Observe what is right, do what is just

This Sunday's readings are ones that all have to do with one particular topic: welcome to those who are different than us. The first reading and the Gospel are explicitly about welcoming foreigners into our communities. The second reading reminds us that, in the Church, there are no foreigners or outsiders, but all are welcome to become members of Christ's Body, no matter their race.

If these ideas make us uncomfortable because of the current political realities in America, that is a good thing! Let these readings be reminders to us that, as Christians, we are not "of the world" but are meant to rise above the tensions and divisions that exist in the present. St. Paul even says, "Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them." He was reaching out to the non-Jewish communities, seeking to expand the Kingdom of God, and was hated for it by his own people. And yet, because of Paul's ministry to the Gentiles, we who are not Jewish by blood are now able to encounter the love and grace of God in Christ Jesus and be a part of God's people as Christians. Without the outreach and missionary journeys of Paul and others to the Gentiles, Christianity may never have made it beyond the borders of Israel!

So, let us pray today, brothers and sisters, that we may be able to see beyond mere race, ethnicity, or nationality. The Kingdom is bigger than all of those things! There is a place in the Kingdom for all people, all cultures, all languages, and so we must make room for them in our hearts as well. For, if we are not building the Kingdom within our own hearts and communities, we are in danger of locking ourselves out of it.

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend?Click here to find the readings for this Sunday's Mass.