Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Đọc bài thứ Năm Tuần thứ Hai Chay

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Đọc bài thứ Năm Tuần thứ Hai Chay (Luke 16:19-31)
Tin Mừng hôm nay, cho chúng ta một câu chuyện mà như có cảm tưởng là câu chuyện mà chúng ta đã thấy mỗi ngày trong xã hội Viêt Nam của chúng ta.. Những người giàu, những đại gia giàu có, họ giàu có trên sự bốc lột, trên mồ hôi và nước mắt của những người dân lao động, chân lấm tay bùn, Nhưng họ lại nhịn nhục luồn cúi, nơi những kẻ khác có quyền và có tiền hơn. 
            Trong cuộc sống của chúng ta hôm nay, có thể chúng ta đang bị tê liệt, không biết phải làm gì hơn, có lẽ chúng ta đang rút vào trong cái vò ốc của xã hôi để làm lơ hay quên đi những người hành khắt, ăn xin ngoài đường phố, hay những cụ già không có thân nhân phải còng lưng , kiếm sống hằng ngày bằng những gánh rau nặng trịu mà bán không đủ mua gạo sống qua ngày, có khi phải ngồi chịu mưa bên lề đường mà không có được một tấm bạt che mưa. Có lẽ chúng ta đã có được cuộc sống tạm đầy đủ nên chúng ta cố quyền sống vô tư, đó cũng chỉ sự thường tình?. Khi một số các em nhỏ đã bị tước đoạt cái tuổi thơ, và sự vui đùa hồn nhiên của chúng để lang thang khắp phố bán từng tấm vé số, kiếm cơm cho gia đình. Có một số cha mẹ nhẫn tâm đã bán con ra nướv ngoài hay cho những "nhà chứa gái" để lấy vài trăm bạc!. Cuộc sống bận rộn, xã hội hũ hoá làm chúng ta đâm ra ích kỷ, nghĩa là chỉ biết có mình mà thôi, còn ai sống chết mạnh ai...?  Đã có bao nhiêu lần chúng ta đã gặp những "người giàu có " trong chính chúng ta. Tâm hồn của chúng ta đã trở nên  "chái đá". (Ez 36:26) Và có lẽ, chúng ta sẽ  "dễ nhìn thấy và nhận ra được" tâm hồn của mình những khi chúng ta thấy mình thực sự đang như Lazarus.
            Những khi nào chúng ta cảm thấy mình như Lazarus? Những những khoảnh khắc nào mà chúng ta cảm thấy được là mình giống như "người giàu có trong bài tin mừng hôm nay" đang ở trong chúng ta?  Trong khi chúng ta suy niệm vế sư đói khổ và nghèo hèn, chúng ta hãy tìm sự cảm nghiệm thấm thía nơi thống khổ ấy để chúng ta biết chủ động, và chúng ta biết cầu xin Chúa giúp cho chúng ta được ơn "nhìn thấy" với tâm hồn mền dẻo của chúng ta để chúng ta có thể nhận ra được khuôn mặt của Thiên Chúa trong cái vỏ bọc của Lazarus và đáp ứng với một tấm lòng nhận ái tim và rộng lượng.
 
Reflection:
     This is a story we must have heard many times before. And by now, for the nth time, perhaps we have become numb, unaffected, indifferent. The beggars in our streets are so common we take them for granted. The small children deprived of their playful childhood to earn some money for the family by selling sampaguita flowers around the church makes no difference to us. The garbage collectors ask for some cold water to drink on a hot summer day and we do not even bother. Many times we experience the "rich man" in us. Our hearts have become "stony hearts." (Ez 36:26) And perhaps, we shall "see" with our hearts only when we find ourselves really poor like Lazarus.
     When were those times we felt like Lazarus? When were those moments of the "rich man" in us? As we reflect on poverty in order to jolt us proactively, let us beg for the grace to "see" with our hearts that we may recognize the face of God in the guise of Lazarus and respond with a generous heart.
 
Thursday 2^nd week of Lent 2023
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.” Luke 16:19–21
One of the reasons this story is so powerful is because of the clear descriptive contrast between the rich man and Lazarus. The contrast is not only seen in the passage above, it is also seen in the final outcome of each of their lives.
In the first contrast, the rich man’s life seems much more desirable, at least on the surface. He is rich, has a home to live in, dresses in fine clothing and eats sumptuously every day. By contrast, Lazarus is poor, has no home, has no food, is covered with sores and even endures the humiliation of dogs licking his wounds. Which of these persons would you prefer to be?
Before you answer that question, consider the second contrast. When they both die, they experience very different eternal fates. When the poor man died, he was “carried away by angels.” And when the rich man died, he went to the netherworld, where there was ongoing torment. So again, which of these persons would you prefer to be?
One of the most seductive and deceptive realities in life is the lure of riches, luxury and the fine things in life. Though the material world is not bad in and of itself, there is great temptation that goes along with it. In fact, it is clear from this story and from the many other teachings of Jesus on this topic that the lure of riches and its effect on the soul cannot be ignored. Those who are rich in the things of this world are often tempted to live for themselves rather than living for others. When one has all the comforts this world has to offer, it’s easy to simply enjoy those comforts without concern for others. And that is clearly the unspoken contrast between these two men.
Though poor, it is clear that Lazarus is rich in the things that matter in life. This is evidenced by His eternal reward. It is clear that in his material poverty, he was rich in charity. The man who was rich in the things of this world was clearly poor in charity and, thus, upon losing his physical life, he had nothing to take with him. No eternal merit. No charity. Nothing.
Reflect, today, upon that which you desire in life. Too often, the deceptions of material wealth and worldly possessions dominate our desires. In fact, even those who have little can easily become consumed with these unhealthy desires. Seek, instead, to desire only that which is eternal. Desire love of God and love of neighbor. Make this your only goal in life and you, too, will be carried away by angels when your life is completed.
My Lord of true riches, You chose to be poor in this world as a sign to us that true riches come not with material wealth but with love. Help me to love You, my God, with all my being and to love others as You love them. May I be wise enough to make spiritual riches my single goal in life so that these riches will be enjoyed for all eternity. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday 2^nd week of Lent 2023
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I come before you today open to change. I ask you to turn my mind, emotions, and will toward you as I enter these moments of prayer and strive to hear your voice. 
Encountering Christ:
1. Wealth/Duty: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.” In this parable, Jesus does not condemn wealth, per se, but reminds all of us that the wealthy have a serious moral obligation to help the poor. For generations, Catholic social teaching has emphasized this responsibility: “...Remember the aphorism of the Fathers, ‘Feed the man dying of hunger, because if you have not fed him, you have killed him…” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 69). “You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his” (Populorum Progressio). “Love for others, and in the first place love for the poor, in whom the Church sees Christ himself, is made concrete in the promotion of justice” (Centesimus Annus). Let us examine our almsgiving this Lent in light of 1 John 3:17-18: “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”
2. Warn My Brothers: The rich man cared little for Lazarus, but he apparently loved his five brothers enough to ask that they be warned: “lest they too come to this place of torment.” Abraham replied that Moses and the prophets were enough warning. In fact, Abraham added, “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”—which is precisely what Jesus did in order to save us all. How many of us go about our day-to-day duties, forgetful of the poor, distracted, worried, or simply refusing to acknowledge the prophets of our time–saints, good priests, holy friends–who remind us daily that Jesus Christ came back from the dead to save us from our sins? 
3. Christ Became Poor for Us: “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ became poor so that we might be wealthy—not one day in heaven, but right here, right now. He bestowed on us a royal identity through our Baptism. He feeds us with bread from heaven to sustain us on our journey. He forgives our sins so that we can begin over and over. He also showers us with spiritual wealth by the love he sends us through others. Our hearts are full of gratitude, but are we willing to become poor for others in imitation of Our Lord? To give without counting costs? To serve the outcast? To defend the weak? 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, please open my eyes and soften my heart, so I don’t trip over the poor you have placed in my path. This Lent, help me reach out beyond my comfort zone to contribute to, feed, serve and pray for the souls I meet.
Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will, in solidarity with the poor, abstain from my favorite food.
 
Thursday 2^nd week of Lent
Suy Niệm
Lạy Chúa Giêsu Thánh Thể, Chúng con hôm nay đến đây hiện diện trước mặt Chúa, chúng con cảm đội ơn Chúa vì đã ở lại với chúng con trong những giây phút cầu nguyện này. Chúng con rất trân trọng những thời gian này vì Chúa đã cho chúng con những giây phút gắn bó với Chúa hầu giúp chúng con có cơ hội để phát triển tình thân mật với Chúa.  Lay Chúa, xin Chúa hãy nói với linh hồn chúng con để chúng con phải biết làm gì trong những ngày trong mùa Chay này.
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đã Chúa Giêsu mạnh dạn nói với những người Pha-ri-si, những người giàu có, mặc quần áo đẹp và ăn uống linh đình mỗi ngày. Câu chuyện ngụ ngôn này thật giống như là cuộc sống thường ngày mà chúng ta đã thường thấy mỗi ngày trong xã hội của chúng ta đang sống. Những người giàu có, hay những đại gia giàu sụ, nhưng phần lớn là họ từng làm giàu có trên sự bốc lột, trên mồ hôi và nước mắt của những người dân lao động, chân lấm tay bùn,  thế nhưng những người lao động thấp kém dường như phải nhịn nhục luồn cúi nơi những kẻ có quyền và có tiền để kiếm sống. Qua câu chuyện này Chúa Giêsu rõ ràng đã cố cảnh báo những người Pharisieu hay những người giầu có. Chúa muốn cảnh cáo họ để họ nên biết sửa đổi cuộc sống của họ nếu không thì chính họ sẽ phải đối mặt với cuộc sống đời sau bên trái của vực thẳm. Chúa Giêsu kêu gọi họ sửa đổi vì đã họ ngược đãi những người dân nghèo khổ sở thay vì ho cần chú trọng trong việc chăm sóc những người này. Nói một cách khác là những người Pha-ri-siêu này đã bước qua Lazarô mỗi ngày, như Tin Mững Thánh Matheu nói trong đoạn 23..khi họ “Họ bó những gánh nặng mà đặt trên vai người ta, còn chính họ lại không muốn tra ngón tay lay thử” (Mat 23: 4).
Trong suốt ba năm rao giảng, Chúa Giêsu đã nhiều lần trách mắng những người Pha-ri-siêu và thẳng thừng chỉ trích họ, thách thức quyền lực của họ trước mặt dân chúng, và có lẽ Chúa đã làm cho họ phải xấu hổ và bẽ mặt trong những lúc như thế này. Tuy nhiên, Chúa không phải là người nắm quyền chính trị. Nhưng Chúa có một mối quan tâm là cứu mọi người kể cả những Pha-ri-si đạo đức giả khỏi bị nguyền rủa đời đời. Động lực duy nhất của Chúa là đem tình yêu của Thiên Chúa đến tất cả các linh hồn.
Mặc dù dụ ngôn này Chúa muốn nói với những người Pha-ri-si, nhưng chúng ta sẽ nhầm lẫn nếu như chúng ta làm mất đi cơ hội để tự nhìm vào chính bản thân mình và kiểm thảo bản thân khiêm tốn của chúng ta mỗi ngày. Khi chúng ta cảm thấy lương tâm khó chịu hay những lúc chúng ta cảm thấy rằng Chúa đang mời chúng ta hãy nên tự sự sửa đổi chinh mình, phản ứng thích hợp của chúng ta lúc đó là ăn năn, hối hận vì những sai lầm thiếu xót của chúng ta và chúng ta phản tìm kiếm đếnsự tha thứ trong bí tích hòa giải và thực hiện việc đền tội. như sách cách ngôn đã dạy:  “Hỡi con, đừng khinh thường sự sửa trị của Yavê, và đừng nhàm chán lời Người quở mắng; bởi Yavê quở mắng kẻ Người thương mến, như người cha (quở mắng) đứa con ông dấu yêu.” (Châm ngôn 3: 11-12). Chúng ta nên biết ơn Thiên Chúa rất nhiều về  những ân sủng mà chúng ta đã nhận được qua Bí tích Hòa giải!
Trong cuộc sống của chúng ta hôm nay, chúng ta có thể đang bị tê liệt, không biết phải làm gì hơn, có lẽ chúng ta đang rút vào trong cái vò ốc của xã hôi để làm lơ hay quên đi những người bơ vơ không nhà, những người ăn xin ngoài đường phố, hay những cụ già không có thân nhân phải còng lưng, kiếm sống hằng ngày bằng những gánh rau bán không đủ mua gạo sống qua ngày, có khi phải ngồi chịu mưa bên lề đường mà không có được một tấm nhựa che mưa.
Có những người như chúng ta đang có được cuộc sống tạm đầy đủ nên chúng ta cố quyền sống vô tư, đó cũng chỉ sự thường tình?. Khi một số các em nhỏ đã bị tước đoạt cái tuổi thơ, và sự vui đùa hồn nhiên của chúng để lang thang khắp hè phố bán từng tấm vé số, kiếm cơm cho gia đình. Có một số cha mẹ đã nhẫn tâm đã bán con để lấy vài trăm bạc!. 
Cuộc sống của con người chúng càng bận rộn, xã hội của chúng ta càng hũ hoá và làm chúng ta đâm ra ích kỷ, nghĩa là chỉ biết có mình mà thôi, còn ai sống chết mạnh ai...?  Đã có bao nhiêu lần chúng ta đã gặp những "người giàu có " trong chính chúng ta. Và tâm hồn của chúng ta đã trở nên  "chai đá". (Ez 36:26). Có lẽ, chúng ta sẽ dễ nhìn thấy và dễ cảm nhận ra được tâm hồn của mình những khi chúng ta thấy mình thực sự đang như Lazarus trong tin mừng hôm nay.
Trong khi chúng ta suy niệm về sư đói khổ và nghèo khó, chúng ta hãy cố tìm sự cảm nghiệm thấm thía nơi sự thống khổ ấy để chúng ta biết chủ động, và giúp chúng ta biết cầu xin Chúa giúp cho chúng ta được ơn "nhìn thấy" với tâm hồn mền dẻo của chúng ta để chúng ta có thể nhận ra được khuôn mặt của Thiên Chúa trong cái vỏ bọc của Lazarô và đáp ứng với một tấm lòng nhân ái với trái tim rộng lượng.
Lạy Chúa Giêsu Thánh Thể, qua bài dụ ngôn hôm nay, Chúa đã nhắc nhở con luôn dõi theo sự sống đời đời. Chúng con cầu xin Chúa giúp chúng con biết luôn hành động những việc làm có ý nghĩa vì lòng yêu thương Chúa và vì vinh quang của Thiên Chúa, Xin Chúa gúp cho chúng con luôn biết nhớ rằng những nguồn sinh lực Chúa đã cho chúng con là vì lợi ích của người khác. Xin Chúa hãy khơi dậy trong trái tim chúng con một sự mong muốn nóng bỏng là được nhân danh Chúa để tiếp cận những tâm hồn đang cần tình yêu thương của Chúa. Amen
 
Thursday 2^nd week of Lent
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, open my heart to your Spirit in this time of prayer. I believe that you are here and that you have something to say to me. 
Encountering Christ: 
1.      Jesus’ Personal Conversation with the Twelve: Today’s Gospel passage reminds us of Sunday’s Gospel reading, the Transfiguration of the Lord, which would have taken place shortly after the events recounted in today’s Gospel. Jesus had much on his heart as his Passion drew closer. He wanted to prepare his closest friends, knowing it would come as a shock to them. And perhaps he wanted, simply, to share his suffering from his heart, too. He was about to accomplish the redemption of the world. He was about to suffer and be abandoned. Who, with these events impending, would not want to take his or her closest friends aside and share it with them? Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, did so, yet how little they understood. 
2.      A Mother’s Personal Conversation with Jesus: According to Matthew, the very next noteworthy event after Jesus’ prediction of his Passion was this: the mother of ambitious James and John asked that her sons be given the greatest honor. Their ambition was not entirely “off,” because they expressed a desire to be close to Jesus, to participate with him in a real and significant way in his mission. This is something Jesus desires, for us too, his followers. But their expectation of human recognition and honor revealed just how little they understood who Jesus was and how he would bring about the redemption promised. Is there a matter in our own life where we find our limited, human expectations are far from those of Jesus? Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and dialogue with him about this. 
3.      Jesus and my Personal Conversation: “The Son of Man did not come to be served,” Jesus patiently said, “but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to reveal himself not to receive honors and accolades, although he always deserves our praise. He came, rather, freely and humbly, to reveal to our hardened hearts, in our slowness to believe, despite our clumsy efforts, that he loves us; and that from this love, he calls us to follow him. His call is not to a path of human accolades; most often, it is to the contrary. He calls us to union with him, to freedom and redemption, and to make ourselves servants with the Servant. 
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, you have come to reveal to us the Father who knows us and loves us. You ask for my heart, for my love, for all that I am and do. You will make my life much more fruitful than I could. I thank you for this great honor, this call to be your friend. I give you my life—not to win human security, but to be open to your love. Make me an instrument of your love. 
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will strive to make a concrete act of service to another for the love of you. 
 
Meditation:
What sustains you when trials and affliction come your way? The prophet Jeremiah tells us that whoever relies on God will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears (Jeremiah 17:7-8). God will not only be their consolation, but their inexhaustible source of hope and joy as well. Jesus' parable about the afflictions of the poor man Lazarus brings home a similar point. In this story Jesus paints a dramatic scene of contrasts - riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. We also see an abrupt and dramatic reversal of fortune. Lazarus was not only poor, but sick and unable to fend for himself.  He was "laid" at the gates of the rich man's house. The dogs which licked his sores probably also stole the little bread he got for himself. Dogs in the ancient world symbolized contempt. Enduring the torment of these savage dogs only added to the poor man's miseries and sufferings. The rich man treated the beggar with contempt and indifference, until he found his fortunes reversed at the end of his life! In God's economy, those who hold on possessively to what they have, lose it all in the end, while those who share generously receive back many times more than they gave way.
The name Lazarus means God is my help. Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not lose hope in God. His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven. The rich man, however, could not see beyond his material wealth and possessions. He not only had every thing he needed, he selfishly spent all he had on himself. He was too absorbed in what he possessed to notice the needs of those around him. He lost sight of God and  the treasure of heaven because he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth rather than God. In the end the rich man became a beggar! Do you know the joy and freedom of possessing God as your true and lasting treasure? Those who put their hope and security in heaven will not be disappointed (see Hebrews 6:19)?
"Lord Jesus, you are my joy and my treasure. Make me rich in the things of heaven and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others the spiritual and material treasures you have given to me."
 
WAU=Meditation: Jeremiah 17:5-10 2nd Week of Lent
He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream. (Jeremiah 17:8)
Can you imagine if Jeremiah had written that the just man “is like a dandelion plant”? Who would want to be compared to a weed? But have you ever seen a dandelion root? It’s substantial—at least as deep as the plant is tall—and it goes straight down. If you’ve struggled to pull up a dandelion in your yard, you can attest to the strength of that root!
Not only does the dandelion’s root help the plant anchor itself in the soil; it’s also a very effective nutrient-delivery system. As the root goes deep into the soil, it absorbs the food and moisture the plant needs to stay healthy.
Well, Jeremiah didn’t call us dandelions, but he did say that we are like trees that God has planted. No doubt, drought will come. Heat will threaten us. That’s part of life in this world. But God has planted us near life-giving waters, and he wants us to sink our roots deeply into the soil so that we can tap into them.
Deep roots of faith save you in times of distress. Even when your heart feels like those gnarled and knotted roots that skim the surface of the forest, you can take comfort in the fact that there are great riches of nourishment and strength available to you. You don’t have to stay on the surface! The Holy Spirit is powerful enough to help you tap into richer soil and find all the grace you need.
What better way to deepen your faith than hearing his word and receiving his Body at Mass? It’s the perfect place to leave your anxieties behind and immerse yourself in all that he has to offer you. Seated there in the presence of the Lord, surrounded by your brothers and sisters, you can’t help but absorb his grace and strength.
There is so much the Lord wants to give you—wisdom, guidance, comfort, forgiveness, freedom from guilt, release from fear, courage for your challenges. It’s all waiting for you there at the altar. So come to him, root yourself in his word, and absorb his grace.
“Father, thank you for planting me in the soil of your grace and presence! Lord, may I find all the nourishment I need at the table of your word and the table of the Eucharist.”
 
Comment: Fr. Xavier SOBREVÍA i Vidal (Castelldefels, Spain)
If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be con¬vinced even if someone rises from the grave
Today, the Gospel is a parable discovering the realities of man in afterlife. Jesus tells us about the divine reward or retribution we shall have depending upon our behavior.  The contrast between the rich and the poor is very strong. The luxury of the rich and his indifference to the plight of poor Lazarus lying at his door, his pathetic situation, even when dogs used to come and lick his sores (cf. Lk 16:19-21). It all has a deep realism introducing us into the scene.
            We might ponder, where would I be if I was one of the two main characters of the parable? Our society reminds us, constantly, that we have to live well, in comfort and well-being, enjoying ourselves, worry free... To live for oneself, without minding others, or at the very best, the minimum necessary to keep one's conscience at ease, but certainly not because of a sense of justice, love or solidarity.
            Today, we are presented with the need to listen to God in this life, to convert ourselves and take advantage of the time He offers us. God will eventually call us to account. In this life we risk our eternal life.
            Jesus is quite explicit about the reality of Hell and He describes some of its characteristics: the sorrow senses suffer —«and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire» (Lk 16:24)— and its eternity —«Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed» (Lk 16:26). Saint Gregory the Great tells us that «all these things are told so that nobody may apologize because of their ignorance». We have got to get rid of the old man and be free to be able to love our fellow man. We have to react to the suffering of the poor, the unwell or the forsaken. It would be good we might frequently remember this parable so that it would made us more responsible of our life. We all will have to face the moment of death. And we should better be always ready because one day we shall be judged.
 
March 20, 2014 - Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
It is not clear to us exactly where the people in the reading are. We are told that Lazarus “was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.” However, Abraham died a long time ago and, as far as we know, went to Sheol, the place of the dead, like everyone else who died. The rich man is in Sheol, but he is experiencing great sufferings, which was not the usual description of that place. We know that he is not in hell, because we see him worrying about his five brothers, whereas hell is a place of complete selfishness.
            Perhaps they are all (Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man) in Sheol, but Abraham and Lazarus are in the part where they are waiting for Jesus to come and take them to heaven after he dies, while the rich man is in the part for people who will go to hell. In that case, things are only going to get worse for the rich man. If we would go to hell for being rich, we here are all in trouble. All, except the very poorest people in our country, live a life more luxurious than the rich man. True, we do not have servants, but our food is more sumptuous and our clothes are more impressive.
            However, Abraham too was a rich man, and he is not suffering. Perhaps we would say that the problem is that the rich man never helped Lazarus. Abraham, however, does not draw the rich man’s attention to this failure, nor to the disrespectful way that the rich man is still treating Lazarus. He calls him “my child” and asks him to remember the difference between the life of Lazarus and his life. The problem seems to be that the rich man never suffered.
            Perhaps the rich man was in the section of Sheol for those who would go to heaven when Jesus came and got them, but who needed to suffer first, similar to what purgatory is now. Before any sinner can go to heaven, they need to suffer for their sins, even after being forgiven. Some people suffer in this life; some people suffer in the next. We should take our suffering in this life and avoid it later. Hours spent on our knees in prayer or days of fasting or serving others who we could avoid all sound better than the torments that the rich man was experiencing.