PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN & LAZARUS

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus tells the story of a man who enjoyed the luxury of his wealth. At his doorstep stayed a poor beggar named Lazarus whose hunger would have been satisfied by the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Both of them died. Lazarus was carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham while the rich man suffered the torment of his place in the netherworld. Father Abraham denied the rich man's request for a dip of water from Lazarus because of a chasm between them. He also denied the request to warn the rich man's five brothers of their lifestyle which will eventually lead them to the place of torment.

The parable has some significant points to consider:

1.The Sin of Omission on the part of the rich man- He failed to share his blessings with the needy (Lazarus). He was so self-centered, totally obsessed with the I-Me-Myself syndrome that he hardly noticed the existence of Lazarus. Such indifference/ insensitivity to his neighbor's needs in the midst of the rich man's bounty led to his assigned fate of timeless torment and pain. The Bible refers to God's message about indifference and the people who are indifferent, " I shall vomit you from my mouth."

This reminded me of parts of a poem I learned in Grade VI ( ages ago ) called " The Sin of Omission" by Margaret Sangster ( that's the poet's name, I remember ):

It isn't the thing you do, Dear,

It's the thing you leave undone

That gives you a bit of heartache

At the setting of the sun.

The tender word forgotten

The letter you did not write

The flowers you might have sent, dear,

Are your haunting ghosts tonight.

As children of God, let us always remember to share our blessings of time, talent and treasure with others. Also, to be always aware of the fact that we are judged not only by what we do, by what we cause others to do and, more importantly, but by what we F A I L to do!

Matthew 25: 40 says " Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for Me." Our Catholic Church provides avenues for works of mercy into two categories:

1. Corporal Works of Mercy ( oriented to the Body )

= To feed the hungry

= To give drink to the thirsty

= To clothe the naked

= To shelter the homeless

= To visit the sick

= To ransom the captiv

= To bury the dead

2. Spiritual Works of Mercy ( oriented to the Soul )

= To bear wrongs patiently

= To forgive offences willingly

= To comfortt the afflicted

= To pray for the living and the dead

And for those who are specially skilled and trained:

= To instruct the ignorant

= To counsel the doubtful

= To admonish sinners

2. Life After death through our Immortal Soul - We believe that life does not end by death; it is only changed; there is life after death! Despite the separation of the immortal soul from the physical body, its " memory " continues to exist (the rich man remembering his five brothers). In addition, the rich man " interceded " for the welfare of his brothers. Thus, while the souls of the faithful departed can no longer pray for themselves, they can intercede for the living.

3. God's Judgment is Received Upon Death - According to the teachings of our Church Fathers (St. Mark Eugenieus played a starring role) from the Council of Ferrara-Florence, the souls of the dead are judged and assigned to the Biblical Hades or Sheol which is actually a place for both the "good" and the "bad." The souls of the righteous and the repentant are conducted by angels to the right side while the souls of those considered "bad" are confined on the left side. The place is a foretaste of both heaven and hell. In the other life, this place, everyone will see God and His Glory which means that the Light of God will shine upon all of them. But Divine Light will shine on the Righteous giving them peace and communion with God while the Unrighteous will experience the Caustic Burning Energy of the Light which causes pain and torment. Thus, according to the degree of their "cure" or "illness" people's souls receive the same Grace either as Light or as Fire.

Remember what Christ said about the coming Judgment, " All will see the Judge, all will converse with Him, but some will enjoy His Glory and others will experience the caustic energy of His Divine Grace."

The Second Coming of Christ will be the Final Judgment when final damnation or Hell begins. Therefore, we need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed especially for those who do not have anyone to pray for them.

4. The Existence of Angels - The parable clearly states the presence of the angels in conducting Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham and of leading souls to their respective places in "Hades" or "Sheol."

Angels were first mentioned in Scripture in Genesis 3:24 which relates the fall of man and Adam and Eve's departure from Eden. God placed the Cherubim, an angel and the flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Angels are spiritual beings who serve as warriors fighting God's battles as St. Michael, the messengers of God's Word or healing as St. Gabriel and St. Raphael and generally as protectors of God's creation. The Seraphim,, the highest tier of angels surround our Lord with songs of praise endlessly. It is our Catholic belief that every human being born into this world is given a Guardian Angel by God. Hence, we should invoke our Guardian Angels daily for his protection and help.

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THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines "prodigal" as recklessly extravagant, lavish, yielding abundantly, profuse. The term can be used both in the positive and negative sense. The younger son in the parable was extravagant in a negative way while the father was extravagant in a positive way.

The favorite Christian symbol of the Early Church was of a joyful shepherd carrying a sheep in his back between the shoulders. The image showed clearly the heart of God in His readiness to welcome repentant sinners. It brings to light the Gospel truth of a good and rejoicing God (Shepherd) and His previously terrified sinners (sheep) restored to His fold.

Free will is God's gift to each and everyone of us. Our gift of free will is always with us. Everyday of our lives is filled with moments calling for decisive action. Whether we respond to satisfy our worldly desires as instant gratification or to honor a conviction/value which may require discomfort, pain and sacrifice depends upon the exercise of our free will. Even in extreme circumstances as in concentration camps or prison halls, our choice of action is at play. As Viktor Frankl, scientist and survivor of Auschwitz said," Between the stimulus and response is a space - a space where you have the power of choice to act, as whether to give a dying man your only day's meal of a bowl of soup or not."

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger son freely asked and received his inheritance, left his home for parts unknown and squandered his money on loose living. The son believed that he deserved his inheritance and that his father owed him his inheritance. Likewise, some of us children of God have the mistaken notion that we deserve and merit the blessings that are given to us. It is folly to think of God's gift as debts owed to us! This is a sinful state, a departure from the true essence of God's love. Such a state will undeniably lead to the ruin of man by sin.

The father in the parable complied with the younger son's wish to get his inheritance for immediate use. This compliance, though rarely granted in Jewish society, showed the father's attitude to the freedom of choice. It showed his willingness to do things out of love. It is this unconditional love that caused him to welcome wholeheartedly his "wayward" son which must have caused him undue pain and worry. The father in this parable represents God whose incomprehensible, unchanging and unconditional love for His people is beyond understanding. He welcomes each and everyone of us who truly repents back into His fold. How truly great is our God !!!

This parable always brings to mind, one of my favorite daily prayers :

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
In verdant pastures, He gives me repose,
Beside restful waters He leads me; He refreshes my soul
He guides me in right paths for His names's sake
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff that give me courage
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.

HOLY COMMUNION PRAYERS

In addition to the earlier blog on prayers I have used for so many years, are the following:

BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION (Said after the Act of Contrition)

Oh my Jesus, I believe in you, increase my faith
Oh my Jesus, I trust in You, strengthen my trust
Oh my Jesus, I love you, let me love you more and more.
Oh my Jesus, I am sorry for my sins, deepen my sorrow.
Oh my Jesus, I hope in you in all things, I thank you in all thngs.

I worship you as my first beginning
I long for you as my last end
I call on you as my constant companion
I praise you as my loving protector.

Guide me with your wisdom
Correct me with your justice
Comfort me with your mercy
Protect me with your power.

Lord, I offer my thoughts to you
My words to have you as my theme
My actions to reflect my love for you
My sufferings to be endured for your greater glory.

Help me to do what you ask of me
In the way you ask
For as long as you ask
Because you ask it.

AFTER HOLY COMMUNION

Lord, I believe I have received your Body, your Blood, your Soul,
your Divinity. Thank you, Lord, for coming into my life. Wash away my iniquities, O Lord, and cleanse me from my sins.

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Oh, good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malignant enemy, defend me
At the hour of my death, call me
Bid me come to Thee
That I with Thy saints I may praise Thee forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE THE CRUCIFIX
(Plenary Indulgence When Said After Holy Communion)

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus
As before Thy feet I humbly kneel
And with burning soul pray and beseech Thee
To fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity
True contrition for my sins, a firm purpose of amendment
The while I contemplate, pondering within me
The words which your servant David said of Thee, dear Jesus
"They pierced my hands and my feet
They have numbered all my bones."

( Say 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory be to the Father)

In these recent blogs, I have shared the prayers that have been the core of my moments with God. They help nourish my intimate relationship with Him. After all, isn't a living relationship with our Creator the purpose for which we were created?

True,we can have a belief in God- a connection that God exists but still have a "broken" relationship with Him. For example, there are Sunday-worshipper-Catholics who are actually tainted with sins that are seriously in opposition to God's commandments, as some legislators who support abortion. When we proclaim we believe in God as in the Creed in Sunday Liturgy, we say that we have a dynamic movement/effort to surrender our lives towards God and His teachings. Our belief is a "plunging-in", a "no-holds-barred" obedience to our Faith, as St. Paul declares. That is why, it is important to be vigilant in nourishing our relationship with God daily. Absence of these daily moments with God can slowly dampen your devotion to Him. Growing cold spiritually can slowly but surely ruin your relationship with your Lord and Savior.

I sound like a broken record in this regard but as the quality of everyday life in this era of phenomenal technology and demanding family, office and social obligations cramp up your daily hours, it requires deliberate
"discipline" to live the Christian life. A healthy spiritual dimension of your life is like the rudder that helps you sail the sea of life amidst its inevitable storms and tempests along the way.You can discern how to stand firm in your faith through winds of adversity. More importantly, the walk with God begins with prayer and the moments you share with Him provide the opportunity for God to reveal Himself to you! As your intimate relationship with Him develops, you grow closer and the more you'll trust Him. This is true in any relationship as with a friend. The more time you spend with a friend and learn more about him/her, the more likely you will trust and rely upon him/her. As your relationship with God blossoms, your trust in Him grows, then you become confident that nothing happens in your life without the knowledge, permission and purpose of GOD.

Hence, renew your commitment to God - Daily, an

Invaluable Discipline !!!

MY FAVORITE PRAYERS

In answer to Marissa's question, "Mom, what are your favorite prayers?" I have decided to share them with all of you. These are prayers I have learned by heart and used for so many years!

Morning Prayers

Oh Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee my prayers, works, joys, sufferings of this day for all the intentions of the Sacred Heart, in union with the sacrifice of the Mass celebrated through out the world , in reparation for all my sins, for all the intentions of my associates and in particular, for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

Lord, I lay all my plans before you today. Help me to accomplish them according to your will. Help me to see you in all the people I will meet today and help them to see you in me.

Oh, that you would bless me and every member of my family (I name everyone) indeed and enlarge our territory; that your Hand would be with each of us and that you would keep us from evil; that we may not cause pain. Please bless us Lord with wisdom, health of mind and body and gifted hands. Thank you, Lord , for all your blessings. Praise the Lord. Alllelulia!

Oh, my Queen, Oh, my Mother, I give myself entirely to Thee

And to show my devotion to Thee, I consecrate to Thee this day

My eyes, my ears, my heart, my whole being without reserve

Wherefore dear Mother, as I am Thine own

Keep me, guard me as Thy property and possession. Amen.

Evening Prayers

Thank you, Lord, for this day especially for ( specify). Thank you for helping me in (specify instances). I am sorry for the sins and failures I have committed today (specify).

Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee

And I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell

But most of all because I offended Thee, my God

Who art so good and deserving of all my love

I firmly resolve to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.

Now, I lay my body down to sleep, I pray my Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray my Lord, my soul to take.

Daily Prayers

The Lord is my Shepherd, There is nothing I shall want

In verdant pastures He gives me repose, Beside restful waters He leads me

He refreshes my soul, He guides me in the right path for His name's sake

Yea, though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil

Thy rod and Thy staff give me courage

Thou preparest a table before me in the sight of my foes

Thou anointest my head with oil, My cup runneth over

Truly, goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life

And I shall dwell in the House of my Lord

For years to come. ( Psalm 23 )

Learning Christ

Teach me, O Lord, to be sweet and gentle in all events of life

In disappointments and in sorrow

In the thoughtlessness of others

In the insincerity of those whom I trust

In the unfaithfulness of those upon whom I rely

Let me put myself aside to think of the happiness of others

To hide my little pains and heartaches so that I may be the only one to suffer from them

Teach me to profit from every suffering that comes across my path

Let me so use it that it may mellow me not harden and embitter me

That it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, haughty or overbearing

May no one be less good for having come within my influence

No one less true, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in my journey to eternal life

As I go my rounds from one distraction to another

Let me from time to time whisper a word of love to you

May my life be lived in the supernatural

Full of power for good and strong in its purpose of sanctity.

Prayer to the Sacred Heart (1)

Oh, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you

Whatever may befall me, Lord, though dark the hour may be

In all my joys, in all my woes, though naught but grief I see

Oh, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you.

When all I love have passed away and I am sore distressed

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fly to Thee for rest

In all my trials great or small, my confidence shall be

Unshaken as I cry, "I place my trust in you!"

This is my own sweet prayer, dear Lord, my faith, my trust, my love

But most of all in that last hour when death points up above

Ah, my sweet Savior, may Thy face smile on my soul set free

Oh, may I cry with rapturous love, "I have placed my trust in Thee!"

Prayer to the Sacred Heart (2)

O Most Holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing

I adore you, I love you and with a lively sorrow for my sins

Offer you this poor heart of mine

Make me humble, patient, pure, holy and obedient to your will

Grant that I may live in you and for you

Protect me in the midst of danger

Comfort me in my affliction

Assistance in my temporal needs

Health of mind and body

Your blessing in all that I do

And the grace of a holy death. Amen.

Prayer to Sto. Nino

O Miraculous Infant Jesus, prostrate before Thy sacred image

We beseech Thee to cast a merciful look on our troubled hearts

Let your tender heart so inclined to pity be softened by our prayers

And grant us the grace for which we ardently implore Thee

Take from us all illness and misery, all trials and misfortune for which we are laden

For your Sacred Infancy's sake, hear our prayers

And send us your consolation and aid

That we may praise Thee forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to the Icon of Jesus

O Jesus, my God and my All, Your eyes are focused on me

To ease the pain and bitter sorrow, To strengthen me for my tomorrow.

To tell me I am a chosen vessel, For the blessings your righteous hand bestows

Blessings to enjoy and share with others, Be multiplied among God's members.

To assure me the pleadings of my contrite heart, You heard them all right from the start

The sins and frivolities of my youth, Forgiven, all brokenness now healed in truth.

To affirm your Divine Favor upon me, And to every member of my family

The wisdom, discernment and compassion we hold, All come from your favor on us, O Lord.

I thank you, dear Jesus for your mercy and love

I thank you for your loving care from above

I thank you for all the blessings you give

Always I will thank you as long as I live.

Prayer For a Happy Death

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life and for the blessing to be among those who

know you are the Son of God

Thank you for my sight that makes me see all the wondrous things you have made

and for my soul that helps me see beyond my sight

Thank you for all things especially my heart in which you placed magnetic seeds of

grace that draw me forever nearer to your love

Yet, as the years go by, Lord, I worry for the yoke and pain how my life would end

When the time comes for me to leave here below

Do not call me by a sudden death

Not by an accident that tears the body apart

Not by an illness that leaves the mind confused and the senses impaired

Not by a malady that wears out the soul or at the mercy of evil forces

Not alone, abandoned without love or care

Not by my own hand in a moment of despair

Jesus, let Death come as a gentle Friend

To sit and linger with me, for a short while, until you call my name

Then let me enter your Heavenly Home and be near you forever

And see the countenance of your Holy Face.