March 11, 2004 Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
March 11, 2004 Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Today’s readings are very visual. There are a lot of images. If you attended Sister Mary Ann’s program on prayer last week, you heard her talk about imaging. You close your eyes and imagine yourself in a peaceful place to get ready for prayer. To appreciate today’s readings, we almost need to close our eyes and take in the visual image that the writers are trying to give us.
In the first reading, we read that a man whose heart turns away from the LORD is like a barren bush in the desert. He stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth.
But the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD, is like a tree planted beside the waters. It’s the water that spares us from the dryness of the desert. Even in the year of the drought, the tree still bears fruit. Water equals life.
The theme is repeated in the responsorial psalm.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree planted near running water
That yields its fruit in due season,
And whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Then we come to the Gospel. Jesus tells the Pharisees the story of Lazurus and the rich man. He enjoyed his life on earth. He accumulated a lot of money. But he let the beggar lie at his door. Funny, though, when Lazurus died he was taken by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich guy ended up in the other place, the place of the damned. And he was in torment.
All of a sudden, he knows Lazurus’ name. “Father Abraham,” he says, “send Lazurus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue.” Again, the image of the water. Imagine the arrogance of this guy. He let poor Lazurus starve right under his nose, now he wants him to bring him water. Of course Abraham says “no”. I wonder how many people today think that somehow they’re going to be able to negotiate with God when the end comes?
Next, the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazurus to warn his 5 brothers so they won’t make the same mistake that he made. Abraham says “no” again. Your brothers (and you) had Moses and the prophets and didn’t listen to them. What makes you think your brothers will listen to Lazurus.
“Because they will listen to someone who has come back from the dead.”
Think about how Jesus must have felt telling this story. He knew the truth. He knew He would come back from the dead and many wouldn’t believe him. Even in the twenty-first century, when we have the technology to make a movie showing people how Christ died and that He came back from the dead, many still don’t believe.
Our Catholic tradition is full of references to water. During Lent we take the Holy water out of the fonts to signify the dryness. When Easter comes, the water will return. During the Easter Season, Father will sprinkle us with Holy water at every Sunday mass. The flowers will return to the altar and they will stay fresh because Jeannie Kohnen will carefully water them.
Christ said He was living water. He is our flowing stream. If we plant our roots in the living water we’ll get through any drought. We’ll always bear fruit. But if we are planted in the desert of worldly possessions and false idols, then we’ll whither up and die, just like a dead bush.
Today’s readings are very visual. There are a lot of images. If you attended Sister Mary Ann’s program on prayer last week, you heard her talk about imaging. You close your eyes and imagine yourself in a peaceful place to get ready for prayer. To appreciate today’s readings, we almost need to close our eyes and take in the visual image that the writers are trying to give us.
In the first reading, we read that a man whose heart turns away from the LORD is like a barren bush in the desert. He stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth.
But the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD, is like a tree planted beside the waters. It’s the water that spares us from the dryness of the desert. Even in the year of the drought, the tree still bears fruit. Water equals life.
The theme is repeated in the responsorial psalm.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree planted near running water
That yields its fruit in due season,
And whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Then we come to the Gospel. Jesus tells the Pharisees the story of Lazurus and the rich man. He enjoyed his life on earth. He accumulated a lot of money. But he let the beggar lie at his door. Funny, though, when Lazurus died he was taken by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich guy ended up in the other place, the place of the damned. And he was in torment.
All of a sudden, he knows Lazurus’ name. “Father Abraham,” he says, “send Lazurus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue.” Again, the image of the water. Imagine the arrogance of this guy. He let poor Lazurus starve right under his nose, now he wants him to bring him water. Of course Abraham says “no”. I wonder how many people today think that somehow they’re going to be able to negotiate with God when the end comes?
Next, the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazurus to warn his 5 brothers so they won’t make the same mistake that he made. Abraham says “no” again. Your brothers (and you) had Moses and the prophets and didn’t listen to them. What makes you think your brothers will listen to Lazurus.
“Because they will listen to someone who has come back from the dead.”
Think about how Jesus must have felt telling this story. He knew the truth. He knew He would come back from the dead and many wouldn’t believe him. Even in the twenty-first century, when we have the technology to make a movie showing people how Christ died and that He came back from the dead, many still don’t believe.
Our Catholic tradition is full of references to water. During Lent we take the Holy water out of the fonts to signify the dryness. When Easter comes, the water will return. During the Easter Season, Father will sprinkle us with Holy water at every Sunday mass. The flowers will return to the altar and they will stay fresh because Jeannie Kohnen will carefully water them.
Christ said He was living water. He is our flowing stream. If we plant our roots in the living water we’ll get through any drought. We’ll always bear fruit. But if we are planted in the desert of worldly possessions and false idols, then we’ll whither up and die, just like a dead bush.
posted by Mike at 1:14 PM
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