In today’s first reading, Jeremiah 17: 5-10, the prophet
states: Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord.
They are like trees planted beside the waters that stretch out their roots to
the stream: they fear not the heat when it comes, their leaves stay green; in
the year of drought they show no distress, but still bear fruit” (translated
into the plural to include both men and women, as Jesus did).
Before Jesus suffered His death and triumphed over evil in
His resurrection, He left us His body and blood in the Eucharist, food to
nourish us, to keep us alive in famine, to feed us during times of drought so
that, at those times, we can continue to bear fruit. Those who hope in the Lord, who put their
trust in God, will never be disappointed.
We have been given rich soil in which to root our lives: the sacraments,
the Scriptures, communal worship, loving and helping our neighbors, and
forgiving both ourselves and others when wronged. During difficult times, we will be able to
bear the heat of the day, rejuvenated at the springs of everlasting water. God has given us the law of love, a law that,
not only delights those who practice it but also transforms their whole being
into the person of Christ. We become Christlike, bringing good news to the
poor, unlike Dives in today’s Gospel, Luke 16: 19-31, who feasted without
sharing his food with Lazarus, a poor man lying at the gate of his home, a poor man “covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of
the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.”
Truly, “blessed are they who hope in the Lord” (Ps.1) and
serve those in need, especially within one’s own family but also beyond.
No comments:
Post a Comment