Monday, September 27, 2010

Confirmation I and II: September 26, 2010: The Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Read the Gospel: Lk 16:19-31

Journal: How did you live out last week’s Gospel message? What was tough? What was rewarding? Have you ever noticed that this rich man never did anything wrong? He just went about his life. For whatever reason, he didn’t even notice Lazarus. Maybe he was just busy. Who knows? And that, Jesus says, is the problem. It’s not what the rich man did. It’s what he didn’t do. Life gets busy. I know adults that work hard all day and then spend the evening driving their kids to activities. I know teens that go to school all day and then spend each evening on homework, sports, or school activities. But Lazarus lives today. He is the lonely kid at school. He is the hungry child in Africa. Jesus challenges us to care for him regularly. Make it part of your “busy-ness,” not something you fit in when you find extra time. Here are some tips. Ask God daily to show you the people others ignore. Read newspapers to learn about the problems that cause suffering in our world. Make service activities part of your monthly schedule. God has given you the power to change the world for people who suffer like Lazarus. Who’s lying outside your door? Journal: What’s one thing you do to keep your focus on people like Lazarus? How might you change your life to include one thing that you can regularly do that would provide you with opportunities to care for those who suffer? Be specific.