In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a striking parable about two men who could not be more different: a rich man who dressed in purple and feasted every day, and a poor beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate covered in sores, longing for scraps of food. The contrast is sharp, and the outcome is eternal. When both men die, their positions are reversed. Lazarus is carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom – an image of peace and closeness to God – while the rich man finds himself in torment, crying out for even a drop of water. This parable is not meant to demonize wealth, nor to glorify poverty for its own sake. Instead, Jesus points us to something deeper: how we use what we have, how we open or close our hearts to the needs of others, and how our choices now echo into eternity. The rich man is not condemned because he was wealthy, but because he was blind. Every day he stepped over Lazarus at his gate, ignoring his suffering. He lived in comfort but showed no compassion. The sin here is indifference – the refusal to see Christ in the poor, the sick, and the forgotten. We might ask ourselves: who is the Lazarus at my gate? Maybe it is the lonely neighbour, the family member we avoid, the stranger who is easy to overlook. Do I walk past, or do I stop and see them? How many people have we shut out of our hearts? People who need our time, people who need a smile or a word of encouragement, people who are neglected. Notice also how Abraham responds when the rich man begs for Lazarus to warn his brothers. He says, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” In other words, God has already spoken. Scripture, tradition, and the voice of conscience continually call us to love our neighbour, to care for the poor, to live justly. The problem is not that God has been silent, but that we often close our ears. The rich man wants a miracle to convince his brothers, but Jesus reminds us: if we do not listen to God’s word now, even a miracle – or even the resurrection – may not change our hearts. This parable invites us to examine how we live today. Wealth, comfort, and opportunities are gifts, but they are given so we may share them. Indifference to others can slowly harden our hearts until, like the rich man, we find ourselves far from God’s mercy. But the good news is that it is never too late to begin again. Each act of generosity, each time we notice the “Lazarus” at our gate, each step of compassion is a step into God’s kingdom. So let us not wait for extraordinary signs. God is speaking to us already through His word, through the cries of the poor, and through the needs of those around us. May our eyes be open, our ears attentive, and our hearts generous, so that one day we too may be carried into the joy of God’s presence.