Making Friends with the Poor

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has a beggar named Lazarus at his gate…a beggar whom the rich man never notices.  When both of them die, Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham and the rich man is in the netherworld.

    

Then the rich man tells Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool the rich man’s tongue. When the rich man finds out that’s not possible, he has the gall to tell Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his relatives!

 

The rich man never talks directly to Lazarus.  And right there is the nub of the problem.

Do you have friends who are poor?  Are there poor people living in your neighborhood? How good are you at welcoming people who live on the fringes of life?

   

In the light of this weekend’s readings I know that I have to do a better job of reaching out to people who are poor. And I also have to live with less myself. 

   

Today’s the feast of St. Vincent de Paul. It’s a great day to write a check to the St. Vincent de Paul Society! It won’t solve everything, but it’s at least a way to make a difference.