The parable of this Sunday’s gospel (Lk.16:19-31) is perhaps… off-putting to our modern ears: expressions like “the bosom of Abraham,” “the torment of Hades”, “the tents of eternity” – all this may sound rather… alien to us. Still the message of this text is far from irrelevant, in fact: it is most appropriate for people like us: occupied, preoccupied with a thousand things and sometimes forgetting the most important ones!
For my part, I have given this gospel text the title of: ‘The Gospel of: If only… »
As I reflect upon it, all kinds of ideas come to my mind:
‘If only I had said this…’
‘If only I had done that…’
‘If only I had gone there…’
‘If only I had rendered this service…’
‘If only I had accepted this invitation…’
‘If only I had not spoken those words…’
‘If only I had not acted in this way…’
‘If only I had refrained for joining that group…’
The list could go on of what I could or should have done, and what I should have kept away from…
But it is too late now – this thought is surely that of the rich man now experiencing terrible suffering for what he has failed to do.
Because for him, this is precisely the case: he has not insulted or ill-treated the poor man Lazarus. No.
But he has ignored him, he failed to notice his need, he did not answer his silent request for help.
In the past terminology, these ‘abstentions’ were called ‘sins of omissions’.
They were not always seen as serious as the faults we had committed and which we readily listed as ‘sins’. And yet… there is a ‘seriousness’ to omissions which should not be neglected.
There is the story of someone attending the canonization ceremony of a man who had lived in the same village. He had begged much of his life and was often turned away seen as a nuisance by many of the neighbours. The person present at the celebration was obviously nervous and uncomfortable to the point that she could not resist telling another person present: “Of course, if only we had known he was a saint, we would have welcomed him!…”