26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

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THE STORY IS NOT OVER YET
While reading Luke 15 reminds us of the revived hope in the heart of the prodigal son before his all-merciful Father, Luke 16 brings us face to face with two characters, Lazarus, a dirty, hungry beggar who lay at the doorstep of th rich man (notoriously unnamed, since it can be us today) who never bothered to lift a finger to feed Lazarus.
It might seem that Lazarus was the more pitiful of the two. Poor, sick, helpless, on the verge of oblivion, he was just waiting for the time to expire his last breath and blissfully end his earthly suffering. For such a man, the end of earthly life must be the most glorious event of all for it will then be the end of all his misery.
Yet the Lord was telling Lazarus: your story is not over yet.  For after his earthly life, Lazarus, as he was seen by the rich man, also after his own death, lived on in luxury and comfort, in the bosom of the heavenly Father. After ending all pain in his personal history, Lazarus’ story continues, on a different note, in heaven.



His burden has become a blessing . His trials gave way to triumph. His misery has now been immersed in mercy. His mess now sends a message of hope to all who suffered like him.  In his helplessness, the only things he ever did was trust the Lord that one day, all this pain will be over, and everything will be fine, in the hands of God.





As for the rich man… it seems his story has ended even while he was still alive.
If you are today going through a lot of difficulties in your life, if you find mountains and hills of obstacles on your path, if you are helpless because other people did not enable you to rise up, remember that your story is not over. The God who sees us, and knows our sufferings, will one day transport us from the gate of suffering to the garden of rest and recovery. Believe, trust with all your heart, love in spite of the trials, smile with the Lord… one day at a time. In Jesus’ heart, your story is not over yet.



 

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