The rich man also died, and was buried. From the netherworld where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Abraham afar off,
and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus, with the tip of his finger dipped in water,
to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire!’ Abraham replied, ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off,
while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort, and you are in agony. But that is not all.
Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you, or from your side to us.’ The rich man implored once more,
‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house, where my five brothers live. Let him warn them, so that they may not
end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ But the rich man said,
‘No, Father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.’

REFLECTION:
The story of Lazarus and the rich man gives us a glimpse of what it means to attain fullness of life and is at the same time a call for conversion.
Pope Francis once said that the person of Lazarus teaches us that other persons are a gift. In the world that is very much used to
set aside others especially the poor, the weak and the vulnerable, the story encourages us to meet and welcome them with love and compassion.
They are also children of our God that deserve our acceptance, respect and love.
Let us not be like the rich man who was so blind to see Lazarus as his own brother. He was blinded by the glamour and pride of wealth
In effect, he was so comfortable with his condition and became indifferent towards Lazarus’ situation. In this Lenten season,
let us be reminded of the need for renewal in our relationship with one another. May we break whatever blocks us to meet and welcome our needy brothers and sisters.
May we encounter Christ by serving them so that with them, all of us may share the joy of the coming Easter.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2020