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TODAY’S GOSPEL READING
28 SEPTEMBER, 2025
Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!
REFLECTION
This parable is a powerful reminder of the eternal consequences of how we live on earth. The rich man lived in selfish comfort, ignoring Lazarus who lay at his gate. His lack of compassion separated him from God, not his wealth itself. Lazarus, though poor and suffering, found eternal comfort in God’s presence. Jesus reveals that the choices we make regarding justice, mercy, and love have eternal weight. Moreover, the passage shows that God has already given humanity sufficient guidance through His Word; the hardness of heart, not lack of evidence, keeps people from repentance.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word that guides us into truth and righteousness. Lord, help us to recognize the Lazarus at our gates—the poor, the suffering, and the neglected—and move our hearts with compassion. Teach us not to be blinded by comfort and self-indulgence but to live generously, faithfully, and mercifully. May we heed Your Word with obedient hearts, so that when our time comes, we may be received into Your eternal presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
