The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus offers contrasting life situations, with the rich man as the central character and the recipient of a speaking role. In contrast, the poor Lazarus character serves only as a point of reference for the rich man to draw a lesson from, for him and His listeners during that era. In effect, Jesus warns all the filthy rich of their fate at the end of their lives, like the rich man tormented in the netherworld because he was already comforted in this life.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are all stewards of our worldly possessions. That as we journey in life, may we not forget that we are accountable to the creator for these possessions, including our talents and our very lives. In addition, the Gospel reminds us that we are mere stewards of our lives, of everything and everyone in our lives; we are on borrowed time, and God loaned everything to us. The day will come when the Lord will ask an accounting of our stewardship. Lk. 16:2 “Prepare a full account of your stewardship.” There is no such thing as being the sole and permanent owner.

A cross could be a blessing. Every time the priest blesses us, he blesses us with a sign of the cross. Every cross that we carry is a blessing, and every blessing we receive there is a cross.

Why should we be concerned to learn about the things of God? Modern man spends most of their time focused only on the things of this world. They believe that it should be enough for a man. St. John Paul II’s response to this kind of mentality, he explained in his Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Hominis.