“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.” LK 16:19-31

Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.

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.’” LK 16:19-31

Jesus teaches us today what happens if we don’t bring the Gospel to people. We have one shot to get this right (#Christian YOLO). This is why God gives us time, He likes to see things grow. We may not get it right the first time and we may need more time to get it right. We are living in the end times, the times after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus can come back at any time for the Second Coming. “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

We have the Word of God in the Bible, God’s breath, to teach us how to gain salvation (God’s will for us: He has one great desire, that you and I are with Him in heaven, our salvation-Pope Francis) and lead others to Christ. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us to virtue. We have the Apostle’s Creed and the Sacred Traditions they passed down to us. The Church has been preserving and defending these Truths Jesus revealed for thousands of years. Many people have died to defend and uphold them.

Today’s Gospel teaches us there are no second chances when it comes to eternal life. The time we have here is a gift. Since Jesus rose from the dead, this life is not the final horizon. We are made for a spiritual homeland. It is time to start rearranging our priorities and live putting our full trust in God.

Today is a great time to rearrange priorities and dust away the cobwebs of a hardened heart. It is a time to love our soul more than our body. We cannot take THINGS, power, money, pleasure or honor (4 things we must despise that we think will make us happy-St. Thomas Aquinas). All we can take is the times we were unselfish and put others before self, the times we loved as Jesus loves us.

Today’s challenge: Live like today is your last day on earth. What would you do differently? What legacy do you want to leave behind. Most regrets on death beds are not loving as much as they should have; love of spouse, love of parents, love of children, or spending more time with God and family. Put down your electronics and spend time loving God and family. There are no second chances after we die. We don’t know the day or the hour the Master will return. We don’t know when God is going to call our number. Most importantly, He just wants to be your best friend!

Be a servant, become a saint!
​#Christian YOLO