Every time I heard today’s gospel as a child, it was crystal clear who the good and bad guys were. It was easy to judge the rich man for his callousness to someone so desperately in need. It made me feel superior and smug in my belief that I would never be like that ‘rich man’. It was so tidy . 

However, as adults we know Jesus’ parables are not so tidy.  Jesus is using Lazarus and the rich man to challenge us to see and hear who we are failing to see and hear in our own lives. Who am I missing?  What can’t I hear?  Given the chaos in our world that is constantly creating so many more “Lazaruses”, how can I even see them all? How can I respond to such pain and overwhelming suffering?

The short answer is that I can’t, none of us can. But I can see the “Lazaruses” in my neighborhood. I can also join with others who are trying to reduce some aspect of human misery. For example, many people in  Nebraska  petitioned and wrote letters to our Governor to change his mind about accepting federal aid to feed children this summer. He finally relented and agreed to accept this funding. Will there still be hungry children in Nebraska this summer? Yes, but thanks to the people who saw and heard and acted on this issue, there won’t be as many.

We can’t end all suffering, but we are all called to do something.     

“We become the vehicles, the instruments of God’s compassion.
Every time we open ourselves to the needs of others,
God uses us to show them the meaning of love.”
Cardinal Basil Hume