Thursday, March 24

Read It:
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.’”

Reflect on It: Today's Gospel is a good lesson in suffering. Lazarus suffered greatly on earth. When he died he went to Heaven. The rich man, received his due on earth and went to Hell. He kept asking to send a sign to his brothers, to which Abraham replied no, they already had Moses to tell them to repent. The lesson here is to embrace the suffering. It is not if you're rich that you can't be with Jesus in eternity, but it's more about the suffering. Lazarus had sores that were so bad dogs licked them. He suffered greatly and his reward for that suffering was in Heaven. God does not allow for our suffering to be pointless. Each of us will get what is due to us. For some it is now and for some it is in eternity.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, help me to always embrace the sufferings that you give me today so that I can be with you in eternity. I offer them for your greater glory!

Live It! Challenge: Read in one of the Gospels the story of the cruicfixion, starting with the Last Supper and Garden of Gesemane.