight of his true destination, and it took an uneducated peasant girl performing a few miracles to get him back on track. Joan of Arc’s influence on King Charles VII turned out to be profound. Acting under divine guidance, she led the French army to victory at Orléans in 1429. This victory repulsed an English attempt to conquer France and helped turn the tide in favour of France and King Charles VII. Joan’s leadership and determination were crucial in the Hundred Years’ War, and her efforts were a decisive factor in the later awakening of French national consciousness.
God speaks to our hearts as well, but often we don’t listen. A wonderful time to listen to the Lord is in Eucharistic Adoration. This is a priceless quiet time with the Lord. We all need to be very careful about sins of omission. This could be for example, having the opportunity to be involved in Eucharistic Adoration and not volunteering to go on the Adoration Roster. St Mary Mackillop said:
Never see a need without doing something about it.
We can avoid falling into sins of omission by taking a lesson from the Boy Scouts who are always on the lookout for at least one voluntary selfless act of service each day. If the rich man had made that commitment, he would not have ignored Lazarus at his gate, and if he had been given another chance he would have started using all his resources, money, connections, relationships, intelligence, experience to serve his neighbour to spread the truth about life’s meaning. You and I have been given that second chance that the rich man in the parable never had, because Christ revealed to us the whole story – we know how life ends and what it is all about. So, lets avoid the deadly sin of omission and strive to perform Christ-like act of service every day. Jesus reminds us that true greatness comes from serving others (cf. Lk 22:24-30). Let’s also be careful to listen to God speaking to us in the depths of our hearts, prompting us to die to self and allowing Him to reign is us with His Holy Will. Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!