Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 4, 2021
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Who do I see myself as in this gospel passage? Am I more like the rich man or more like Lazarus?
Just about every morning I pass through a major exit ramp from a highway onto a busy local road. There is a person there almost every day with a sign asking for assistance. I don’t stop. I don’t give any money. I drive past. My modest Honda Civic is my own “purple garments and fine linens.”
I think that asking for assistance at busy roadways is dangerous, so I don’t support it. I am involved in ministries and organizations that connect members of our local community with resources (I focus my efforts on refugees resettling in the region) and I am very proud of that work. But there is still no doubt in my mind that driving my car past a person asking for help is a modern echo of the rich man stepping over Lazarus.
Most of the time, I don’t feel particularly wealthy. But I have a car, I have a job, I have a fantastic education, and I have a supportive family. There are many among us who have none of those things. The season of Lent is a time that calls us to reexamine our lives in the light of the Gospel. The story of Lazarus and the rich man makes this call very simple and very direct: can we see Christ in the people around us who are most in need of care, love, and support? And, when we see them, how do we respond?
Perhaps the significance, for me at least, of the folks who ask for assistance at busy intersections is much like the significance of Lazarus. They present the need of the world in a way that we simply cannot ignore.
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Prayer
Lord, teach us to be filled with you and emptied of an ego that puts our glory over your glory. Let us be your ambassador. Give us your voice and direct our motives this day that we might produce the fruits of the kingdom. Amen.
Saint of the Day
When a young St. Casimir took a stand against political aggression, he paid a price for it, but the punishment only deepened his commitment to peace.
He was born a prince in 15th century Poland, third in line for the throne. Even as a young child, he was known for his piety and devotion, which was encouraged and strengthened by a holy man who tutored him and other children of the court.
Even though he lived in the royal household, Casimir refused to let luxuries obscure his loyalty to God. He dressed very plainly and slept on the bare ground. He prayed often and used fasting to sharpen his will and faithfulness. He had a great devotion to Mary and gave away what he could to the poor.
When he was 15 years old, nobles in Hungary expressed dissatisfaction with their king, and pleaded with the Polish king, Casimir’s father, to send Casimir to take the throne. Casimir protested, but eventually took on the mission out of obedience to his father.
While he was on his way to Hungary with the Polish army, the Hungarian king organized his own army. As conflict drew near, Polish soldiers began to desert because they had not been paid. Casimir welcomed the advice from his military leaders to return home.
His father was furious that Casimir was not helping him expand his kingdom, and locked Casimir away in a castle for three months. Casimir’s resolution toward peace grew only deeper, and he never again participated in political aggression. Later, his father arranged a marriage for him to unify a part of the kingdom, but he refused because he had dedicated himself to God through a life of chastity.
Casimir was only 23 was when died of lung disease on this date in 1484. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.
This image, from the main cathedral of Lithuania, depicts Casimir with two right hands as a sign of his great generosity to the poor. He holds a rosary—a sign of his life of prayer and devotion to Mary—and a lily—which signifies his purity and innocence.
St. Casimir, patron saint of Poland and Lithuania who dedicated his life to peace and the poor—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Casimir is in the public domain. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
