Dear Friend,
Before reading the Gospel for Sunday (Luke 16:19-31), please read first the earlier verses Luke 16:14-15.
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. He said to them, "You do your best to be considered righteous men by people. But God knows the heart and what is exalted among men is loathed by God."
Jesus continued speaking to them with a parable about a rich man who is exalted among men but loathed by God.
Please read this Gospel to your family and then talk about what the rich man did, or failed to do, to be loathed by God.
Finally, please read again to your family verse 31:
Abraham said: "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave."
Point out to them that Jesus was such a prophet whom the Pharisees would not listen to. They were not convinced even after Jesus rose from the dead.
The family can learn from this Gospel by understanding why the Pharisees failed to listen to Jesus. Recall the time when the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke to the people in parables. In the reply of Jesus, He quoted Isaiah:
"Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive. For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes do not dare to see. If they could see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them."
(Matthew 13:14-15)
Fr. Thomas H. Green SJ has an explanation to this. He said it is like listening to a radio. To hear a radio station, we have to clear "other noises" that prevent us from hearing the broadcast, like "static." Maybe, we have to clear our ears.
To hear Jesus who loves to communicate with us, we have to remove thoughts that distract us from Him, like "wants" and sin. These "wants" block His words and compete for our attention or space in our heart. Sin dulls our heart from truly listening to Jesus and keep us justifying our sinful acts.
Prayer and Reflection ~
Jesus does not want me to become like the rich man in His parable who valued things that are loathed by God.
How similar am I to that rich man? What values must I change?
Sharing ~
Share your reflection with the family so that each one may support each other become worthy in the eyes of God.
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FAMILY MINISTRIES
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