Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Luke 16:19-31
Whenever we are on the streets, we are quite certain to encounter some people that belong to a so-called "class" in our society.
We can be quite sure to meet some "poor" people, those who seem to be in some kind of financial difficulty.
They may be those who are really down-and-out and begging in the streets; there are others who are not certain of when they are going to have their next meal; others may be hovering just above the poverty line.
So even in our affluent country, we do see the presence of poor people. And if we bother to go further into the matter, then we will realise that there are genuinely poor people in our society.
The parable in today's gospel makes us realise this reality and also asks us what are we going to do about it and how are we helping the poor?
That brings to mind that one of the spiritual disciplines of Lent is almsgiving and last weekend we received the Charities Week envelopes.
How much are we going to put into the envelope and how much are we going to give in regular almsgiving depends very much on how we understand what God wants us to do for the poor.
More than charity, it is our duty to help the poor, and it is also about justice to the poor when we understand that we are stewards who should look after the weak and poor members of our community and society.
It also underscores our faith in the Lord God. As the 1st reading puts it: A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord ... he is like a tree by the waterside ... it has no worries of drought and never ceases to bear fruit.
When we understand that it is our duty to help the poor and that it is an act of justice, then we will receive that blessing from the Lord and we will continue to bear fruits for the Lord.