Lawrence W. Ladd (fl.1865-1895)
Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
watercolor and pencil on paper, ca.1880
Smithsonian American Art Museum

[Jesus said to the Pharisees:] “And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.” Luke 16:20-21

Today I will intentionally look at the people around me. I will take time to notice that we are all children of God in need of love and attention. I will bring a compassionate heart and helping hands to those in need of comfort and care.

Kazimierz Nowak (1897-1937)?
Nomad Prayer

[Jesus said to his disciples,] “You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

God: mysterious, unfathomable Love without end or condition who leads, guides,  comforts, and graces us yesterday, today, tomorrow, and for all eternity that we too may become Love incarnate.

Mammon: material wealth and possessions acting as an idol that debases our impulses towards generosity and compassion.

How will I choose? God or mammon?

Sébastien Dusart
L’Enfant prodigue, de Félix Desruelles, Valenciennes (1899)

There is so much unsaid in the story of the father and his two sons. Why was the younger son so eager to get away from home, but expecting his father’s wealth to support him? Why did the father let him go without any lessons in money management? Was the younger son repentant or an opportunist? Would the warm and forgiving welcome of his father change him for the better?

Why did the older son let resentment about how his father treated him build ? Was it loyalty and custom that made him stay working for someone he resented? What was the real core of the anger he felt towards his brother?

Why hadn’t the father told the older son that everything of his belonged to him? Was the father generous or withholding?

Human relationships thrive on respectful, compassionate communication. We can never know the motives or thoughts of others unless we ask. We can never know our own motives until we take the time to examine our thoughts, behaviors, and actions in humility.

Today I will pray for enlightenment about how I relate with others. I will risk being vulnerable by communicating my thoughts and feelings with someone trustworthy.

The Good Samaritan
After William Hogarth (British, London 1697–1764 London)
Etching and engraving, February 24, 1772
Metropolitan Museum of Art

[Jesus replied,] “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
[The scholar] answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:36-37

It’s a directive from the Lord: Treat my neighbor with mercy. That means extending compassion to someone who is suffering; listening when someone needs to talk; visiting someone who is lonely; feeding someone who is hungry.

It’s about noticing others. It’s about paying attention. It’s about letting go of indifference. It’s about taking care of you and me and all of us — precious members of God’s beloved human family.