Good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony.
Following on from last week, “You cannot be the slave of both God and money”, we see a practical illustration of what this means. The division between rich and poor was very striking at the time of Jesus: popular understanding, however, said that to be rich was a blessing from God. Jesus reminds people that riches carry their own responsibility – the duty to notice the poor man, especially when he lies at your own gate. In this parable, Jesus is subtly attacking the people’s lack of acceptance of the teaching of the prophets. –They have Moses and the prophets, but they obviously haven’t listened to them. The twist in the last line is powerful: “…they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.” Since our world still sees a division between rich and poor, how true those words have become!
PSALM
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the Lord who loves the just, the Lord, who protects the stranger.
He upholds the widow and orphan but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age.
First Reading: Amos 6:1,4-7
Second Reading: Tim 6:11-16
Gospel Reading: Luke 16:19-31
26th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2016 Newsletter
Requiescat in Pace
Please pray for the soul of David Fitzgerald who died recently. Our deepest sympathy to his family. Funeral Service at St David’s on Tuesday 27th September at 10.30am
Please pray for the soul of Patrick Devlin who died recently. Our deepest sympathy to his family and friends. Funeral arrangements to follow.
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