Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Have you ever waited until the last minute to complete a task? Rushing around and racing against the clock?

I’m sure we have all felt that before…the urgency.

Unfortunately, the rich man did not feel the necessity to help Lazarus. The rich man eats every day while Lazarus, covered with sores, would be happy just to receive the scraps. When both of the men died, Lazarus was at Abraham’s side in the afterlife, and the rich man was in the netherworld suffering in torment. Only then does the rich man realize the cost of his indifference toward Lazarus, but it was already too late for him.

It’s not too late for us. We can easily become indifferent toward the aches and pains of those around us. God calls us to a life of service. In serving and loving others we will find that our capacity to love others is greater than we think. We all have our responsibilities to take care of and they can quickly become a source of stress for us. Sometimes, we can get caught up in our daily routines and fast paced lifestyle that even entertaining a simple conversation with a stranger seems too taxing.

The more we desire things that are fast, we lack loving others with our time. We rush to the next thing as quickly as we can failing to see those around us who are in need of our companionship. We can be indifferent to the needs of those around us becoming blind to their suffering.

The greatest thing we can give others is our time and our presence. Giving others our time means reading that extra book with your kids, calling a loved one you haven’t checked in on in awhile, or just listening to someone who needs a friend. It seems easy but ask yourself if you truly allow yourself to be present with others or are you constantly thinking about other things? Because time is free, but it is priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.

Learning from the rich man and his reversal of fortune after he died, we need to care for those suffering and those who cannot help themselves. Let us not wait until it is too late to love and care for others, but have the urgency to live differently today. Let us strive to glorify God with our time and efforts. Let us remind ourselves to not put off loving our neighbor.

Blessings,

Rhea Moreno

Director of Faith Formation & Family Ministry