Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Thursday, March 21, 2019

Why did the rich man go to hell? We are not told that he acquired his wealth by foul means. The reason we have difficulty pinpointing why the rich man went to hell may have a lot to do with how we think of sin. We often think that we sin only through thoughts, words, and deeds. We forget that a fourth and very important way we can sin is through our omissions. Yet we forget this last criterion, the sin of omission. The rich man of Lk 16:19-31, saw Lazarus hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked and sick–but he chose not to see him. He was spiritually blind and thus, he did not see. In not seeing, he did not act and in not acting, he omitted the compassion and sharing he should have given Lazarus. So the rich man is condemned for his sin of omission. Today the Lord challenges us to enter the world of the other and let the other to enter our world. That, in a sense, is what Jesus himself did. He entered our world and invites us to enter his world. We can do the same for each other. When we cross the threshold into the world of the other, into the world of those who are very different from us in all kinds of ways, we may discover that we not only have something to give the other but a great deal to receive as well. Shalom!