This time of Lent is a season for conversion and deepening our commitment to our Christian life of service. Over the last week we listened to portions of the Sermon on the Mount and have heard how Jesus taught his first disciple to pray. Christian prayer leads us to a deeper relation with God, with our neighbors, with and ourselves, but overall, it leads us to action.
Throughout the Gospel Jesus calls us to be generous to the poor and care for them. Like his first disciples and listeners, we tend to want to limit our responsibilities regarding the poor, our neighbors, and the poor. Jesus calls us to generosity and service. He does not mention how or why the poor came to be in our neighborhoods. Through his preaching and actions, we see that Jesus’ intention is obviously to break down socio-economic, legal, and religious boundaries or prejudices. He treats all with compassion and generosity – Israelite, Samaritan, woman, man, child, young, old, sinner, impure, rich, healthy, sickly, poor, friends, enemies, family, foes, or ritual saints. All of them are neighbors. Last Sunday we heard the voice of God instructing the apostle to listen – listen to the words of Jesus.
The rich man’s error or sin was not so much in being rich as it was being indifferent, stingy, and self-centered. He reduced his world. He reduced his relationship of being a good neighbor, his moral responsibilities, to a very small group – probably just his family and a few friends.
Lately our society has been taking on the characteristics of that rich man. Even though we have vast amounts of resources and power, we want to judge all our neighbors and reduce our responsibilities to those around us.
Lent is a time to listen to God’s word, review our life and act. For a true Christian action is service.
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
Image: https://www.sjbny.org/twenty-sixth-sunday-in-ordinary-time-september-25-2022/