Motjari Meeting on Sep 25th, 2022, Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note

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Motjari Meeting on Sep 25th, 2022, Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note

 

 

 

Reading 2

1 Tm 6:11-16

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,

devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

Compete well for the faith.

Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called

when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,

and before Christ Jesus,

who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,

to keep the commandment without stain or reproach

until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ

that the blessed and only ruler

will make manifest at the proper time,

the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,

and whom no human being has seen or can see.

To him be honor and eternal power.  Amen.

 

Gospel

Lk 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“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.

When the poor man died,

he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.

The rich man also died and was buried,

and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,

he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off

and Lazarus at his side.

And 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.’

Abraham 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.

Moreover, 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.’

He said, ‘Then I beg you, father,

send him 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.'”

 

 

In today’s 2nd reading, St. Paul described a good picture of a good Christian man.

 

“But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,

devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

Compete well for the faith.

Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called

when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,

and before Christ Jesus,

who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,

to keep the commandment without stain or reproach

until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ

that the blessed and only ruler

will make manifest at the proper time,

the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,

and whom no human being has seen or can see.

To him be honor and eternal power.  Amen.”

 

In today’s gospel, Jesus’ telling stories to the Pharisees. Pharisees were nobles, but they looked down others. Lazarus was a poor man, and sick, and dogs were licking his sores. Dogs were considered unclean animal back then, because they were scavengers. When dogs come lick us, we like them now, but not back then. Lazarus and dogs were in similar condition, they both survived by eating the crumbs down from the rich man’s table, and they scavenged to survive. Dives (/daives/ means “a rich man”) wore purple garment, which also was very precious color, allowed only to the high nobles, kings and queens. He ate sumptuously, meant he ate lots of good food, and not share them with others. Ironically, the rich man and the poor man were separated only by a door. 

 

Shroud of Turin (the linen that was used to wrap Jesus after his death) –  I don’t remember why this topic popped up.

A father had a son who experiences near death and they published about his experience. The son described the angels who made faces to make him feel comfortable and laugh. That’s how heaven is like.

 

Jesus described the place where Lazarus and the rich man arrived. The rich man saw Abraham holding Lazarus in his bosom. He called Abraham to send Lazarus to give him water. The rich man knew Lazarus’s name. He must have know Lazarus was suffering when Lazarus was at his door. He also told Abraham to send Lazarus to tell his brothers the truth about hell. He consider Lazarus as his servant. 

 

Five books of Torah are the equivalent of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. For the Jewish, those are the whole Bible. 

 

“If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,

neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

 

This sad comment refers Jesus’ own resurrection. Even when Jesus rose from the dead, people didn’t believe him, and did not repent. 

 

This is a very strong lesson about fraternal charity.

Who is the Lazarus in our life? Lazarus went to heaven because he suffers lots of difficulties, and nobody took care of him.

This parody taught us charity. We get the warning, be sure to take care of others.

 

Corporal works of charity

 

1. 1. Feed the hungry
   2. Give Drink to the thirsty
   3. Clothe the naked
   4. Shelter the homeless
   5. Visit the sick
   6. Visit the imprisoned
   7. Bury the dead

 

Spiritual works of charity

 

1. 1. Counseling the doubtful
   2. Instructing the ignorant
   3. Admonishing the sinner
   4. Comforting the sorrowful
   5. Forgiving injuries
   6. Bearing wrongs patiently
   7. Praying for the living and the dead

 

We stand up for the truth with gentleness.

 

We need to ask ourselves, who can I help, who is Lazarus in our life, what stood out for me?

What gets my attention from this gospel.

 

Charity starts at home.

 

Resurrection. Not only Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, He Himself rose from the dead, but people didn’t believe.

 

Ask yourself how to be a good son, a good Catholic, a good Christian. When Jesus calls you it doesn’t have to be by word. Fr. Foeckler felt His call with his heart when he was a college student, right before blessed Eucharist. This may happened to you all.

 

We commit a sin(when you do bad things), we omit a sin(when you don’t do good things). The rich man did a sin of omission. 

 

Lazarus represent struggle, the rich man represent comfort. Jesus juxtaposes them to tell the Pharisees the deepest sense of religion. God will give justice to everyone, but the world is not a just place. How God will bring justice is in heaven and afterlife.

 

Day of recollection today

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