Where he was in torment

THURSDAY 12 MARCH (Lk 16,19-31)

If today the Christian believed in this parable of Jesus, certainly his life would be lived entirely “sub specie aeternitatis” in the guise of eternity. Instead everything is lived in the myopic horizon of time and things of the world. Our life has been delivered into our hands so that we bear the greatest glory in Paradise with it. Instead we spoil it, leading it to the eternal perdition of hell. Today preaching the truth of hell also disturbs the ears that should be very refined in the things of God. It is precisely these ears that read the parable as if it were a fairy tale, a story fruit of the mind of man and not instead Word of the eternal truth of our God and Lord. We are like the sons in law of Lot in Sodom. When Lot comes to tell us that fire and brimstone will rain on our heads soon, what shall we say? “You, Christ Jesus, are joking. You are saying things that will never occur. Whenever fire and sulfur fell from the sky. Never might the merciful Father send one person to hell. He has never condemned anyone to perdition”.

Yet after Lot came out of Sodom, fire and sulfur really rained and swept them all away. No one escaped from the city: “Then the angels said to Lot: “Who else belongs to you here? Your sons (sons-in-law) and your daughters and all who belong to you in the city – take them away from it! We are about to destroy this place, for the outcry reaching the Lord against those in the city is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had contracted marriage with his daughters. “Get up and leave this place,” he told them; “the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar; at the same time the Lord rained down sulphurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah (from the Lord out of heaven). He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain, together with the inhabitants of the cities and the produce of the soil” (Gen 19,12-14.23-25). Jesus reassures the whole world: Heaven and earth will pass away, my words will not pass away. Everything will be accomplished in time. But for us it will be too late when they are fulfilled. There is no return.

“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'”

Either we build our lives on the Gospel, or there will be no salvation for us. Moral questions must be resolved with morality, the problems of the Law with the Law, those of the Word with the Word and those of the Gospel with the Gospel. Falsehood, lies and deception cannot solve our eternity problems. When the problems of eternity are not resolved, even those of time cannot be solved. The bad rich man has not solved the problems of his eternity. He lived his time badly. Yet, it would have been enough to welcome Lazzaro to his table for his salvation. He would have lost nothing. He would have gained eternal bliss. Abraham reminds him of this: the Law and the Prophets are very pure truth. One believes in what is written in them, one enters life. One does not believe, he does not live according to their precepts and ends in death.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, make us of true faith in every Word of the Gospel of Jesus.