You Gonna Eat That?

+AMDG+

Here are the readings for 3/4/10.

I have been struggling with this reading for the last couple of days. I thought I had this great post all ready to type up. But then something happened...

My spiritual director.

(This is what he look like when I tell him I haven't been praying)

He said sometimes when he is praying with the readings, he has to be careful that he listens to what God has to say to him and not just what would be a good homily. He said that it is a problem that priest face because some of them give homilies everyday. And for myself I found that, at least, with today's reading I was doing that.

I had this great idea on how I would talk about the seriousness of following God because of the chasm between heaven and hell and ... Then I was like wait a minute! But what is God telling me.

So I took it right back to prayer and when I read it again this part stood out the most.

“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

- Luke 16:19-21

And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,

"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon."

But he did not say a word in answer to her.

His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."

He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."

He said in reply,

"It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."

She said,

"Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters."

Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Though this picture is a obviously a joke, I wonder if the person who drew this read this passage. I never expected a cartoon to help me understand the Gospel better except for this one.

Anime called Trigun. Gospel all over the place.

I like this reading because I think it goes so well with the last line in today's reading. After Lazarus and the rich man die, Lazarus goes to the bosom of Abraham and the rich man goes to hell. The rich man asks Abraham:

‘Then I beg you, father, send him[Lazarus]

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.’

-Luke 16:27-31

God gave the Israelites the Torah and sent them His Only Son to bring them back to God. They are given Moses and the prophets that pointed to the very actions that Jesus is doing yet they chose not to believe. And ironically Abraham says that even if someone should rise from the dead they still wouldn't believe and that is exactly what happened.

At the Bible Study that I go to, I felt it was so perfect that I heard this reading because I am studying Moses and the prophets now. It has helped my faith incredibly. God has broken open the Scriptures to me and I feel like I am at a spiritual banquet. I know this sounds all 'religious' but there is no other way to explain it. God is just that good.

He reminds me how important studying his word is to get to know the Word. Sometimes Providence, which is God's plan for the universe, is just so incredible. Here is what I mean:

1) God inspired St. Luke to put this story in the Gospel. Out of all the stories he could have put. He put this one in his Gospel. Over 1900 years ago!

2) A Church council decided that this book was Divinely inspired and kept it as one of the Four Canonical Gospels. Over 1700 years ago.

3) From now until then certain events had to happen:

A Liturgical calendar was established and approved.

People prayed over what readings went with that day during that season in that year.

It was revised and agreed upon.

All this happened over the course of 1700 years.

Flash forward to the 1970's when my parents met, who met at a specific place and time.

I was born, mind you my mom first had a miscarriage so I would have been her second son.

I grew up in and out of the Church but stayed close.

I randomly went to a pizza and met people from Frassati who happen to have a Bible study on THURSDAYS, who just happen to be studying the Old Testament.

I have spent this Lent praying over the readings and trying to pay attention line by line.

And the day I go to the Bible Study, I just happen to hear the importance of listening to Moses and the Prophets because many will not chose salvation even if someone rises from the dead. By hearing this my faith deepens.

wow

Mind you this is not including everyone else's lives who were all involved in all of this.

If any of these events were off at all this would not have happened. AND THESE ARE JUST THE SCRAPS FROM THE TABLE! But Jesus calls us to eat the food that was not only intended for Israel but for all people. He lifts us up to the altar to eat of His very Body and Blood, His very Life itself, that was broken because of us and for us.

yeah that is crazy...

Thank you Lord for ... well.. everything!

I think this songs sums it all up.

Pray well!