“Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
In today’s first reading, the prophet Jeremiah offers us two contrasting images from nature to pray with: a barren bush in the desert and a tree planted by a river. What is interesting to note in this prophetic contrast is not that one plant is saved from heat and hardship, but rather, both endure tribulation, but only one tree is able to flourish in drought, heat, or storms because of strong roots that water and sustain it. The prophet says that the difference between these two trees – these two images of the human heart – is where one places their trust: in the world or in God. Lent is a season to reflect on the source of my trust and hope: where do I place my hope and trust; how do I do this; what is the fruit this act of trust in my life especially in times of tribulation?
The gospel offers us a human mirror to the prophet’s natural contrast: Lazarus and the nameless rich man. This too is a contrast of trust: the rich man in his things and Lazarus in his God. At the conclusion of the parable, we hear that the teachings of Moses and the Law are guides to helping the human heart trust in the proper source, but the question is how well our hearts listen and respond to this biblical invitation to place our trust – all of it – in the Lord. Let us pray with both of these scriptural images and ask the Lord to help us see where we can grow in trust of him.