All Catholics, and indeed all Christians, need to regularly reflect on the Confiteor especially the portion where we confess to the Almighty God and to our brethren that we have grievously sinned in "my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do." In it, we acknowledge that sin is not limited to what we have done alone but it extends even to what we have willfully failed to do. We do not offend God's justice only by commission but also by omission, our willful refusal to do what we possess the capacity to do and what we have been provided the opportunity to do.

During the liturgy last weekend, we heard how God promised not to forget the transgressions of the wealthy and powerful against the poor and needy whom they so cheated and exploited to the level that they proposed to buy for silver or a pair of sandals. In the First Reading this weekend, the same prophet Amos from whose oracles we heard last weekend, decreed woes to the complacent wealthy and powerful in Israel who enjoyed the wealth of the land, drinking wine from bowls and anointing themselves with the best oils, "they are not made il by the collapse of Joseph!" God is not offended by their possession and even the display of wealth, for indeed prosperity is a promised reward for those who fear God. Rather, God is gravely incensed by their refusal to show concern for the collapse of a whole tribe of Israel, serving as a personification of the needy in the land.

The point being made by Amos, the prophet of social justice, is that God is the real owner of the wealth that has been ostensibly displayed by the selfishly unwise wealthy in Israel. He has graciously donated the same wealth to them for the purpose of taking care of their needs while not forgetting to provide for the needs of the needy around them. The failure to fulfill this purpose of caring to the needy is held as a grievous transgression against the mercy of a provident Father.

This is the sin committed by the unnamed richman in Jesus' parable in the Gospel passage at the liturgy this weekend. He had the capacity (he was stupendously rich), was provided the opportunity (with Lazarus visibly at his gate) and even provided a subtle lesson from the instinctive care provided Lazarus by the dogs who licked his sores to provide temporary succour, yet he failed to extend a hand of assistance to Lazarus. Perhaps the argument was that Lazarus deserved his condition or "it is not my fault that he is poor," or he may have thought that taking care of one pauper would only invite more to bother him at his gate. Unfortunately, we often catch ourselves invoking one or more of these arguments as we seek to rationalize away the sin of omission, especially the kind against charity. Like his probable rationalization of his faults did not prevent the richman from being cut off from God's presence, so shall we discover that our rationalization of sin of whatever kind does not in any way degrade its nature and consequence.

It is appallingly interesting to note that even as he endured the consequence of his omissions in hell, this fellow continued to demonstrate notoriety in selfishness and worldliness. He wanted father Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and "cool my tongue." When that was denied him with an unmerited explanation, he sought to have Lazarus return to earth (probably in his sorry condition) "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." He was desirous of unleashing celestial missionaries only to his family! We remain earthbound if we elect to always see things from our own perspective and labor only to provide for ourselves and our own. Every disciple of Jesus Christ is invited to seek to transcend selfishness in our thoughts, word and action and so be like Christ in loving sacrificially. Only then can we truly please God who did not hesitate to give us His only begotten Son who selflessly became one with us in order to restore us all to righteousness.

May God forgive our many sins of omission and may we be aided by grace to think and act more selflessly like Christ our savior and model.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh lorchir, VC

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