God's words proclaimed through the prophets caution us against becoming complacent in our perceived success and righteousness. Prophet Amos forewarned that too much comfort runs the risk of shutting our ears to the voice of God and becoming blind to the suffering of those around us. The Lord reproached the rich pleasure seekers in Judah and Samaria, who lived in luxury and performed religious rituals, yet failed in their true duty-to love God and their neighbour. This warning is powerfully echoed in Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man's focus was on pleasures, his indifference to charity was disgusting. He ignored Lazarus, the poor man suffering at his very doorstep. In doing so, his sense of care had been numbed. Not only that, he failed to live out the meaning of the Law, which is rooted in compassion and love on earth. After dying, he deceived himself that he could order God and Lazarus in his pleasures.

St Paul highlights this danger of complacency and the trap of comfort and self-satisfaction. Honour and eternal life are not automatic entitlement. The final honour is attributed to God. We may feel secure in our faith and our routines, yet forget the heart of the Gospel.

September being the Season of Creation, we pray that we not be dulled by comfort or distracted by pleasures, but grow in good deeds-for God, the displaced, and our environment which has been entrusted to our care.