In his book, "The Art of Dying Well," St Robert Bellarmine, SJ, counsels that "he who desires to die well must live well." Today's gospel weaves this precept into a stark tapestry of contrasting images: riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and indifference. Though living in close proximity, Lazarus and the Rich Man ('Dives') lived at different ends of the social spectrum: the former in dire poverty and the latter in opulence. Dives was condemned to eternal damnation not because of his wealth, but because he was guilty of the grave sins of omission - failure to do something he could and ought to. He did not love his neighbour Lazarus as himself nor treated him with dignity. He did not use his God-given wealth to help and care for him. He showed indifference to his plight. He disengaged himself from Lazarus to serve Mammon instead of God. On the other hand, the destitute Lazarus bore his suffering and Dives' contempt of him silently and with dignity, trusting in the Lord's providence. For this, both men's fortunes were reversed when they died, for "…I, the Lord, search to the heart…to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve" (Jer 17:10).

Our capacity to do good and avoid evil ends in death. Let us not tarry lest we end up like Dives, but avail ourselves of this graced Lenten season to probe our hearts on "what we have done and what we have failed to do" so that we can make our reparations now.