3/5/2015 – Thursday of the 2nd week of Lent – Luke 16:19-31

       Today, as we hear the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, I think of some of statistics I recently saw regarding poverty and income inequality in the United States.  One article talked about the population of the Silicon Valley in northern California with rich communities like Palo Alto and San Jose.  One in three children in those communities as said to be at risk of hunger.  Another article stated that for 38 months in a row, more the 46 million Americans receive food stamps, including one in five children.  And in newspapers and on the internet you will find numerous articles about the increase in wealth inequality and income inequality in our country.  In 1970, the top 1% wealthy individuals in the US earned about 10% of the total income – now it is more that 20% of total income and growing.   One recent study claims that the gap in the wealth that different American households have accumulated is more extreme now than any at time since the Great Depression in the 1930s.  And I have just been describing the inequalities in our own country.  Imagine if I described what is going on around the world. 

         In light of what it going on in our own country, we hear the story of Lazarus today.  In our Catholic faith, just like in the Jewish faith, salvation on a personal level is important, but salvation on a community level is also a part of the story.  The rich man was unable to see Lazarus as his brother in need, even though Lazarus was there on his doorstep right before his very eyes.  In Ancient Israel, the prophets proclaimed again and again that a society is judged based on how it cares for the least in society.  In Israel, this was the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.  Perhaps the story of Lazarus and our story is the same.  Perhaps we need to open our eyes and look into our hearts to see what is going on right before us.  May we hear the cry of the poor.  And may it motivate our words and our actions.