Luke 16:19-31 

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 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 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.'"  

Reflection

In his reply to the rich man suffering in Hades Abraham speaks about a great gulf which prevents anyone passing from one side to the other.  This great gulf parallels the gulf which existed between the rich man and Lazarus when they were alive.  Lazarus had no way of crossing over to the side of plenty where the rich man resided. He would have been repelled, possibly killed, if he had tried to enter the rich man’s property.  In theory there was no physical barrier to the rich man crossing over to Lazarus’ side to give him what he needed, but the callous disregard of the rich man for the plight of Lazarus formed a mental barrier which was insurmountable.

Only one of the two could cross the gulf – the rich man. Lazarus was at his mercy, and there was no mercy. The rich man chose not to see Lazarus.   

One of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s most well-known instructions to her sisters stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the rich man:  

“Never see a need without doing something about it”. 

Pope Francis and Mary MacKillop would have got on very well together. 

Mary MacKillop used the word “something” in her instruction. It is not always possible to completely meet the need of another. But something can be done, such as alerting someone who has the capacity to help, listening to the person or simply being present with them in their suffering.  

Crossing the gulf is what matters, and it is the person who observes the need who has the responsibility to take the first step.