26th Sunday of ordinary time. Today’s readings: Amos 6:1a,4-7; 1 Tim 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31 Nothing! There is absolutely nothing wrong with being rich, unless, of course, one becomes rich by means of theft and unjust practices. Amassing wealth with the mindset of an idolater too is a no-no, for Jesus said that one cannot serve both God and money (Matt 6:24). Yet Jesus did not simply say the rich will go to hell and the poor will go to heaven. Rather, he told a parable about a rich man and a poor one called Lazarus in order to give a context to his message. We are told that the nameless rich man would “feast magnificently every day” (Lk 16:19). But will regular sumptuous meals land you in hell? Well, I guess they are more likely to bring about gout, or problems with diabetes and cholesterol. Jesus, who was callously called a glutton for the parties he enjoyed, was not talking about the consumption of good food, which in actual fact is God’s grace made edible. If wealth itself prevents us from getting into heaven, then Abraham wouldn’t have been presented by Jesus as the one to welcome Lazarus into heaven, for the simple reason that he too was a man of considerable means. The rich...
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