My friend is waiting for his brother to die.

He’s at the hospital right now keeping vigil. He’s among family and friends as they seek to face the challenge of keeping calm and focused in the face of uncertainty.

This vigil will end with a death, a loss, and deep grief. Family members will be irreparably scarred. Life for everyone involved will permanently change. My friend says losing his brother will be like losing a limb.

However, in the face of such tragedy we cannot forget the coarse but bitter truth; that the upside to having your face ripped off is that at least you get to see what you look like.

Yes, there are ways in which we become aware in life. Some do so when they get a promotion, buy a new home, or fully fund their 401k.

But most of us reach a deeper sense of awareness when we go bankrupt, get divorced, lose a child, break a leg, smash the car, or fail the test.

This is not to say God makes these things happen, it is to say that our deepest tragedies offer us unparalleled opportunities to become self-aware and, often, better people.

Sunday’s gospel brings us the familiar story about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. It isn’t until the rich man loses everything and sits in torment that he realizes the depth of his selfishness and harbors a real desire to help others.

What are the sadnesses and failures of our lives teaching us? How are our collapses and catastrophes serving to point us to greater awareness? What are our tragedies teaching us?