26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

Luke 16:19-31 

“...for I am suffering...” (Luke 16:24b)

Humans do not like suffering. Humans love comfort. I hope neither of those are surprising statements. If we take a step back and look at our lives, suffering and comfort often dictate much of what we do and how we do it. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but we ought to frequently evaluate what we are being invited to, rather than allowing convenience to be our guiding light.

In this week’s Gospel, we see that the rich man failed to acknowledge the opportunity for charity on his own doorstep, because he was constantly indulging in the pleasures of this life. During his lifetime, his primary goal was enjoyment and comfort, avoiding suffering at every opportunity. 

Even in the afterlife his focus didn’t shift…. The first words he said formed a request, petitioning Abraham to send the man he had ignored on his front step—whom he seemingly still had not acknowledged directly—to relieve his suffering. This time, it was the unrepentant rich man whose desire was rejected. Here we see a reversal of experience: The rich man was the one who would not receive even a small portion of what he desired.

How often are we so focused on our goals, desires, and comfort that we fail to see the opportunities for charity right in front of us? Even from a selfish point of view, how often do we follow in the rich man’s footsteps and persist when it leads to greater pain and greater suffering under the guise of comfort?

This parable truly poses a challenge to us to evaluate the value we place on comfort and convenience. The life of Christ gave us a new understanding of the value of suffering and the importance of being interruptible. 

I invite you this week to join me in taking a step back and intentionally look for opportunities to treat others with charity and embrace the crosses of daily life with Christ.