Upon an invitation by a Blessed Chaldean Family! Fr. Noel Gorgis celebrated the Devine mass at the family’s house with the attendance of some faithful, on Saturday, July 30th, 2016.
According to St. Luke (16:19-31), Fr. Noel preached about Lazarus, the poor and wounded man, who figured his way to paradise, and now he’s enjoying the comfort by Abraham’s side. While on the other side, the rich man who doesn’t even have a certain name in the bible, and the angles sent him to Sheol, he died and was berried leaving behind all his fortune that it didn’t give him any credit in heaven because he didn’t know how to use it on earth wisely & justly, but he used it for his self pride & reputation, and to humiliate the poor man who was lying in front of his gate. So the gift that God gave it to the rich man turned into a curse at the end of his life.
It’s proper for anyone to set a goal for his life and work to reach it and fulfill God’s will, but sometimes when we use the gifts of God in a selfish way for our own sake & interest, at the end of life God will ask us what did we use these gifts and blessings on? Accordingly we will be sent either to Sheol and suffer torment or to paradise and enjoy.
On the other hand though, a man could see himself rejected, torn away, and taken from among his brothers, friends and relatives, his firm reliance on God (as much as he is persecuted) will definitely give him the inner peace of conscience which will make him feel like he is living in paradise!
