"A Poem about the Poor and Suffering" and More

A Poem about the Poor and Suffering

Greetings!

Greetings to you! How are you? I hope that you are well in the midst of another Lenten journey. The Gospel for the Mass today comes from Luke 16:19-31 and is the story that Jesus told about the Rich Man and Lazarus. There are so many intriguing details about this parable unique to Luke’s Gospel including: (1) The poor man Lazarus is named whereas the rich man is not; (2) Lazarus suffered a great deal and while the rich man could have done something to alleviate that pain he consciously chose not to; (3) There was an uncrossable divide between the heavenly rest which Lazarus enjoyed and the torturous misery which the rich man experienced.

Scriptural scholars do not believe that this was the same Lazarus who was a friend of Jesus and a brother of Martha and Mary. Instead it was an illustrative opportunity which our Lord used to highlight the dignity of each human person with a particular emphasis on those who are poor and suffering. This helps to provide a biblical foundation for the Catholic Social Teaching of the preferential option for the poor. After praying with that fundamental principle, I came across a poem which reflects the perspective of a person who seems outwardly poor but is full of a richness that comes from the Lord…

They Say that I’m Nothing, but I’m Something

They say I’m poor,

They say I’m nothing.

They say I’m poor and they say I’m nothing because I’ve got nothing to offer to any living soul.

I’ve got no money, no food, no child, no wife nor husband and no home to go home to that is because I’ve got no money.

But I say I’m blessed

I’m blessed because God told me so.

He loves me the same way he loves every life on earth. I’m blessed because I’m still alive.

I breathe the same air that rich men breathe,

I walk on the same ground that rich men walk...therefore I am no different.

I am rich with life

I am rich with love

I’m rich with hope that one day they will see the beauty that God treasured in me because I am something indeed.

(Source: thoughts-about-god.com/poems)

Throughout these days of Lent may we continue to turn to our Heavenly Father when we feel impoverished to be enriched with His Mercy. Then let us turn to our sisters and brothers in their time of need and help them with our merciful prayers, words, and generous deeds.

Peace with Christ,

Fr. James

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Trivia Question of the Week

Within the First Reading (Jeremiah 17:5-10) and the Responsorial Psalm (1) for Mass today how many times does the word “Blessed” appear?

A. Three

B. Five

C. Seven

D. Nine

See the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.

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Totus Tuus Registration is Open!

Totus Tuus (“Totally Yours”) summer programs offer a week of faith and fun for kids! A team of college students and seminarians will lead a day camp for children entering grades 1-6 on June 14-18 from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm, which includes daily Mass, faith activities, games and water fun. The evening program for youth entering grades 7-12 on June 13-17 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm includes Eucharistic Adoration, confession, hot topics, and social time. Cost is $25 per student and $75 max per family. The cost of the program can be written off for tax purposes! For information and to register, go to our webpage parish.iccsonline.org/totus-tuus or call the Faith Formation office at 763-788-9062 x 210. We hope you’ll join us!

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Find more resources for Lent at parish.iccsonline.org/lent.

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Answer to the Trivia Question of the Week:

C. Seven

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