Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 29, 2019
Jesus said to the Pharisees, “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
“The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’
“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’
“He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
A friend recently got into my car and immediately asked, exasperated, “Where do you get your news? I’m so confused.” All of us in the car nodded in agreement. We are worn out from the daily bombardment of over the top words and images which leave us wondering who or what we can believe. We want to know what is true but we are not sure where to go for it.
The rich man’s brothers might have been the same, searching for someone to listen to, but Jesus thought not even someone brought back from the dead would convince them of anything: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” (Aha! A little foreshadowing for those disciples and for us.)
What do we need in order to be convinced that something is true? Instant replay? Testimony under oath? We seem ready to accept realities in this life that we cannot prove such as joy from a toddler, love in a held hand, or loyalty in a friend’s voice. But that bigger reality–God’s love and everlasting life–well, that’s a bit much to just accept without “something more,” right?
That “something more,” the resurrected Christ, sometimes still isn’t enough to convince us. We keep scratching around for earthly proof to win us over. Accepting it all without, “seeing the nail marks in his hands and putting our hands in his side,” feels like a leap too far for our inquisitive minds.
Yet, we try. We gather. We listen. We share a meal and our earthly goods. And, each Easter, we celebrate, in sure and certain hope, that which we have not seen. As Jesus tells us elsewhere in the Gospels, “Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (Jn 20:29) Amen.
Prayer
Loving God, we ask the help of your Spirit to keep us from using our poor brothers and sisters to maintain our own comfort. Compel employers among us to provide living wages to all we employ. Constrain our greed and expand our awareness that we are all one in you, whether rich or poor. Give us the grace to do all we can to assure that the needs of all who are your special favorites – the ones who we most often ignore- are met. We ask for the compassion and justice of Jesus, Your Son and Our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
On today's feast, the Catholic church honors three great angels—Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—for the role they play in salvation history.
The word “angel” comes from the Hebrew word for “messenger.” As a category of spiritual being, angels are unique to the three Abrahamic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In the Catholic theological tradition, angels are purely spiritual beings who possess intellect and will. Angels in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures appear as messengers of God and often announce new developments in God’s saving plan, and help to bring it to fulfillment. The archangels celebrated liturgically are the angels who are given names in the Hebrew Scriptures. No new angels are named in the canonical New Testament, rather the writers of Christian scriptures used the names of angels found already in Hebrew sacred texts. In Christian angelology, there are generally nine choirs of angels, although different theologians rearrange the hierarchy of the choirs slightly. The archangels are a choir within the third sphere of angels, comprised of the lowest three choirs.
In Hebrew, the name Michael means, “Who can compare to God?” Michael appears in Scripture four times—twice in the book of Daniel, once in the letter of Jude, and once in the book of Revelation leading the battle in heaven:
“Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.” (Rev 12:7-9)
Traditionally, Michael is understood to be the prince of the heavenly host of angels, and is invoked by Christians in spiritual fights against temptation and the devil. Michael is also the patron of soldiers, paramedics, and police officers. Saint Michael is depicted in several places on Notre Dame's campus, but most prominently above the east door of the Basilica, as part of the memorial that honors students who fought and died in World War I. Today's featured image is of this depiction.
The archangel Gabriel’s name means, “God is my strength,” and this angel appears three times in Scripture as a messenger: in the book of Daniel to explain a vision, and in Luke's Gospel, announcing the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus. In Islamic tradition, Gabriel brings the beginning of the Quran to Mohammed. Gabriel is the patron of those who deliver messages for a living, such as diplomats, broadcasters, postal workers, communications and public relations professionals. Gabriel is depicted on campus in several places, including this Basilica window that shows the Annunciation.
Finally, the angel Raphael’s name means, “God has healed,” and we know of Raphael from the book of Tobit, where the angel travels with the young Tobias as a healer and companion. Tradition holds that Raphael also was the angel who stirred the waters at the famous healing pool in Bethesda, outside the temple in Jerusalem. Raphael is the patron of travelers, of the sick, and of medical personnel. Raphael has also been invoked to protect young people, especially those leaving home for the first time. A figure of Raphael stands on the exterior of Notre Dame's student medical center, St. Liam's Hall, as shown here.
Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels of God—pray for us!