One Sunday, a father gave his little son a dollar and a quarter, suggesting that he could put either of them in the offering plate. When the service was over, and they were on their way home, the father asked the boy which he put in, the dollar or the quarter. “Well, Dad,” said the boy, “at first I thought I would put in the dollar. Then I remembered that God loves a cheerful giver, and I figured God would love me more if I put in the quarter too, because that would make me more cheerful.”
I think the little boy was right. Whenever we make a gift from the heart and make another person’s life better, it brings great joy to the giver and the receiver.
As we have now begun the Lenten season, I ask you to utilize this time to make a personal sacrifice for the Lord. Do you remember the parable that Jesus told in Luke’s Gospel about the rich man (Dives) and the poor man, Lazarus? (Lk 16:19-31). This parable is one of my favorite Gospel stories because it provides clear and distinct teaching about Jesus’ expectations. One of the saddest aspects of this parable and one of the most sobering is that the rich man raised his eyes and saw Lazarus (v.23) only when it was too late for him to redeem himself.
During his ministry, Jesus had announced, “The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them” (Mk 14:7). Jesus had also indicated that the care of the poor and needy was the criterion of judgment for entering into the reign of God: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers (and sisters) of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). Nevertheless, many of Jesus’ contemporaries and followers through the centuries made the same mistake as the rich man in this parable. By neglecting the poor, by failing to see the poor in their midst, they (we) have lost an opportunity for perpetual union with God in Christ.
Notice that this parable (unlike its sister parable, Luke 16:1-8, which was directed at Jesus’ Disciples) is told in response to the criticism of the Pharisees, who, as Luke told us, “loved money, heard all these things, and sneered at him (Jesus)” (v.14). Because of their fastidiousness in keeping the law, the Pharisees regarded themselves as justified before God and humankind (v. 16).
When Jesus unfolded his narrative about Lazarus and the rich man, they probably envisioned themselves comfortably ensconced with Abraham in paradise. But, as Jesus’ parable indicated, attentiveness to the minutiae of the law will not suffice; rather, attention to the cries of the poor and the Lazaruses at the gate will secure a place with Abraham in eternity. However, those who neglect their responsibilities to the poor in this life will find their fortunes reversed in the next.
In this parable, we find that one of the featured characters is named, and that is not by coincidence. The name Lazarus literally means “he whom God helps or loves.” (People mistakenly presume that this man was the same Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary, and good friend of Jesus, but this is a different man. (Jn 11).
Jesus’ point in this parable is direct, straightforward and blunt. He challenged his listeners to “share your abundance with someone in need.” That person may be on your doorstep or someone you may never meet. Over and over again, we are warned that wealth carries obligations and poses dangers. Remember Christ’s words to the rich young man: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor.” But there is an even more fundamental message in this Gospel? The message is calling us to awareness! It is so easy to allow ourselves to become insulated from the genuine needs of others. Burdened with our day-to-day responsibilities or the difficulties of a tough economy, we can often neglect others’ desperate needs. But Jesus makes it clear — we have to make some efforts to be aware of others’ sufferings.
The sin of Dives (the name traditionally given to the rich man in the parable) was not that he did unkind things to Lazarus. The sin was that he just never noticed. Are you aware of the voices calling out to you from others in need? You, too, have voices calling out to you, from Scripture certainly, but also from the inner city of Camden, from places where people suffer hunger, thirst and persecution, from seminarians in need, from those supported by Catholic Charities, from the elderly in our nursing homes, from persons with disabilities, and some of the most impoverished people in our diocese. And all of these people call out to us through the House of Charity – Bishops Annual Appeal. Can we afford to close our ears to the many Lazaruses who cry out to us for help?
Once again, dear brothers and sisters, I cry out to you on behalf of those who have no voice. I urge you to please make your sacrificial pledge to the House of Charity – Bishops Annual Appeal today. I served as the former executive director of this campaign in the past. We ensured all donors that these funds could only be used for those purposes. That is why the diocese reports how these funds are distributed every year. As restricted funds, your donation to the House of Charity can only be used as described by law.
Last year was a challenging year with the pandemic. You can imagine how the needs of the poor and marginalized have escalated. We need your help. I realize that I am asking you to be generous during a challenging economic period, but I trust that God always blesses the generous heart.
When I was a young boy, and the church required us to collect door to door for the House of Charity, my mother always said, “Just remember, it is always better to be on the giving end of the House of Charity than to have to be on the receiving end.”
Whenever we make a gift from the heart and make another person’s life better, it brings great joy to the giver and the receiver. As Jesus taught us, “The poor you will have with you always, and whenever you wish, you can do good to them.”
May God bless you for all you do, and I thank you in advance for your support of the House of Charity – Bishop’s Annual Appeal.
Msgr. Louis Marucci, pastor of Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish, Gibbsboro, is the former executive director of the House of Charity – Bishop’s Annual Appeal.
You can make a donation to the House of Charity here: https://www.camdendiocese.org/hoc/
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
