Gospel according to Saint Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 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.
When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'”

Do you know if Lazarus had breakfast today?

Luis CASASUS President of the Idente Missionaries

Rome, September 28, 2025 | XXVI Sunday in Ordinary Time

Am 6: 1a.4-7; 1Tim 6: 11-16; Lk 16: 19-31

Indifference is an attitude that clearly opposes unity among human beings. Today we talk about it a lot, especially after Pope Francis coined the expression “globalization of indifference.”

To what or to whom are we indifferent?

Not only to the suffering of our neighbors, as the First Reading incisively describes, speaking of “the orgy of the dissolute” when referring to those who enjoy many comforts. Amos was a hard-working farmer and knew well the struggles and anxieties of the humblest classes.

We are also indifferent to the suggestions of the Holy Spirit, as we see in Revelation (3:15-16) when he reproaches the spiritual lukewarmness of the church of Laodicea: Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. That is why it is often said that few sins can be more serious than this indifference, for it means a genuine and direct contempt for God, for his most intimate suggestions, for his concern, speaking in human terms.

We must meditate on the ways in which this indifference invades us today, but it is not something new, and in the Bible, we find abundant examples that should convince us of how easily we can all be indifferent and, therefore, self-centered, distant from God and our fellow human beings.

֍ As Genesis recounts, after murdering Abel, Cain responds coldly to God: Am I my brother’s keeper? This reflects indifference toward the life of one’s neighbor and the responsibility to care for him.

֍ Similarly, Noah’s contemporaries were indifferent to the call to repentance, busy with their own affairs… until the flood came.

֍ Also in Genesis, we read how the inhabitants of Sodom (Gen 19:1-9) lived in sin and were indifferent to the suffering they caused, to the point of despising hospitality and justice.

֍ Finally, let us mention the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-32). Both see the wounded man on the road, but they pass by, showing indifference to his suffering.

Indifference hurts our neighbor, for few things hurt more than feeling completely irrelevant to someone close to us. The Gospel text gives us food for thought: the dogs came and licked his wounds. Christ, too, in addition to envy and betrayal, suffered indifference when he was on the cross, for many mocked him or simply watched him without compassion as he suffered, indifferent to his innocence.

It is not a question of being able to solve every pain, every problem, but of giving those who suffer a security similar to that which Jesus gave his disciples: “I will be with you until the end of time.”

Indifference also prevents dialogue, which predisposes families and communities to create distances. One of the causes of marital breakdown today is indifference between spouses. At the end of his narrative, Christ clearly explains the devastating effects of indifference on those who allow themselves to be enveloped by it: their sensitivity is completely destroyed, so that by not paying attention to the teaching and example of the most faithful people (in this case, Moses and the prophets), they reach a point of total disconnection from God, who will not be able to break through the barrier of that indifference, even by raising a dead person before their eyes.

In this context, we can understand why Abraham said to the rich man: A great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross from there to us.

—ooOoo—

After reading today’s Gospel, it is worth looking at the origins and manifestations of our indifference, which are varied… and we must take them into account.

First, let us point out that -in several languages- “apathy” is not the same as “indifference”. Both describe a lack of interest or concern, a lack of emotional response or commitment in certain areas, in certain situations. But apathy implies a lack of overall emotional response.

Apathy is like a general “emotional blackout.” Indifference, on the other hand, is like closing the curtain on something specific. Both can be signs of psychological distress, but they can also arise as defense mechanisms or because of difficult past experiences.

Some people disconnect emotionally as a way to protect themselves from the suffering of others, especially if they have experienced trauma or prolonged stress. Sometimes, it is a kind of desensitization: constant exposure to images of tragedy (for example, in the media) can lead to a kind of “empathy fatigue,” where the pain of others no longer moves us. Finally, in stressful or pressured situations, people may prioritize their own needs, ignoring those of others.

We might think that the rich man’s case gave way to indifference for the latter reason. He was too concerned with maintaining his good image among his wealthy friends; his splendid generosity was aimed at cultivating his good reputation among his peers; obviously, Lazarus and the other unfortunate people of his social class “were none of his business.”

This happens to you and me when we think that a problem is not our responsibility or that dealing with it will require an expenditure of energy and time that we are not willing to pay. Sometimes we even find powerful excuses for doing nothing: Actually, that person deserves their misfortune, they brought it on themselves or, If they had any sense of shame, hey would take steps to get out of their misery or change their inappropriate behavior.”

It seems appropriate to remember that apathy is deeper than indifference, which explains why, in our relationship with God, the Holy Spirit uses our states of apathy toward the spiritual life to purify us. In this way, He shows us that, without needing to understand everything or feel ardent desires, we can remain attentive and more freely follow what Providence asks of us.

Of course, the consequences of indifference are separation and the impossibility of living a love like the one Christ showed and taught. What’s more, remaining indifferent to a person can cause them as much harm as psychological abuse.

As Elie Wiesel (1921-2016), winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said, The opposite of love is not hatred, it is indifference. Because when someone ceases to matter, they cease to exist in our emotional and spiritual world. This can cause confusion in the other person, leading them to think that they deserve the contempt of others. Indifference can be silent, but deeply hurtful. It always erodes a life. There are not necessarily screams or conflicts, but something is missing: the necessary warmth of affection. Some signs of indifference in my life are usually the following:

* Conversations become superficial, impersonal, or routine. Saying “how was your morning?” becomes a mere formality, showing no interest in my brother.

* When another person shares something that is important in their life, I don’t react or even change the subject.

* In our coexistence, there are no arguments, but there is also no problem solving. Disagreements are simply ignored. We don’t talk about shared plans, dreams, or projects.

Let’s take an example that is both comical and sad at the same time:

Don Ernesto had been drinking orange juice every morning for 27 years. Not because he liked it, but because Clara, his devoted and hard-working wife, served it to him mechanically, without asking. He hated it. He found it sour, sticky, and suspiciously artificial. But he never said anything. He thought: She does it with love…

One day, Clara went on a trip. Ernesto, freed from his duty, poured himself a black coffee and made some buttered toast. Happy! But when Clara returned, she asked him:

Why didn’t you drink juice these past few days?

Because I don’t like it. I never liked it.

Clara looked at him with a mixture of surprise and total indifference.

Oh, I thought you loved it. I can’t stand it either. I served it because you never refused it.

They both laughed. Then they cried and poured themselves coffee.

But this is very serious, because we cannot afford to waste the time of our short lives without becoming increasingly sensitive to the preferences and expectations of the One who created us and brought us into this world. A well-known case from the Old Testament, where a prophet’s indifference is strikingly corrected by the Lord:

God says to Jonah: Go to Nineveh and warn them to change their ways. Jonah, in an act of passive-aggressive indifference, responds with a very human action: he flees in the opposite direction. Literally. He sets sail for Tarshish, as if he could hide from God behind a wave.

God, with infinite patience and a sense of humor that even prophets don’t understand, sends a storm. The terrified sailors throw Jonah into the sea, believing that he had brought the curse of the storm upon them.

And then… the giant fish enters the scene and swallows the prophet. Jonah spends three days in the belly of the fish, reflecting on his indifference, his flight…

When he finally goes to Nineveh and preaches, the whole city repents. And what does Jonah do? He gets angry. He sits under a plant and complains that God was too compassionate to the city of his enemies. God responds with a lesson worthy of an existential comedy: he causes the plant to die and says to him:

Does the plant hurt you more than the people who were going to die? He makes him see that Jonah has shown more emotion for a plant than for thousands of people.

This story reminds us that indifference can come even from those who have received a divine mission (you and me) … and that God, in His wisdom, knows how to shake us out of our lethargy.

_______________________________

In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Luis CASASUS

President