St. Joseph's Catholic Church

Seeing the Lazarus at our Gate

The Gospel today gives us the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man dressed well and feasted every day, while Lazarus, poor and sick, lay at his gate longing for scraps. Notice: the rich man was not condemned because he was rich, but because he closed his heart to the suffering right in front of him. His sin was not cruelty, but indifference.

Lazarus, whose very name means “God helps,” had no one else, yet God did not forget him. He who was despised on earth was carried by angels into heaven. Meanwhile, the rich man who had everything but failed to love found himself in torment. The great reversal reminds us that God’s justice sees what the world often ignores.

This parable speaks to us today. Who is the Lazarus at my gate? Perhaps it is the hungry family, the lonely neighbor, the homeless person, the elderly person who feels forgotten, or even someone in my own home in need of attention and love. The question is: do I see them, or do I look away?

Abraham tells the rich man: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” We too have the Word of God, the Gospel, and the teaching of the Church. We don’t need a miracle or a vision to change our lives—God has already spoken. The time to act with love and mercy is now.

Brothers and sisters, let us pray for eyes that see and hearts that respond. May we never walk past the Lazarus at our door, but instead recognize in them the face of Christ, so that one day, like Lazarus, we too may be carried by angels into God’s eternal embrace.