March 4th, Thursday, Second Week of Lent

Jeremiah 17: 5-10, Psalm 1: 1-2, 3, 4 and 6, Luke 16: 19-31

The theme of today’s readings is living a righteous life: one guided by “the law of the Lord,” trusting in God’s care and treating others with justice and kindness.

The Gospel reading is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The details in the story are minimal. We can infer that during his lifetime the rich man did nothing to relieve the suffering of Lazarus. However, the story tells us nothing about the interaction between the two men. Did the rich man even notice Lazarus crouched in the gutter as he emerged from his compound? Or did the rich man verbally abuse Lazarus exhorting him to move away from his property?

We do not have to look far to identify the people in our community who fulfill the role of the unwanted and scorned. The problem is to “see” their need and identify a course of action.

Today’s reading brought to mind the experience of a friend who was nominated for a Teacher of the Year award. She was certainly a worthy candidate for such an honor. She did many things above and beyond her responsibilities as an educator, starting after-school clubs for at-risk students and working extensively with their parents to improve support for education at home. To move forward in the award process my friend had to complete a rather lengthy application. In preparation, she researched the previous year’s winner on the foundation’s website. That teacher had organized community groups to start a homeless shelter for families. My friend was filled with self-doubt: were her efforts on behalf of students significant? Would the review panel find her work worthy of recognition? In the end, my friend was paralyzed by her self-examination and never completed the application.

My reflection on today’s gospel raised questions which I still need to answer:
• Do I recognize those who are suffering in my community or have I become “blind” to the needs of those around me?
• What action should I take to relieve the physical or emotional suffering of others?
• Sometimes I feel paralyzed. There are so many needs. How do I balance the demands of daily life with the gospel call to help others?
• Are my efforts “worthy” to be deemed as living a righteous life?

Lore Levene, Educator, married to Dave, mother of two and grandmother of two.