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Sts. Joseph & Paul Catholic Church |
Homily Notes | |
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Ordinary 11- C In the seminary, my homiletics teacher once said that a preacher should preach with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. In doing this, he brings the nourishment and understanding that comes from the Word to some of the hard realities and difficulties we face in our world. In the Bible this Sunday, we hear that a Pharisee has invited Jesus to his home for dinner. While at dinner, a woman, who identifies herself as a sinner, appears at the table. While at the table, she bathes Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints them with costly oil. For many at that table, this is scandalous behavior, but Jesus welcomes this as an action of love and a sign that she wishes to be forgiven. Jesus allows this woman to have her day, no matter how he might be judged by the officials of the law. In the welcome that Jesus extends to the woman, he shows the welcome that he extends to all. Jesus’ ministry works to break down the barriers of exclusion and prejudice that can build up between people. He gives us this model of love; if only we could risk and find the courage to follow his example, we could then take His welcoming spirit into our daily realities and difficulties. An example of these realities and difficulties can be found in this week’s newspapers, in reports that our president went to the US Capital to meet with lawmakers and try to jump-start the Immigration Reform Bill. Congress had been grappling over the bill, and it was dead on the house floor. Lawmakers know that the country’s immigration system is broken, but they can’t agree on how to repair it. I don’t think anyone knows what will happen with immigration, and, because of this, fear and confusion proliferates among us. Yet I know that something needs to be done. One morning, I came out of the house about 6:30AM to find a Latino asleep on the handicap ramp of the church. He had been traveling for several days; he was tired and hungry and somewhat fearful of me. Thankfully Chris, our Hispanic Minister, was here, and he was able to help him. Over the past few weeks, parishioners have stopped me, either before or after mass, to talk about this topic. One said this issue is a matter of Church and State. Another said that this is one issue on which he does not agree with the church. Another said that our country needs to welcome migrant workers. They pick the vegetables we eat, plant our crops, and work on chicken and livestock farms. I see and hear the confusion and concerns that exist within our very parish about this sometimes very personal topic. There are myths about Immigration. I would like to share just a few with you in hopes of breaking down some of the barriers to immigration that we may have. Some think that immigrants cross the border illegally. The facts are that 75% reside here legally, while 25% are undocumented. Some think that immigrants don’t pay taxes. The facts are that immigrants pay income, property, federal and state taxes. Estimates are that they have paid over $90 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes, and undocumented immigrants pay taxes as well. Some think that immigrants come here to take welfare. The facts from one source show that immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay $90 billion in taxes, and use about $5 billion in public services. Some think that immigrants take away jobs and opportunities from Americans. The fact is that the largest surge in migration coincided with the lowest unemployment rate and the fastest economic growth in US history. Some think that immigrants do not want to learn English. The facts are that, within 10 years of arrival, more then 75% of immigrants speak English well, and there is a large demand for English classes. Some think that a weak US border has led to higher rates of undocumented immigrants. The facts are that from 1986 – 1998 the border patrol increased six-fold to 8,500 agents. As a church, we do not want to see, nor do we believe in, undocumented immigration. But we recognize the great danger in failing to have a (humane) immigration system in place. Our leaders and our people need to work together and find ways to bring those who are undocumented out of the shadows into the light. One US Senator put it this way. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and expect this problem to go away. Undocumented immigrants live in fear, with limited recourse, which only leads to their exploitation. Sr. Fran Wilhelm runs Centro Latino, and in her experience, not all Latino immigrants who come to our area of Kentucky want to stay here. They are looking for ways to provide for their families at home. They hope to return one day to their home land and grow old. Isn’t that what we all want? I want to ask
your help in strengthening our community and our nation to welcome the
stranger among us. You can do this by praying for those who are
affected by this crisis. You can help by making our parish an even
more welcoming community for all people who come to pray with us and
find Jesus in the Eucharist. Our
Parish Pastoral Council has made Hispanic Ministry one of the three
top goals of our parish. We have also, with the financial help of the
diocese, created an office for Hispanic ministry; Chris Gutierrez has
been hired as the Coordinator of this ministry for the greater Daviess
County Area. Through these efforts, attendance and participation at
the Spanish mass, celebrated at noon every Sunday, has increased, and
we are providing the sacraments, and ministering to the pastoral needs
of the Hispanic population. You can work towards educating
yourselves further on this issue. You can use the resources that
have been in the bulletin over the past
weeks and that can be found today at the doors of the church. You can
join with others of faith and goodwill to help find solutions for this
and for all moral issues that affect the lives and well- being of
every human person, from conception to natural death.
A few years ago, many people wore colorful armbands with the letters WWJD written on them: “What Would Jesus Do?” Many people wore these as a faith statement. What do you think Jesus would do with these very real, human concerns that we face and read about daily in our newspapers? From scripture, we know what Jesus would do. The Holy Family -- Joseph and Mary, and Jesus -- were migrants as they fled from Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath. The Holy Family has symbolized hope and courage for migrants throughout the ages. Jesus also teaches us that, by caring for the stranger, the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, and those needing shelter, we care for Him. Jesus says that when we welcome a stranger like the Good Samaritan, we embrace the very stranger among us, regardless of the differences the may exist. St. Paul tells us that when we are brought into the family of God, there are no long strangers among us; we become the Body of Christ. And like the woman in today’s gospel, Jesus, through his love, removes the barriers that divide and offers peace and mercy. May the welcoming love of Jesus rest with each of us.
sdrose@bellsouth.net |
