The Rich and The Poor

By: Jose Paulo Alcantara

Gospel Reflection #2


Gospel: Lk 16:19-31


There was a poor man named Lazarus that would always be outside a rich man’s door waiting for the scraps that would fall from the rich man’s table. When he died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. When the rich man died and was buried, he raised his eyes from the netherworld and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. He asked Abraham to have pity on him. Abraham said to him that he received what was good during his lifetime while Lazarus received what was bad. The rich man then begged for Abraham to send Lazarus and warn his brothers but Abraham told him that they still have Moses and the prophets to listen to.


We are like the rich man; almost everything we need to survive is given to us by our parents. Because of that, most of us become ignorant of those suffering around us. We are blinded by our want for material things and because of that; we are unable to see those that are in need of our help. We must always remember that the needs of mankind must always be prioritized over our wants.


We must put aside our wants and make sure that everyone is given the resources they need to survive. We cannot bring material things with us when we die that is why we must prioritize not only our physical needs, but also our spiritual needs. God does not care if we are financially successful; He cares on how rich we are spiritually. I hope we learn to treat each other as equals, the same way God sees us.