Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 16:19–31) presents us with the striking story of Lazarus and the rich man, a teaching of Jesus that has echoed through the centuries. To help us reflect more deeply, we can turn to a 17th-century painting from the workshop of Italian artist Domenico Fetti. His Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (c. 1618–1628) captures the contrast between the lives of these two men: one feasting in splendor, the other suffering in rags at the gate. The work, now in the National Gallery of Art, was part of a series of parable paintings meant to inspire meditation and moral reflection in the viewer.

The painting draws our attention to details the Gospel emphasizes. The rich man, clothed in fine garments, dines lavishly, surrounded by wealth and comfort. Lazarus, afflicted with sores, longs simply for crumbs, accompanied only by dogs. Fetti’s workshop paints this contrast in vivid color and composition, placing the suffering poor man at the margins while opulence dominates the scene. The viewer is invited to ask: whose presence do we notice, and whose do we ignore?

Historically, this parable has been central in Christian preaching and art because it makes visible the eternal consequences of our choices. After death, the situation is reversed: Lazarus is carried to the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man, who failed to show compassion, finds himself in torment. Tradition even gave the wealthy man the name “Dives,” from the Latin word for “rich.” The Church Fathers often pointed out that his fault was not active cruelty but blind indifference. His sin was omission, failing to love his neighbor when he had the means to do so.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “the Church’s love for the poor is a part of her constant tradition” (CCC 2444). It also warns that neglecting those in need is not a neutral act but a grave matter. Like the rich man, we too can fall into the sin of omission, failing to see Christ in the hungry, the sick, or the lonely (CCC 1867). Both he parable and this painting challenge us to open our eyes to the Lazaruses at our own gates. Who in our community goes unseen? What needs around us are we overlooking?

As we hear this Gospel proclaimed, we are invited to conversion. Our resources, time, and talents are not ours to hoard but gifts entrusted to us for love and service. To “feast sumptuously” while ignoring the suffering around us is to risk eternal separation from God. But to notice, to respond, and to share is to live in the light of Christ. May this week’s Gospel, illuminated by Fetti’s painting, inspire us to see with compassion and to act with mercy, so that we may one day join Lazarus in the eternal banquet of heaven.