1. Letting it "Bug You": Bishop Barron admits the story of Lazarus and the rich man has "bugged me ever since" he was a child. He calls this feeling the "grit inside the oyster" that can lead to the pearl of compassion. What part of this sermon or the scriptures cited "bugs" you the most? Be honest about what makes you uncomfortable and why.
2. The Man at the Gate: The rich man's failure was his daily indifference to the suffering person right at his gate. Who is the "Lazarus at the gate" in your own life, community, or city? In what ways have you, perhaps unintentionally, grown accustomed to "walking past" or "walking over" the needs of others?
3. A Necessary Relationship: Discuss Cardinal George's powerful statement: "The poor need you to stay out of poverty, but you need the poor to stay out of hell." What does this mean? How does it reframe our understanding of charity from a simple act of giving to a necessary act for our own salvation?

1. Evaluating the Suggestions: Bishop Barron lists several concrete actions:
   • Practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy.
   • Tithing (giving 10% of your income).
   • Keeping cash in your pocket for those in immediate need.
   • Keeping a "poor box" by your door.
   As a group, discuss these suggestions. Which of these feels most achievable for you right now? Which feels most challenging? Why?
2. Individual and Communal Brainstorm: Beyond Bishop Barron's list, what is one new, concrete practice you could personally adopt this week to be more attentive to the poor? Furthermore, what is one thing this group (or your parish/family) could do together to serve the poor in your community?
3. Sustaining Compassion: The rich man's brothers were warned they had "the prophets" and still might not listen. We have the prophets, the Gospel, and the Risen Christ. How can we hold ourselves and each other accountable to ensure that the conviction we feel today doesn't fade, but becomes a lasting habit of compassion and generosity?

Closing Suggestion: End your discussion with a prayer, perhaps the Prayer of St. Francis ("Lord, make me an instrument of your peace..."), asking for the grace to put these convictions into loving action.

Discussion Questions:

From Abstract to Concrete: Bishop Barron challenges listeners to move beyond simply agreeing with "social justice" and to engage in the concrete Corporal Works of Mercy.

• (Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead.)
• Looking at this list, which of these works seems most challenging for you to engage in personally? Why?
• Which one feels most achievable for you to act on this week, even in a small but meaningful way?

A Change of Heart: The ultimate goal of these readings is not to make us feel guilty, but to invite us into a deeper relationship with God through our actions.

• How does shifting our focus from our own comfort and self-indulgence to the needs of the poor change our perspective on what truly matters in life?
• How can serving "Lazarus" help us better understand the heart of God?

Discussion Questions:

1. Fr. Plant uses the term hamartia (missing the mark) to define sin. How does this concept help you understand why the rich man was condemned for what he didn't do?
2. Elie Wiesel is quoted as saying, "The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference." Discuss this statement in the context of the story of the "spectator" watching Jews being herded onto death trains. Where do you see this kind of indifference in the world today?
3. Fr. Plant mentions Dante's Inferno, where the "fence-sitters" who lived with "no blame and with no praise" are punished for their lack of commitment. Why is refusing to choose between good and evil considered such a serious offense?
4. Consider the story of the photographer Kevin Carter, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his photo of a starving child stalked by a vulture. He was heavily criticized for being a "detached spectator." Do you think this criticism was fair? What is the moral responsibility of those who witness suffering?

Discussion Questions:

1. Fr. Plant points out that a person earning the minimum wage in Australia is in the richest 4.6% of the world's population. How does hearing statistics like this, or the "village of 100 people" analogy, affect your perception of your own wealth and status?
2. Mother Teresa's advice was, "Find your own Calcutta." What does this mean in a practical sense? Who is the "Lazarus at your gate" in your own life, neighborhood, or community?
3. The homily ends with the story of St. Carlo Acutis, who began serving the homeless in Milan at just nine years old, and a final quote from Mother Teresa: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." How do these examples combat the feeling that global problems are too big for any one person to make a difference?
4. What is one concrete, practical action you can take this week to be less indifferent and more attentive to the needs of others around you?

Discussion Questions:

1. Fr. Kevin quotes Mother Teresa: "The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
2. The homily makes a powerful claim: "Most of us go through life feeling like Lazarus... not quite an insider, not quite accepted." In what areas of your own life have you felt "outside the gates"? What are the "crumbs of understanding and love" that you have longed for in those moments?
3. Discuss the paradox presented in the homily: that those who hunger for love (like Lazarus) often end up experiencing a greater fullness of life, while "those inside the gates who seem to have everything are the ones left empty." What does the phrase "none are so empty as those who are full of themselves" mean to you?
4. How does a hunger for acceptance protect us from becoming "full of ourselves"?

Discussion Questions:

1. Fr. Kevin states, "There is no such thing as a small crumb of love not in the hand of a Lazarus." Think about a time when a small, simple act of kindness from someone else felt enormous and deeply meaningful to you. Share what you are comfortable with.
2. How does recognizing our own "inner Lazarus"—our own need for love and acceptance—make us better at giving love and acceptance to others?
3. Fr. Kevin concludes with a call to action: "Let us cherish the morsels of love that come our way and in our hands allow that love to transform the world." What is one practical, concrete "crumb" of love, understanding, or encouragement you can offer to someone in your life this week?
4. How can we, as a group or individually, become more like the busboy—slowing down to make sure the scraps of kindness reach those who need them?

Discussion Questions:

1. The rich man's sin was not an evil action, but a failure to act—he didn't even notice Lazarus. Why is this kind of indifference so spiritually dangerous?
2. The homily parallels the nation of Israel ignoring Amos with the rich man ignoring the prophets. How does ignoring God's "prophetic voice" today (through Scripture, the Church, our conscience) lead to personal spiritual peril?
3. Abraham's final words in the parable are chilling. Why wouldn't the brothers be convinced, even by a resurrection? What does this say about the hardness of a complacent heart?
4. Msgr. Hahn asks, "Someone has risen from the dead... how have we been persuaded?" How does the reality of the Resurrection challenge your own moments of spiritual complacency or waning faith?

Discussion Questions:

1. Msgr. Hahn uses the end of the parish's fiscal year and the memory of funerals to create a "sense of urgency." How does reflecting on the passage of time and the reality of your own mortality affect your spiritual priorities?
2. He states that the "most important activity" we can undertake is to grow in holiness. Do your daily actions and priorities reflect this truth? What practical things get in the way?
3. How can we, like St. Paul urges Timothy, "compete well for the faith"? What does "hard work" in the spiritual life look like for you?
4. The final call is to "make sure that our ways are His ways." What is one concrete, habitual attitude in your life that you could intentionally work on this week to align more closely with God's "ways of love, generosity, and mercy"?

Discussion Questions:

1. The homily emphasizes that the rich man's sin was a failure to notice. Why is this type of indifference, born from being overly comfortable, so spiritually dangerous? Who is the "Lazarus" at the gate of our society (or our own lives) that we might fail to notice?
2. Abraham says the brothers have "the benefits of all the law and the prophets." What are the "prophetic voices" God gives us today to warn us against complacency (e.g., Scripture, Church teaching, the words of the Pope, our conscience)?
3. Msgr. Hahn connects Abraham’s final words directly to us: "Someone has risen from the dead... and yet how do we respond?" If the Resurrection is the ultimate sign, why do we still fall into the trap of complacency? What does this say about the stubbornness of the human heart?

Discussion Questions:

1. The homily presents two modern forms of complacency: hiding our faith to fit in, and failing to share our resources. Which of these two temptations do you find more challenging in your own life? Why?
2. Discuss the concept of being "stewards" rather than "owners" of God's gifts. How does this shift in perspective change your view of your time, talents, and money?
3. The readings are meant to give us a "sense of urgency." What is one practical area of your life (e.g., prayer, a specific sin, a relationship, an act of charity) where you feel God is calling you to move from complacency to urgent action?
4. The homily concludes by calling us to "follow him more closely each day." What is one concrete step you can take this week to respond to that call and break out of a comfortable spiritual routine?

Discussion Questions:

1. Pavone draws a direct parallel between the ignored Lazarus and the "pre-born brother or sister." Do you find this to be a powerful comparison? What are the key similarities he is highlighting (e.g., helplessness, dependency, being rejected or seen as a problem)?
2. Besides the unborn, who else in our society might fit the description of a modern-day Lazarus—someone who is "in our midst" but often ignored or considered less valuable?
3. The reflection uses the familial terms "brother" and "sister" to describe the unborn. How does using this language, instead of more clinical or abstract terms, change the moral weight of the issue?

Discussion Questions:

1. The question "Who am I to interfere?" is a common argument for staying silent on abortion. Which of the four answers provided by Pavone do you find most compelling, and why?
2. Pavone argues that "your life is only as safe as the life of the pre-born child." What does he mean by this? How does injustice to the most vulnerable threaten everyone?
3. The reflection makes the powerful claim that when a child in the womb is destroyed, "Christ is ripped apart, burned, crushed, and thrown away." How does this theological framing change the abortion debate from a political issue to a spiritual one?
4. If we accept the call to "interfere," what are some practical, compassionate, and effective ways we can stand up for our "pre-born brother or sister"?