from Fr Bogdan
Sisters and Brothers,
I would like to ask two simple questions. The first one is: what is the biggest sin that people can commit? And I think the answer could be something like killing, stealing, or betraying friends. Maybe in Australia some people would say – to be judgemental. These would be the biggest sins. And the second question: why are we not very willing to go regularly to confession? And again, I think I know answer – because we would say that we did not kill anyone, because we do not steal, and so, we do not feel we should go to confess anything. In fact, I believe I am a good person.
Today Jesus told us an interesting parable. It is the story about two men, one of them is rich and the other one is poor. But we do not have any information about what they actually did. We just know that one enjoyed his life but the other one not at all. Yet, Jesus did not accuse the rich man of any crime. The rich man was not a killer and probably he did not steal anything from people. If he goes to a court today it would be very hard to find anything against him. No evidence. No crime.
So, if he did not do anything wrong, why is he so harshly judged? Why do we not like him?
It is very easy to see people’s deeds and actions. They are shouting to us, they are obvious. We can recognize evil acts from a distance. But Jesus does not criticize the rich man for any of his actions. In fact, that man did not do much at all. Jesus is unhappy about the lack of the rich man’s positive works. We see the cold heart of a rich man. We see his indifference to Lazarus’s suffering. The rich man is a merciless person, a person who does not hurt another, but who does not care about them either. Probably he believed he was a good person because he did not commit any crime.
Who of us does not value peace and a quiet life? Who of us does not want to be far from the busy, noisy world and to have a peaceful time? We are not violent people; we are not criminals. We just want to enjoy the goods we worked for all our lives. But a cold heart and the indifference to others suffering is a sin in itself. We cannot be blind to people’s needs; we cannot be deaf to people’s crying. Often, we say: “I confess to almighty God… what I have done and what I have failed to do”. We have to confess our lack of love, lack of charity.
Let today’s Gospel remind us that we should seek forgiveness of God and our neighbours. Let us confess our lack of mercy.
Have a blessed week,
Fr. Bogdan
I would like to ask two simple questions. The first one is: what is the biggest sin that people can commit? And I think the answer could be something like killing, stealing, or betraying friends. Maybe in Australia some people would say – to be judgemental. These would be the biggest sins. And the second question: why are we not very willing to go regularly to confession? And again, I think I know answer – because we would say that we did not kill anyone, because we do not steal, and so, we do not feel we should go to confess anything. In fact, I believe I am a good person.
Today Jesus told us an interesting parable. It is the story about two men, one of them is rich and the other one is poor. But we do not have any information about what they actually did. We just know that one enjoyed his life but the other one not at all. Yet, Jesus did not accuse the rich man of any crime. The rich man was not a killer and probably he did not steal anything from people. If he goes to a court today it would be very hard to find anything against him. No evidence. No crime.
So, if he did not do anything wrong, why is he so harshly judged? Why do we not like him?
It is very easy to see people’s deeds and actions. They are shouting to us, they are obvious. We can recognize evil acts from a distance. But Jesus does not criticize the rich man for any of his actions. In fact, that man did not do much at all. Jesus is unhappy about the lack of the rich man’s positive works. We see the cold heart of a rich man. We see his indifference to Lazarus’s suffering. The rich man is a merciless person, a person who does not hurt another, but who does not care about them either. Probably he believed he was a good person because he did not commit any crime.
Who of us does not value peace and a quiet life? Who of us does not want to be far from the busy, noisy world and to have a peaceful time? We are not violent people; we are not criminals. We just want to enjoy the goods we worked for all our lives. But a cold heart and the indifference to others suffering is a sin in itself. We cannot be blind to people’s needs; we cannot be deaf to people’s crying. Often, we say: “I confess to almighty God… what I have done and what I have failed to do”. We have to confess our lack of love, lack of charity.
Let today’s Gospel remind us that we should seek forgiveness of God and our neighbours. Let us confess our lack of mercy.
Have a blessed week,
Fr. Bogdan