"It was the day before St. Patrick's Day, and the crowd was a little calmer on the approach to St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue early in the morning than it would be for the parade, as commuters trekked through snow banks left by winter's last hurrah.
"Cardinal Timothy Dolan, in one of his brief weekday homilies at 7 a.m. Mass, simply pointed to the gospel reading of the day: It was the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and the title, the Catholic archbishop of New York said, says it all. Jesus knew the poor man's name. Not so the rich man's.
"He preached the morning after a frigid evening commuting scene across town to the west. Outside St. Francis Assisi Church, right down the block from Penn Station, there was a man named Robert with a single tear falling from his eye. The tear glistened, as did his skin, in the wind. He asked for money to buy something to eat. I gave him a measly dollar as we exchanged a few words. He seemed hungry for something so much more than food. Imagine standing on a busy city street, asking for help, and being ignored as hundreds of people walk by every minute. That's got to wear you down. People tell me he might use the money for drugs or alcohol. Thinking of that parable, I know I've been to dinner parties and I had better not miss - or ignore - the poor man in front of me. And who among us has been a perfect steward of every precious dollar? I sure haven't."
In a recent commentary, Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor-at-large of National Review Online and nationally syndicated columnist, reflected on a Gospel message highlighted by a recent snowstorm.
To access her complete post, please visit:
National Review: Snowstorm's Tender Message (20 MAR 17)
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