Thursday of the Second Week

Reflection

Today's readings give us the opportunity to reflect on where we put our faith. It's so easy, especially these days, to believe that we can solve our anxieties with "things" and that the greatest goal in life is material wealth, which offers us the opportunity to buy even more "things." Our highly consumerist society would like us to believe that there is not a need out there that cannot be met with a purchase, not a discomfort that can't be alleviated with a medication, not a trouble that can't be avoided by entertainment at our fingertips on a glowing screen, large or small.

But, when we put our faith in peace through purchases and external distractions, we're missing the opportunity to find our faith within. We are so busy trying to buy it that we have lost sight that it is ours for free if we remember how and where to look. It's not in the words, but in the silences. It's not in our busyness, but in our stillness. It's not in a feast for ourselves who are full, but in creating a feast for those who are hungry.

We, like the rich man in the story of Lazarus, have been given all the information we need, but yet we remain unconvinced. It's easier to live on the surface than take the time to look deep within us and within others to find the Divine. We feel refreshed when we take the time to serve others, to meditate, to pray, to be part of a spiritual community. These readings remind us of the rewards of doing so, and the emptiness that comes when we don't.
Prayer

Dear gracious and loving God, remind us gently today and every day of the goodness that we all have waiting for us when we return our faith to life's most rewarding pursuits: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with You.

Caroline Crawford, Public Relations and Marketing

Scripture

First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10

Psalm 1:1-4, 6

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website