Let’s love them now
september 28, 2025 | 26th sunday in ordinary time, Year C
Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:11-16. Luke 16:19-31
In Evangelii Gaudium, on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world, the late Holy Father Pope Francis, stated,
“Today and always, “the poor are the privileged recipients of the Gospel” […]there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them.” (2013, #48).
Jesus gives the parable of the rich man who lived in luxury and the poor beggar Lazarus. He points out the reversal of fortunes after death. The rich man who was completely indifferent to Lazarus’s condition went to hell fire and the poor Lazarus was taken to heaven. In the first reading, Prophet Amos warned us against the spirit of complacency and luxury lifestyle, which excludes the poor. Whether rich or poor, our life is a gift that should be lived for others. Rather, we are to imitate God, who secures justice for the oppressed, provides for the hungry, and gives sight to the blind. This is the fight St. Paul urges us to fight, “fight the good fight” of faith, peace, love, reconciliation, forgiveness and justice for All. This spiritual battle against evil and the sin of selfishness and greed, exclusion and marginalization of those who are poor, powerless and weak. Mother Teresa reminds us that, the poor
“[They] need our hands to serve them, and [they] need our heart to love them" Let’s love them now.
Sin of Omission:
Today’s parable underscores sins of omission, where the rich man's failure to see and help the poor Lazarus. Failing to see the need of Lazarus was the cause of his led to his condemnation. Indifference is the opposite of love yet it can lead to spiritual gratification. St. James tells us,
"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:17)
Action and Compassion:
By telling this parable, Jesus intends to move us from self-absorbed comfort to an active love of others. We should offer our compassion and practical help to the poor and marginalized around us. St. John Chrysostom instructs us,
“If you have two pairs of shoes one belongs to the poor. God has allowed you to have more not to waste on drink... but for you to distribute to those in need".
Our response to the needs of those around us will determine our eternal destiny. On the day of our judgement, the King will say:
‘”Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Happy 26th Sunday!
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC
Living The Gospel This week. What are some examples of sins of omission?
With the message of today’s parable, let’s first see how the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the sin of omission, highlighting some of them.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a sin of omission as a failure to perform a good that one is obliged to do toward God or one's neighbor (#1853). Such an obligation lies within one's power and done with knowledge and deliberate will.
Sins of omission vary in their gravity. For example, if I were to choose not to attend Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation with full knowledge and deliberate consent, then I would be morally culpable. (CCC 2181, 2182). The sin of euthanasia where omission leads to death (CCC 2277). One could also be venially culpable for a lighter sin of omission (Not washing the dishes due to my laziness. We could also meditate in Jesus’ list of the corporal works of mercy in Matthew 25:31-46 as a list of some sins of omission. We conclude with St. Thomas Aquinas’s articulation of the first principle of morality:
“Good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided” (Summa Theologiae, I-II: 94:2).
Morality doesn’t just consist of avoiding evil but also doing good.