On the Sunday in which the Orthodox Church reads the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Fr. Matthew Howell encourages everyone to err on the side of compassion when it comes to dealing with the needy that we encounter. He points out that people who find themselves in poverty always come from complex circumstances and have a story that is usually more complicated than what we see on the surface. He explains how the Rich Man in the parable was condemned for "lovelessness" and for not using his money for good. In the middle of his homily, he passes around a picture of a beggar holding an icon of Christ, and also passes around this quote of St. John Chrysostom. ("If you do not find Christ in the beggar at the Church door, then neither will you find Him in the Chalice.") He ties these to a line from a the Orthodox Christian Prayers prayer book from St. Tikhon Monastery Press that asks for forgiveness for despising a poor man who came to me (see "Third Evening Prayer, to the Most Holy Spirit", page 80). Overall, he entreats listeners to hold back judgment but instead offer compassion, kindness, and at the very least a prayer for those in need in every encounter.
Along the way, he also tells a story of a cancelled baseball game at Fenway Park, quotes St. Gregory the Great, and talks about how no child grows up wanting to live in 11 degree weather on the street in Alaska as an adult.
