Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Luke 16: 19-31
Opening the Door of the Heart to the Poor

The Gospel invites us during this Lenten season to rediscover the meaning of love through compassion and mercy. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) confronts us with the reality of indifference—a blindness that closes the hearts to the suffering of others.

The rich man, surrounded by wealth and luxury, suffers from a greater sickness than Lazarus. His spiritual blindness prevents him from seeing the suffering at his own doorstep. Pope Francis warns that this kind of worldliness acts like a black hole—consuming everything and extinguishing love. The tragedy of the rich man is not his wealth but his lack of compassion—his failure to recognise God’s presence in the poor.

Lent is a time to awaken our hearts from the sleep of indifference. The cry of the poor is not only a call for help but also a reminder of our responsibility. To ignore the suffering of others is to ignore God Himself, for the mercy we show to others is the very measure of God’s mercy in our lives. As Pope Francis reminds us, “If I do not open the door of my heart to the poor, that door also remains closed for God.”

Saint Basil the Great’s words challenge us even further: “To the hungry belongs the bread that you withhold.” What we do not use immediately does not belong to us—it is meant for those in need.

This Lent, let us open our hearts, allowing God’s mercy to flow through us. May we seek out the Lazaruses around us, offering not only material help but also the warmth of compassion, dignity, and love.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

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