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We offer this reflection on the Sunday Gospel by Father Michael Lavalee of the Diocese of Worcester:
Jesus tells the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Sunday’s Gospel. This parable teaches about the need for charity in action and how God’s justice is meted out to each human being after death. It also predicts Jesus’ future Resurrection and reminds Christians to use the time they have during life to learn the faith and apply it to their daily lives.
The name Lazarus, in Hebrew, means “God helps.” Another man named Lazarus features prominently in the New Testament. In his greatest miracle, Jesus raised his friend Lazarus of Bethany from death. It’s interesting to note that Lazarus is the only person named in one of Jesus’ parables.
In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, a wealthy man lived in opulent splendor while a poor beggar starved at the door of his palace. The moral blindness and indifference of the rich man to Lazarus during his life ultimately result in his separation from God for eternity. This is contrasted with Lazarus’s fate which, after death, was to be carried by angels to the “bosom of Abraham” (Heaven). In this way, God’s justice is meted out to both persons after death.
The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to him so that his thirst might be quenched while he is in torment. Abraham’s response is clear as he tells the rich man that there is a great chasm between them that prevents travel from one side to the other. The parable shows that God judges each soul immediately after death in the particular judgment. Based on how well a person loved during their earthly life, their soul will be given life eternal with God or life eternal separated from God.
The rich man then requests that the dead Lazarus be sent from Heaven to his father’s house to warn his five brothers to have faith and practice charity. Abraham tells him that his brothers should listen to the words of Moses and the prophets. Abraham means that the rich man’s brothers, still alive, should listen to God’s Word and live it. The rich man claims that the appearance of a dead person and the deliverance of a warning through him would lead them to true repentance. Abraham’s response is a prophetic reference to Jesus’ future Resurrection and the implications of this event for the world.
Sunday’s Gospel reminds us to put our faith into charitable action, listening to God’s Word for direction. May our reflection on this passage help us prepare for our final meeting with God by applying our faith in daily life.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to online resources.
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
• Holy Heroes
• Sunday Setup—Weekly Video and Post (courtesy of the Diocese of Bridgeport)
Other Resources
• Jubilee 2025
• Resources About Pope Leo XIV and the Papacy
For Catholic Schools
• Albert’s Expeditions Join Albert, a fierce yet friendly Peregrine Falcon, named after Saint Albert the Great (who even gave the Peregrine Falcon its name 800 years ago!) on scientific expeditions all around the globe. From under the soil to the sky full of stars, discover the stunning natural world full of life that God has created. Meant for children ages 5–10 and all families who want to learn more about their beautiful world around them and the Divine Creator who formed it all.
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus invites us to share.
For this lesson, you will need scissors, envelopes, crayons or colored pencils, a small ball, and a Church Year calendar. Throughout the class, affirm the children every time you see them sharing and caring for others.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Weekly Gospel Videos and Coloring Pages with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Promise
Lesson Theme: Jesus invites us to share.
Gather these supplies before your lesson: crayons, magazines, scissors, glue sticks, a poster board, pencils, hole punch, 8-inch lengths of yarn (one per child), and a Church Year calendar. You may wish to have the help of an aide to help with cutting, gluing, and lacing activity on pages 3–4. You can invite some parents to assist. This is a good way to involve them in their child’s faith formation. We also suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from pages 3–4.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Weekly Gospel Videos and Coloring Pages with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag Gospel Lesson with Mrs. Cole
Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us to notice and care.
For this lesson, you will need pencils, crayons, a Church Year calendar, and drawing paper with the words of the Great Commandment across the top (one per child). Note that the story about Saint Francis and the leper fits well with the message of this Sunday’s Gospel. That is why it appears in this lesson instead of in the lesson for Sunday, October 5, which falls closer to his feast day on October 4.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Video
• St. Francis of Assisi
Venture
Lesson Theme: Jesus teaches us to notice and care.
For this lesson, gather Bibles (one per child), copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the name cards created in the 9/21 lesson. For the “Finding My Way in the Bible” activity, you may choose to pair up students so that each pair includes one who is somewhat familiar with the Bible. Make sure that each pair masters a step before moving on to the next.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• The Bible Explored: A Brief History
• How to Look Up a Verse in the Bible
• St. Francis of Assisi
• Discover the Life of St. John Henry Newman
• St. Teresa of Avila
Visions
Lesson Theme: Jesus calls us to act in charity and justice.
For this lesson, gather pens or pencils, markers, and writing/drawing paper. You may also choose to print copies of the Catholic social teaching activity. See the QR code on page 6 of the student lesson or find it here. You can download and print it for the young people to complete in class or assign it as an out-of-class activity.
This Sunday’s Gospel message: Pay attention! As the young people work on noting the differences between the two cover images, share with them how Pope Leo highly values noticing others. Introduce the children to one of the Church’s “blesseds”—Blessed John Paul I. Explain that he was Pope for just thirty-three days. Ask: What kind of influence can a person have in a short time?
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Lesson Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• A Place at the Table Documentary Excerpt
• Catholic Social Teaching for Kids in 3 Minutes
• Social Teaching | Catholic Central
• Cause for Canonization of Pope John Paul I Goes Forward
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