Mass Readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
- First Reading – Amos 6:1A, 4-7: “Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall!”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 146: “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
- Second Reading – 1 Timothy 6:11-16: “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.”
- Gospel – Luke 16:19-31: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Themes for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
The readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C call us to care about others. In the first reading we are warned against being complacent while others suffer. The psalm praises the justice of God. In the second reading Paul reminds us to pursue virtues. In the gospel Jesus tells the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, where a wealthy man ignored the needs of a poor man every day.
- Leaving our comfort zones
- Helping those in need
- Corporal Works of Mercy
- Priorities
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
Resources for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Invisible – A Lesson Plan on Seeing Others
This Invisible lesson plan will help youth understand the importance of really seeing others and noticing what is going on in their lives. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in what is important to us that we don’t see the needs of those around us.
Prayer of Trust in God
This prayer of trust in God is based on Psalm 146, which speaks of depending on God about all other things. Psalm 146 is the responsorial psalm for this Sunday.
Do One of the Corporal Works of Mercy
The gospels show us that Jesus reached out to those in need. His life is a model for how we should interact with others. One way to do this is through the Corporal Works of Mercy. Consider looking at these and doing one with the Catholic youth in your life
Homilies and Reflections for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
How Are You Caring for the Poor?
From Bishop Robert Barron. “Pope Benedict XVI memorably said that the Church does three essential things: it evangelizes, it worships God, and it cares for the poor. This week, the words of Amos the prophet and Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man are meant to put us on the hook when it comes to the third task. How much do we care for those who are poor? Are we living lives of self-preoccupation and self-indulgence while our own brothers and sisters are suffering and starving at our gate?”
Both: Praying and Doing
From Fr. Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation. “I think this parable shows us we have a pattern in our culture that teaches us to insulate ourselves from suffering, to build up gates and walls and border fences that separate us from those who are suffering right outside of our comfort. But we come to find out that not only are we locking the suffering out, but we’re locking ourselves in—to a life that’s incredibly lonely. Those patterns rob us of life and community.” Continue reading.
A Great Chasm
From Scott Hahn. “The rich and powerful are visited with woe and exile in today’s Liturgy—not for their wealth but for their refusal to share it; not for their power but for their indifference to the suffering at their door.” Continue reading.
Don’t Forget the Poor
Also from Bishop Robert Barron. “When the conclave of 2013 was finishing up, and Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope, Cardinal Hummes of Brazil came up to him and whispered into his ear: ‘Don’t forget the poor.’ In emphasizing ‘a poor Church for the poor,’ Pope Francis is continuing an ancient and powerful tradition that stretches right back to the Bible, including our first reading and Gospel for today.”
Rich Man, Poor Man
From Bishop Robert Barron. “We cannot remain indifferent to the poor, whom the Lord has determined to be a privileged route of access to his life and presence.”
Misplaced Priorities
From Loyola Press. “A major theme in the Gospel of Luke is the importance of the care of the poor in the life of discipleship. In the parable found in today’s Gospel, Jesus contrasts the life of a rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who lives in the shadow of the rich man and his wealth. Both die.” Continue reading.
More Thoughts for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Today’s readings tell of a reversal of fortunes. They tell us that God will upset our notion of how the world should work. Those who have plenty will suffer. Those who suffer will know fullness of life.
Jesus makes this point in a way which is particularly easy to understand. And this is a message he returns to over and over again in his teaching. Riches, esteem, and the things of this world must not distract us from serving God and his people. The rich man was so focused on his own comfort that he did nothing to help the starving Lazarus whom he saw every day. He should have known better. The law given in the Old Testament made is clear that caring for those in distress needs to be a priority.
We also need to be detached from worldly goods in order to serve God. When our own comfort is our priority, then we are really just serving ourselves. Jesus calls us to join him in this mission of mercy because he wants us to know the true joy which comes from doing the Father’s will.
Reflection Questions for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
- How am I helping my brothers and sisters in need?
- What are some times when others gave me a helping hand?
- Are there aspects of comfort which I am too attached to?
Quotes and Social Media Graphics for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.
The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.
Pope Benedict XVI
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