9/28/2025 (Sunday) Today’s Gospel reading: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.
20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
21 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.
22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,
23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
24 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.’
25 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.
26 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.’
27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house,
28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’
29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30 He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 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.’”

9/28/2025 (Sunday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Luke 16:19-31

One of the most sobering lessons in life is realizing that wealth, comfort, and success, while good in themselves, are temporary. They cannot follow us beyond the grave. In the story of the rich man and the poor man named Lazarus, we are reminded that how we use what we have today will echo into eternity. The rich man was clothed in luxury and dined extravagantly, while Lazarus suffered outside his gate, longing for scraps. Their roles reversed after death; the rich man faced torment and Lazarus was comforted.

This is not a condemnation of wealth but a warning against selfishness and indifference. Wealth can be a powerful blessing when used for good, but it can also blind us when it becomes only a tool for self-indulgence. Imagine a business owner who has more than enough yet chooses to hoard everything for himself. His employees struggle, his community remains neglected, and his abundance serves no purpose beyond his own pleasure. Contrast that with another business owner who sees her company as a platform for generosity including paying fair wages, supporting education, and uplifting the poor. The difference lies not in the amount they had, but in the heart behind how they used it.

Generosity is not measured by how much we give, but by how much love we put into our giving. A person with little can be generous when they share food with a neighbor or offer time to care for someone in need. A wealthy person can also be generous by funding projects that bless entire communities. In both cases, what matters most is whether we open our eyes to those suffering at our “gate.”

We are called to look beyond ourselves and remember that everything we have is entrusted to us for a season. Bank accounts, properties, careers, and other possessions will one day lose their value. What remains is the impact we made on the lives of others. Eternity is not about the treasures we stored on earth but about the love we lived out through our choices.

Consider modern-day heroes who pour themselves into serving the marginalized such as the teachers in remote villages, volunteers at shelters, families who adopt children in need. Their generosity may not make headlines, but in the eyes of eternity, their acts shine brighter than any fortune amassed. Their reward is not only the joy of seeing lives changed but the assurance that they have invested in something that lasts forever.

The tragedy of the rich man was not that he was wealthy, but that he failed to see Lazarus. How often do we, too, overlook the “Lazarus” at our doorstep — the lonely neighbor, the co-worker in distress, the stranger on the street? To live generously is to live with open eyes and a compassionate heart, refusing to let comfort blind us to the needs around us.

Eternity changes everything. When we remember that life here is temporary, generosity becomes natural. We stop clinging tightly to possessions and start asking, “How can this blessing flow through me to others?” Each act of kindness, each moment of sacrifice, becomes a seed planted in eternity.

Let us then live with hearts of generosity. Let us give while we can, share while we are able, and love while there is time. For one day, we will step into eternity, and the question will not be how much we kept for ourselves, but how much we gave away in love. True wealth is not measured by what is in our pockets, but by what is in our hearts, a legacy of generosity that echoes into forever.

Go here to read further Gospel reflection.