Luke 16: 19-31 Good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony.
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen
and feast magnificently every day.
And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus,
covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even came and licked his sores.
Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried.
‘In his torment in Hades he looked up
and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom.
So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me
and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am in agony in these flames.”
“My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus.
Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony.
But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed,
to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours,
and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.”
‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house,
since I have five brothers, to give them warning
so that they do not come to this place of torment too.”
“They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them.”
“Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man
“but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.”
Then Abraham said to him,
“If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets,
they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’
This is the gospel of the Lord
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Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). All rights reserved.
Prayers of Intercession
In this Season of Creation let us become ever more conscious that we all share a fragile Common Home.
As a wealthy nation, we play the role of the Rich Man
whose careless use of resources is causing poorer communities to become the Lazarus of our planet.
For Pope Francis,
may he continue to lead and inspire the Church and the world
in facing up to the immediate crisis of climate change and the squandering of the earth’s resources.
Creator of all, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
For world leaders and those in authority,
that they will have the courage and the determination to be good stewards of a God-created world,
where “hard choices” mean a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources
rather than hardship and destitution for the most vulnerable.
Creator of all, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
For ourselves, that the Spirit will lead us to a true ‘ecological conversion’ of heart and mind
so that through our lifestyle choices
we will be agents of sustainable radical change and be witnesses of prophetic hope.
Creator of all, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
For a commitment to the children of today and of the future:
may we strive not only to avert climate catastrophe
but to develop new economic models
that are based on equality and justice for everyone in our Common Home.
Creator of all, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
For those who are unwell in body or mind, at home or in hospital;
and for those experiencing loneliness. We remember too all those in the Prayer Foundation list.
May God’s healing presence ease their pain and bring them comfort and strength.
Creator of all, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
For those who have died recently and gone to their eternal peace. We remember especially
Sheila Ross
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all those who mourn the loss of loved ones.
Creator of all, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
Let us now say our Cluster Prayer...
