09/28/2025 - The Sin of Indifference: Wealth, Justice, and Eternal Judgment

Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/artisticco?mediatype=illustration

The common themes of the three readings for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, on September 28, 2025, according to Catholic teachings, revolve around wealth and poverty, the condemnation of selfish indifference, and the call to social justice and moral responsibility.

The readings are:

  • First Reading: Amos 6:1a, 4–7
  • Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6:11–16
  • Gospel: Luke 16:19–31 (The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus)

Condemnation of Selfish Indifference and Complacency

All three readings harshly critique those who are preoccupied with their own comfort and luxury while remaining uncaring and indifferent to the suffering of the poor.

  • In the first reading, Amos proclaims his third "Woe". This time against the complacent wealthy in Zion who indulge in extravagant living ("beds of ivory," "eat the lambs," "drink wine in bowls") but are "not made ill by the collapse of Joseph" (a metaphor for the suffering of their own people). Their indifference leads to their punishment and exile.
  • In his letter to Timothy, St. Paul instructs Timothy to pursue virtues like righteousness and love. This passage is part of the chapter, which warns against the love of money as a "root of all kinds of evil" and instructs the wealthy to be "rich in good works, generous, and ready to share" (6:10,18).
  • In Luke's gospel, the rich man, who lives in daily luxury, is condemned not for his wealth itself, but for his sin of omission, that is, he failed to notice or act on the desperate need of Lazarus, the beggar, who lay right at his gate. His failure to show mercy and share his blessings determined his fate.

The 2nd Vatican Council teaches: "Coming down to practical and particularly urgent consequences, this council [Vatican II] lays stress on reverence for man; everyone must consider his every neighbour without exception as another self, taking into account first of all his life and the means necessary to living it with dignity. […] In our times a special obligation binds us to make ourselves the neighbour of every person without exception and to actively help him when he comes across our path, whether he be an old person abandoned by all, a foreign labourer unjustly looked down upon, a refugee, a child born of an unlawful union and wrongly suffering for a sin he did not commit, or a hungry person who disturbs our conscience by recalling the voice of the Lord, 'As long as you did it for one of these the least of my brethren, you did it for me' (Mt 35:40)" (Gaudium et spes, 27).

The Inversion of Fortunes and Lasting Judgment

The readings emphasize that earthly possessions and status are temporary, and that a final, eternal judgment will be rendered based on one's actions, particularly toward the poor.

  • Luke provides the most vivid illustration of this inversion. The rich man, comfortable in life, is tormented in the afterlife, while poor Lazarus is carried to "Abraham's bosom" and comforted. This illustrates the definitive consequences of moral choices made in life, showing that one's final destiny is fixed.
  • Amos prophesies that the complacent elite "shall be the first to go into exile," losing their possessions and comfort.
  • St. Paul urges the faithful to "lay hold of eternal life" and to fight "the good fight of the faith," contrasting the transient nature of worldly wealth with the enduring value of Christian virtues and the ultimate "appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (a reference to the final judgment).
St John Chrysostom helps us to understand the situation of an unrepentant sinner in Hades or hell: "I ask you and I beseech you and, falling at your feet, I beg you: as long as we enjoy the brief respite of life, let us repent, let us be converted, let us become better, so that we will not have to lament uselessly like that rich man when we die and tears can do us no good. For even if you have a father or a son or a friend or anyone else who [has] influence with God, no one will be able to set you free, for your own deeds condemn you" ("Hom. on 1 Cor.").

The Call to Righteousness, Justice, and Mercy

The readings serve as a direct call for a righteous life that actively seeks justice and shows mercy to the oppressed.

  • St. Paul provides the positive command, urging the "man of God" to actively "pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness." These virtues represent the necessary moral antidote to the self-absorption condemned in the other readings.
  • Amos and Luke presents the negative example of the condemned, they implicitly command the audience to avoid complacency and practice mercy by caring for the needy, which is a core tenet of the covenantal law ("Moses and the prophets").

Videos:

  1. Bishop Robert Barron: "Love for the Poor"
  2. Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle: "Empathy"
 



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