Did you go to Mass today or failing that, some kind of worship service? If you went liturgical chances are you heard the parable of the rich man, Dives, and Lazarus from Luke's Gospel. You know the story.
Dives dies and goes to Hell and Lazarus, the poor man, ends up in heaven. In agony, the rich man asks Abraham for mercy, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
All to no avail, the Patriarch refuses because a "great chasm is fixed between you and us" such that the redeemed can't journey to Hell or the damned set up in Paradise.
It sounds harsh but on reflection describes a terrifying spiritual reality. There is no place for Heaven in Hell or Hell in Heaven and our actions on earth determine the trajectory. The rich man made his choice, feasting while the Lazarus lay at the gate begging for food.
Devoid of mercy, love and compassion, the rich man went to perdition and note, even while begging for mercy he never once repents of his wickedness. Instead, he asks Abraham to send the person he scorned and ignored in life, Lazarus, to come to him as a servant. Dives' evil disposition remains with him into eternity, amplified.
Serious business and it forces us to consider the judgement that awaits us all. Gregory of Nyssa writes:
As the most excellent of mirrors represents an image of the face, just such as the face that is opposite to it, a joyful image of that which is joyful, a sorrowful of that which is sorrowful, so also is the just judgement of God adapted to our dispositions.
The most excellent of mirrors. Ask yourself, what will the Divine Reality reflect to a generation which countenances killing their babies in the final trimester, much less selling their beating hearts to biotech companies for profit?
For that matter, how will it reflect our own?
Here endeth the Lesson,
LSP
