Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
DO NOT BE GUILTY OF THE SIN OF OMISSION
Whatever we have in this world is a
blessing from God, who wishes to bless us so that through us others will be
blessed. But this is not often the disposition of most of us. This is obvious
when we reflect on the relationship between the rich and the poor in our
society today. Where the poor are neglected and treated as if they are less human.
This ugly attitude needs to change when we
recall the famous parable of the Lord Jesus in our Gospel passage today, about
Lazarus the poor man and a rich man whose doorstep Lazarus often dwelled,
hoping for the rich man to give him even the scraps of bread and food that fell
from his table, but he was often neglected.
Here, we heard how the poor Lazarus ended up
in Paradise, in the presence of God in heaven with Abraham, enjoying the
fullness of God’s inheritance and grace, no longer suffering the pains and
torments that he had once endured while he was still alive in the world.
Meanwhile, we heard how the rich man descended into the depths of hell,
suffering in agony for eternity, without any hope of respite or escape, and
even when he begged Abraham to send Lazarus for help, that couldn't happen.
But what was the rich man's offence? Is it
because he was rich? No, his sin is that of omission, which is the sin of
neglecting his neighbour Lazarus when he was obviously in the position to help
and provide for him through the excess material goods and providence that God
has blessed him with. He neglected the commandments of God who has called us to
love our neighbours and help the needy. Thus, he has to face the consequences
of his sin of neglecting his neighbour who needed his help.
Hence, in our first reading (Jer 17:5-10), the prophet Jeremiah spoke of the curse that would be against those who followed the
path of disobedience against God and his commandments, those who trust in
themselves and worldly matters more than they trusted in God. Those who trust in God will have the assurance of God’s providence and blessings as
they enjoy his promise of eternal life and everlasting glory just like Lazarus.
Dear friends, the example of the parable
of the rich man and poor Lazarus, calls our attention to the fact that we are
going to be judged not based on what God has blessed us with but, on what we have
done with what God has given us. So it is important to remind ourselves in this
season of Lent, that we must also not be ignorant of the poor Lazaruses around
us. Those who are less fortunate than we are, should not be neglected,
especially those who work for us, our house helps, our poor security personnel,
our poor neighbours, and those we encounter every day in need of our help.
Remember, no one is too poor that he has
nothing to give, even the poor Lazarus offered his sores to dogs who came to
lick them. And no one is so rich that he needs nothing, but, the sin of the rich
man was the sin of omission, this should not be our lot as we ask God for
grace not to neglect the poor Lazarus around us.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, you are the source
of all that we have. As we listen to your words today, grant us we pray, the
grace to be conscious of the poor around us and ensure we help them in their
struggles. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour
and blessings.
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