When I was young and was attending what was then called CCD classes, we were taught about two kinds of sin: 1) sins we committed and 2) sins of omission. Somehow, in our heads, we concluded that the first kind was the more serious because those were the sins we had thought about and then decided to do. Our readings should cause us to think twice about whether this is in fact the case. The story of the rich man & Lazarus speaks to the danger of having much and completely overlooking the needs of those around us. How many are there at our doorstep (or in our neighborhood) that are obviously struggling to meet their basic needs and we look the other way. We justify it by saying “I had important things to do; somebody else will have to help them.” Last Monday when we were finishing up with the “Discovering Christ” class, a young man in his 30s came in, asking for directions to enter the church. His mother, Sandy, had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and he was obviously very upset and wanted to pray for her. As I drove away from the Church, the Holy Spirit said to me “Why didn’t you take the time to pray with him for his mother?” I could give no answer other than “I was so intent on getting home that I completely overlooked his need for support and comfort.”

Lord, forgive me when I am blind to the needs of others and cannot seem to look beyond my own life’s concerns! Change my heart, O God, so that I might be a part of your solution rather than part of the world’s problem. Amen.

-Deacon David Costello