Heaven and Hell: If humans do not listen to the priests, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead

February 25, 2016

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

Saint of the Day: Saint Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (+806)

Reading 1

5Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, But stands in a lava waste,

a salt and empty earth.

7Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. 8He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.

9More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? 10I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, To reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

1Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on His law day and night.

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

3He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season,

and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

4Not so, the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 6For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Verse Before The Gospel see Luke 8:15

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart

and yield a harvest through perseverance.

Gospel

Luke 16:19-31

19Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.[1][2] 20And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who 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.

22When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.[3] 24And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’

25Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. 26Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’

27He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’

29But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’[4] 31Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

Notes on Readings:

[1] Luke 16:19-31 - The parable of the rich man and Lazarus again illustrates Luke's concern with Jesus' attitude toward the rich and the poor. The reversal of the fates of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:22-23) illustrates the teachings of Jesus in Luke's "Sermon on the Plain" (Luke 6:20-21, 24-25).

[2] Luke 16:19 - The oldest Greek manuscript of Luke dating from ca. A.D. 175-225 records the name of the rich man as an abbreviated form of "Nineveh," but there is very little textual support in other manuscripts for this reading. "Dives" of popular tradition is the Latin Vulgate's translation for "rich man." (Luke 16:19-31)

[3] Luke 16:23 - The netherworld: see the footnote on Luke 10:15.

[4] Luke 16:30-31 - A foreshadowing in Luke's gospel of the rejection of the call to repentance even after Jesus' resurrection.