At least that is what we are led to believe Jesus is teaching us. But, in actuality, this is only an introduction -- A day of reckoning is not limited to an Eternal Outcome, but God’s justice and God’s mercy are present realities in our lives and in the world today!!

How is this so?? It is possible to be both reconciled and judged, depending on our faith in God and where we place our hope and trust. It is possible to be recipients of God’s grace and at the same time, have a blind eye toward the ways in which we place ourselves above the priorities of others. Let us return to the story to see this.

It is fairly obvious that Rich Man has considered his own well-being ahead of Lazarus. But what is slightly less noticeable, is that, in spite of his position as suffering in a fieri hell, the rich man has not changed. He has not corrected his outlook on Lazarus nor thought differently about those who are like Lazarus. The rich man says, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue." I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling here that the rich man seeks for Lazarus’ help – as though Lazarus was yet a "slave" to the rich man’s needs. Even as the dialogue continues between heaven and hell, the rich man treats Lazarus more like an object than a human being. Rich Man still has not learned his lesson even though he is the one now suffering.

Notice how, a little further down in the dialogue, the rich man still does not acknowledge a rise in status for Lazarus. But instead, the rich man makes an additional request of Abraham, "I beg you, send him to my father’s house for I have five brothers – that he may warn them . . . " Again, Lazarus is treated as a messenger or servant, as though he ought to obey and do the rich man’s bidding.

Many times in life people operate out of "modes of normalcy." What do I mean by "modes of normalcy?" By this I mean that in their family or in their culture or because of the conditions in which they have learned to live, an individual will develop behavioral patterns. When thoughts and ideas are developed, practiced and then supported in a given environment, be it a family, a village or a nation -- then a "mode of normalcy" becomes established, all foreign modes, or outlooks on life, will be dismissed as unnatural or unacceptable. A mode of normalcy can be further enforced by customs, by prejudices and by ridicule of anyone who questions the ways and means of the "mode."

In the case of the rich man, his environment was a culture in which the members of his household would be served by others, most likely, slaves or servants. In the time of Jesus, owning a slave would have been considered a "normal mode" of being. It was generally accepted that you might own a slave. Furthermore, the religious culture of the time taught that, "to be rich was to be blessed of God," and conversely, "to be poor or in ill health meant that you were accursed, a sinner and/or unclean." Therefore, someone who was old or sick or "despised" such as was the case for people who were poor, sick and dying (like Lazarus!), would have meant that persons in this category were more like "non-persons", untouchables, not to be associated with, nor seen, nor heard, nor paid attention to. So Lazarus was so beneath the Rich Man’s acceptable norm, that he was essentially a non-person . . . he was more of a "thing" to be used, ignored and then to be discarded.

Such modes of normalcy are also apparent in our own day and age. Something that is a normal habit, it need not be a bad habit, but behaviors and attitudes that most often capture our attention are the ones that tend to be negative. Abusive behaviors are unfortunate truths of our lives and of those whom we know. Unfortunately for the abuser, I mean the one who enacts the abuse, he or she might not even realize that his or her actions, whether verbal (mental), or physical (violent), are unacceptable, because he or she may have been raised in a family, culture or nation where this kind of behavior is the NORM. (??Is this making sense now??)

Conversely, the one who has been abused all of his or her life, may not recognize that he or she is a victim of abuse or that he or she is in an abusive relationship. Those of us who observe such behavior may immediately recognize something is abnormal, but the one who has known nothing but abuse considers his or her life circumstance to be normal. ("Everyone gets insulted by their spouse" or "My mother was slapped around by my father all the time . . . so I figured that my husband was just like ‘all men are’ when he hit me"). The cycle can go on and on and be passed down from one generation to the next . . . thus the cycle of abnormal and unacceptable behavior can be propagated and even become more normalized (more violent!)!

Perhaps this is why Jesus tells us these little stories about characters who act out of their "normally established values" on one another. It’s because Jesus wants us to study the actions of these characters and to question what they are saying and examine closely what they are doing in the narrative. With the overall purpose being that we are trying to discover what it is that Jesus is saying to us!

Consider the circumstances of Lazarus who lived his whole life in a kind of misery and suffering – in poverty and subservience. "COULD IT BE THAT LAZARUS CONSIDERED HIS POSITION IN LIFE AS NORMAL?? In some families and cultures in the world (dare I say even here in Emmitsburg? There are some individuals who may drop out of school, or who become pregnant before marriage, or who consider themselves as unworthy or unable to improve their lot in life, because"That’s how its always been in our family" or "In our part of town" or "in our country . . . women never go to school" or "never get the high paying jobs." Other individuals and families have held on to racial bias, old hatreds, addictions or violent behavioral traits that are being passed on to second and third generations. How can the cycles of our unacceptable norms be stopped??

I would propose the first solution is to become aware of what your "norm" is. In the lesson today . . . we become aware that the Rich Man’s norm is his indifference toward Lazarus who is suffering. This misdirected outlook on the poor and sick has led to the Rich Man’s placement at the "lower and hotter" position of eternal destiny. He has yet to acknowledge there was a problem and that is his problem! If you are becoming aware that your attitudes, values and comprehension of "modes of normalcy" are not normal after all, then you are moving toward the first stage of healing.

There are many great resources for improving your understanding of yourself and the sometimes undetectable "negative norms" that have become rooted in your life. You might wish to attend a self-help group or better yet, a twelve step group such as AA. Such groups can help you by the wisdom of the people there. Drinking is not the cause of domestic violence . . . it is a learned behavior and it is only made worse by the addition of drugs or alcohol. Getting slapped around or continually put down by your spouse is also "not a normal behavior." IF this has been your experience, break free of that relationship or contact a women’s shelter or domestic violence program – there are many such programs (see footnote below). Get help, talk with your pastor or priest, your life and your children’s safety may depend on it. Don’t be ashamed! Get Help! Whatever it takes!!

If you recognize that God loves you, then you will also know that you can rise above the negative NORMS that have been presented to you in your life. You can go back to school and succeed because the voice of God is YES!! You can do anything with God’s help! You who have never known tenderness and caring and concern and who have hardened yourself in order to bear up under the "abusive conditions" that were your norms . . . you can use that same protective strength to go out into the world and overcome the educational and social barriers that have formerly held you back. God will show the way beyond the rich man’s gate. You can be healed of the sores, chase away the dogs and overcome the odds that otherwise loom over lives that have not enculturated a "new positive norm" of existence.

May Christ draw especially near to you and all who seek peace, order and a "positive norm" for life.

Amen.