The Rich Man And Lazarus –Lazarus, the beggar, is called by his name because he was a saint, but the man who is rich and proud is not deemed worth of a name.
The meaning of Lazarus’ name is boethoumenos, one who has been helped. He is not a helper but one who has been helped. He was a poor man and, in his poverty, the Lord came his assistance.
“Who lay at his gate, covered with sores.”
The rich man, in purple splendor, is not accused of being avaricious, nor of carrying off the property of another, nor of committing adultery, nor, in fact, of any wrongdoing. The evil alone of which he is guilty is pride.
Most wretched of men, you see a member of your own body lying there outside at your gate and have you no compasion?
If the precepts of God mean nothing to you, at least take pity on you own plight, and be in fear lest you become such as he.
Why do you save what is superfluous to your pleasures? Give in alms to your own member what you waste. I am not telling you to throwaway your wealth. What you throw out, the crumbs from your table, offer as alms.
“Who lay at his gate.” He was lying at the gate in order to draw attention to the cruelty paid to his body and to prevent the rich man from saying, “I did not notice him; he was in a corner; I could not see him; no one announced him to me.”
He lay at the gate, you saw him everytime you went out and everty time you came in. When your throngs of servants and clients were attending you, he lay there full of ulcers. If your your eyes disdained to look upon putrid flesh, did not your ears, at least, hear his plea?
“Who lay at his gate, covered with sores.”
He did not have just one sore. His whole body was sores, so that the magnitude of his suffering might arouse your utmost compassion.
Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome was born in Dalmatia in what is now Croatia in about 340 A.D. and died in Bethlehem in 420. He is considered to be one of the Church Fathers.
