“THERE is so much arrogance in this society,” my friend complained when the receptionists of the gym where she exercised regularly treated her rudely. On that day she didn’t know that her membership had expired, and so to her big surprise, the receptionists won’t let her in. “But I have been coming to this gym for four years now and have been paying my membership automatically from my credit card,” she told them. The gym employees didn’t take her explanation. “Granted that I have forgotten to renew my membership, the least that they could do was to allow me to exercise that day before I could settle my account,” my friend remarked.
There is truth in my friend’s disappointment. Some people in our society can be so arrogant. For them and for their business there can be no leeway for mistake and no room for mercy and any consideration. It’s all about money and taking care of themselves and their benefits.
My friend’s experience is a small matter compared to the tremendous arrogance and discrimination that many of the poor, the colored and the immigrant people experience in our society, even at this period of the presidency of the first Black American in the United States. Many of the rich, the powerful and those who think that they belong to a superior race treat them like nobodies. They even even steal the poor people’s tax money and grant funds so that they could live in luxuries and propagate their wealth.
The arrogance of some of the rich and the powerful people come from the attitude that God and his Law of Love do not have relevance in their lives. They idolize themselves as the sole people responsible for their wealth and success.
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in last Sunday’s Gospel shows a wealthy man’s arrogance towards a poor person. While he was in his mansion, dressed in fine clothes and dining sumptuously each day, the poor man Lazarus was at his door, hungry and covered with sores. One would think that he would feed Lazarus even with the crumbs of bread that fell from his table, but no, he would ignore him totally and let him die of hunger.
Even in the after life, when he and Lazarus both died, he never stopped showing his arrogance toward the poor man. When he was experiencing the torment of hell while poor Lazarus was at the side of Abraham enjoying the bliss of heaven, he looked up and shouted at Abraham. “Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” One would think that he had learned his lesson well, but no, he was still imposing his superiority and authority on Lazarus by asking him to come down to hell to serve his needs.
It is unfortunate to see arrogance displayed in our society and our world by those who feel superior than others because of their race or their high economic, educational or political status. But just as the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus shows, they may be enjoying their opulent material wealth and worldly esteem while on earth, but their time of eternal damnation to the flames of hell will come at the end of their lives. They had ignored the poor and and God, the giver of all gifts; ergo, they have no place in heaven!
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
