Indiscriminate In Our Affection
Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from September 30, 2007
"There was a rich man who dined sumptuously every day. And lying at his door was a poor man Lazarus, covered with sores." Luke 16:19-20
When we hear about the rich man we tend to turn off. The gospel is intended for Bill Gates, not middle class people like the rest of us.
Wait a minute, I say to myself. The first reading spells out the style of the rich. "Lying on beds of ivory." Well, I do not have an ivory bed, but I do have a queen-size bed, altogether bigger than needed by a single man. "Stretched comfortably on their couches." Yes, I have more than one couch to choose from when I watch TV. They eat lambs and calves. We Irish have a liking for lamb and veal..Touché. "Improvising to the music of the harp." I prefer the violin myself... "Drink wine from bowls." Even at the Eucharist I do so, and I am not averse to a glass of Merlot. I thought the next line did not apply. "And anoint themselves with the best oils." A few years ago that would not be true, but age and drying skin have made me familiar with Aveeno. Even in my last assignment where I lived with the poor and went without electricity most of the time, no phone or running water, I always had the freedoms of the rich. I could get into a jeep and be in the lap of luxury at Casa de Campo in a few hours. I also knew that at the end of my term I'd be back in one of the richest counties in the USA, Fairfax County of course.
So I'd ask you to consider yourself rich. Jesus challenges us rich to shake off our apathy.
Who attended to Lazarus? The dog. While Sister Benedict had a dog that bit everyone except her, generally dogs are indiscriminate in their affection. There is something about a consumer lifestyle that deadens the sensibilities. "Have pity," is better translated "Be compassionate."
Our compassion needs to show itself in action. It starts with charity. I am glad that many of our visitors at the rectory seek out food and emergency assistance. I am happy that our social worker attends to them with respect. I feel we are also lucky to have a receptionist and office staff that treat all of our parishioners and neighbors with grace and dignity.
Yet, more than charity is necessary. We need to empower the poor, and we need to do justice.
When John Paul came to Yankee Stadium 30 years ago, he quoted from the story of Lazarus and called America to go beyond the "scraps from the master's table," to giving of our substance. "You will want to seek out the structural reasons which foster or cause the different forms of poverty in the world, and in your own country, so that you can apply proper remedies."
Apathy yields to compassion. Compassion shows its face in charity. Charity moves to empowerment. Finally we arrive at the righteousness of the Gospel, at a time when the chasms of inequality are narrowed and Lazarus is fed and humans are indiscrimate in their affection...
"Dogs even used to come and lick his sores."
