In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the striking parable of the rich man and Lazarus—a story that pierces through the illusions of comfort and security that wealth can bring. It is not merely a story about riches and poverty, but about the human heart’s capacity—or incapacity—to love.

The rich man lived each day in luxury, dressed in fine linen, enjoying sumptuous feasts. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, longing for the scraps from the rich man’s table. Though their lives were separated by only a few steps, their worlds were vastly different. The true chasm, however, was not between their possessions but between their hearts.

When both men die, their positions are reversed. Lazarus is comforted in the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man suffers torment. The rich man’s request for mercy comes too late, for Abraham tells him, “Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed.” The chasm that separated them in life—his indifference and lack of compassion—became eternal in death.

This Gospel reminds us that heaven and hell are not merely destinations, but the natural result of how we live here and now. The “great divide” begins when we close our eyes to the suffering at our doorstep, when comfort becomes more important than compassion, and when we ignore the cries of the poor who mirror the face of Christ.

Lazarus is still at our gate today—in the face of the beggar, the outcast, the sick, the unemployed, and the lonely. He stands at the threshold of our hearts, silently asking for attention, dignity, and love. The question Jesus poses through this parable is not about wealth itself, but about what we do with what we have. Do we share? Do we see? Do we care?

Abraham’s final words are sobering: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” In other words, the message has already been given. We have the Scriptures, the teachings of the Church, and above all, the example of Jesus, who became poor so that we might become rich in love. There is no need for another miracle to convince us; what is needed is a conversion of heart.

Let us therefore cross the chasm while there is still time—by opening our hearts, our homes, and our hands. For in the end, what will matter is not how much we have accumulated, but how much love we have given.