Saint Patrick's Day, Raul Garcia: Freshman

March 17, 2022: Saint Patrick, Bishop
Raul Garcia: Freshman
Jeremiah 17:5-10/Lk 16:19-31
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!
For starters, I would like to introduce where the reading and Gospel came from: Jeremiah 17: 5-
10 and Luke 16: 19-31. For the reading, the main message I came to realize was that man should
not place their utmost trust and faith in another man but should give their entire being and faith
to the Lord. In the reading the man who places their trust in another man above the Lord, is
described as, and I quote, “cursed.” This man is compared to a dead bush in a desert. The bush
enjoys no new seasons and simply exists in a barren wasteland.
But the man who puts their faith and entire being to the Lord however is compared to a
flourishing tree near water and is described as, “blessed.” We should strive to be the flourishing
tree, the blessed man who puts themselves to and for God. The tree flourishes and stays green
throughout the year, expands its roots, and has no worry as a man who trusts in the Lord would.
We need to remember that the human heart can be corrupted and is always tempted by sin and
evil. To combat this, we must place faith in the Lord to persevere and always remember that the
Lord is who we should look up to, not man.
The Lord God knows the hearts and minds of all and knows our very being. He will reward those
who follow his ways. Another reason to follow the almighty Lord, our God. In the Gospel we are
told the Parable of the Rich Man. The main idea I could pull from this Gospel passage is that we
need to help the poor and those who are in a troubled state. Lazarus was a lowly man who had
nothing to his name, including food. The rich man had everything in this material world but
refused to help or feed the poor man Lazarus. Due to the man's actions, he was sent to the
underworld which held in immense and unending torment. Lazarus on the other hand went to
Heaven and was seen with Abraham. The rich man would suffer, and Abraham would not and
could not help the rich man. This shows that we need to help those who are poor and those who
are lowly because it is the right thing to do and is what Jesus Christ wants us to do. Helping the
poor is the only ticket to where Jesus is especially this Lent. Jesus lived his life to help those in
need and those who were suffering, and he wants us to follow his example and help those who
need it in our lifetime. Pain and suffering await those who don’t answer these callings of their
own accord or ability when they have the resources to do so. Many important messages can be
drawn from the reading and the Gospel. I wish for all of us on this day that we can look inward
and ask ourselves, am I following and trusting God and am I helping those in need? If not, then
what can I do to improve myself? Lastly, I want to wish everyone a blessed, beautiful, and most
joyous St. Patrick’s Day.