I often point out that the scriptures may be read in at least two ways. The first, is the literal, and the second, is the allegorical. And always, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is the allegorical, or the spiritual, which offers us a richer feast before we proceed to the spiritual banquet of the Eucharist.
Today, through this parable of Lazarus and the rich man, we are once again offered the opportunity to obtain two readings, the first the immediate, based on a literal reading, the second based on an allegorical reading.
The rich man, in purple splendor, is not accused of being greedy or of carrying off the property of another, or of committing adultery, or, in fact, of any wrongdoing. The evil alone of which he is guilty is pride. Most wretched of men, you see a member of your own body lying there outside at your gate, and have you no compassion?
The first reading, should be simple enough. It has been preached on multiple times, since the times of the Fathers, and indeed, St. Jerome, in these lines above, has already offered you this reading in his reflection on this parable. To take a line from the first reading,
They drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the best oils;
yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
In other words, while rich and more than satiated themselves, they offer nothing to those who have nothing, or are near collapse. In other words, to echo the words of St. John Chrysostum, they do not care to offer alms to those who are in need. Brother and sisters, the words of Our Lord are very clear, we can be held guilty before God not only for the things we have done, our sins of commission, but also for those things that we have a duty to do, and did not, our sins of commission.
So, this is the literal reading. The allegorical reading, however, asks us to read all the characters in the parable as signs, or types. For example, almost at the start of the parable we are told that Lazarus “dined sumptuously each day.” In other words, there was a banquet at the home of Lazarus every day! To every Christian, the word banquet should immediately call to mind the spiritual banquet of the Eucharist. In other words, what our Lord is speaking of, is the Eucharist, and the rich man that he refers to, who dines sumptuously each day is every Christian, and particularly every Catholic , who are privileged to receive His Body and Blood at every Mass. In other words, it is we, who are the rich man of the parable.
And what is it that we are accused of? Of paying little heed to the “poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores” who lie at our doorsteps. My dear brothers and sisters, this poor man is representative not only the people who suffer material want, but more importantly of those who are deprived of the life-giving knowledge of Our Lord and do not have access to the spiritual banquet of His Eucharist.
Lazarus in the parable suffers from sores, and these wounds are washed not by the rich man, but by dogs who lick his wounds. These sores, my dear brothers and sisters, are representative of our sinful bodies which suffer the wounds of original, and other, sin if we are not rescued by baptism and the sacraments. The dogs represent the limited capacities of natural law and natural virtue. They can only offer a temporary relief, but not cure. And it is the cure of baptism that we should offer to wash those unfortunates who lie outside the door of the Church.
Brothers and sisters, the fate of the unbaptized is not unlike that of Lazarus, who was literally outside the threshold of the house of the rich man. They have heard of Christ, they have had exposure to the lives of Christians, and Christian values through the system of education, pioneered by Christian missionaries. But we must do more! We must ask ourselves, what is the church in India doing? Is it merely attending to the material needs of people, operating like some NGO – as Pope Francis warned us – and forgetting about its true wealth? Are we selfishly feeding on the Eucharist, while ignoring the poor who lie at our gates?
Today, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman celebrates the Lay Apostolate and we would benefit from a quick reference to the teachings from the Vatican Council II in Apostolicam Actuositatem, the decree on the apostolate of the laity. The Council recognized that:
The Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to enable all men to share in His saving redemption, and that through them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in various ways through all her members. For the Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate. §2 (Italicised emphasis added)
As members of the church, we share equally, if in different capacities, in this role, as indeed the Council in the same document underlined:
From the acceptance of these charisms, including those which are more elementary, there arise for each believer the right and duty to use them in the Church and in the world for the good of men and the building up of the Church, in the freedom of the Holy Spirit who "breathes where He wills" (John 3:8). § 3
It is said of Our Lord, that the first time He came to save the world; the second He will come to judge it. The rich man of the parable was judged and found wanting. We have been warned, let us not, therefore, be found wanting when Our Lord returns in the glory!
(A version of this homily was first preached to the faithful in the Home for the Aged at the Convent of St. John of God, Old Goa on 28 September 2025.)
(Image reference: Saint Francis Xavier baptising Native Americans, Anonymous, c.1770, Museo del Prado, Madrid.)
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