This week’s Gospel message for Sunday, September 25th is from Luke 16:19-31.
“Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man. . .and lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus. . .who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. . .When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels. . .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.”’”
“The rich man in the Gospel chose not to see Lazarus. But he knew he was there. He even knew his name. But during his life, he chose to remain blind to his needs. To inoculate himself from guilt he chose to ignore him, to pretend there was nothing he could do. Even now, do we assume there is nothing we can do to help the masses of Lazaruses at our gates?” SOURCE: Pastoral Patterns, Autumn 2022
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Job 1:6-22; Luke 9:46-50
Tuesday Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23; Luke 9:51-56
Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest (Memorial) – “He devoted his life to acts of charity, organizing groups to provide food and clothing for all who were poor. He founded the Congregation of the Missions (Vincentians) to preach and train clergy, and, with St. Louise de Marillac, co-founded the Daughters of Charity. He was canonized in 1737 and is a patron of charitable societies.”
Wednesday Job 9:1-12, 14-16; Luke 9:57-62
Thursday Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; John 1:47-51
Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels (Feast) – “This feast commemorates all three archangels. Michael is a warrior against evil and protector of Israel and the Church. Gabriel is a messenger who announces the Messiah’s coming and the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Raphael served as a guardian angel protecting Tobias on his journey.”
Friday Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5; Luke 10:13-16
Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – “St. Jerome translated the Bible into the Latin language of the common people (the Vulgate).”
Saturday Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17; Luke 10:17-24
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – “Marie-Francoise Thérèse Martin entered the Carmelites at age fifteen. Her writings were combined into her autobiography, The Story of a Soul. She sought holiness through her “little way”: fidelity to God in the small things of everyday life.” SOURCE: Living With Christ, September 2022 and October 2022