the necessity of penance and of hope in the promised Redeemer. He sinned, secondly, by immoderate pride . It was not avarice which made him refuse his help to poor Lazarus, whom he passed eveiy day of his life, but pride, which made him despise the poor man and refuse to vouchsafe one glance at him. Pride made him hard hearted and unloving, and his self-love speedily developed into selfishness. He sinned, thirdly, by intemperance (gluttony) in eating and drinking, giving splendid banquets every day, for which reason he is also known as the rich glutton.
The Justice of God. The everlasting reward of Lazarus and the everlasting punishment of the glutton teach us to know the justice of God. But God’s justice is also shown by His temporal reward of the rich man, while on earth, for what little good he had done. Perhaps, in his earlier days, Dives had sometimes prayed, or had given an offering to the Temple; and because God, in His Omniscience, knew that this man would remain impenitent to the end, and would go to hell, He gave him his reward on earth. On the other hand, Lazarus had probably committed sins in his youth. But he had heartily repented of them, and by his misery on earth made satisfaction for them, and suffered his temporal punishment in that way; so that when he died he was at once received into the abode of the just. Nothing that is good is left unrewarded, and nothing that is sinful is left unpunished. Thus the fate of Dives ought to serve as a grave warning to the rich not to forget God or the care of their souls, and to make a right use of their riches, especially by alms-deeds. And the everlasting reward of Lazarus ought to bring consolation to the poor and suffering and teach them not to murmur or lose courage, but to endure all in patience and resignation, fixing their hope on God and His everlasting riches. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Unbelief. He who will not believe the teachers appointed by God (Moses and the prophets under the Old Law, and the Church under the New Law), would not believe, even if one rose from the dead and came to preach to him. Lazarus was called back from the grave by our Lord, and Christ Himself rose from the dead, and yet the majority of the Jews refused to believe!
Application. Whom would you wish to be like, Lazarus or the rich glutton? Would you prefer to spend your short time on earth in eating and drinking, and then suffer the everlasting torments of hell? Or would you rather be poor and humble on earth, and suffer patiently whatever God sends you, and then rejoice for ever in heaven? You must choose: it is a case of heaven or hell! Fear the just God and keep His commandments. Say to-day a prayer to the Holy Ghost for the gift of holy fear.
“In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin” (Ecclus. 7, 40).
