26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) I like how St. Paul speaks to Timothy: “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith”.  I am thinking that all of us should imitate St. Paul. Everyone should do it.  There is something else. Saint Paul also said: “Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called”. In the rite of baptism, after the person has had water poured over him, the priest says something like this: ‘You have become a new creation… see in the white garment the sign of your Christian dignity… bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven’. And all answer: Amen.

Is all of this speech strange or unusual? Maybe. Do you know why? Because sometimes we forget that we are Christians, God’s children. Just like the rich man in the Gospel. He “dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day”. He was so busy and so focused on his pleasant life that he forgot or did not realize that Lazarus was close to him (“lying at his door”) and that he was shouting his disgrace and his misfortune (covered with sores).

Being rich was not the problem. The problem was what he did with his riches. When I told you that we should imitate St. Paul by speaking like him (pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith), I meant that what we need to remember is what we are supposed to do with our lives and the gifts we have. All our efforts, works and intentions are supposed to be steps so that we may lay hold of eternal life.  At the end of every day, before going to bed, we might ask ourselves: how much have I laid hold of eternal life? Or have I been distracted or forgotten my main purpose of life? Another question could be: what have I done with all the gifts that I have? My good health, my computer, my blackberry or I-phone, my opportunity to study, the money I make and on and on.