Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.

Whoever remains in me bears much fruit.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

jn 15: 4a, 5b

CHAPTER ONE

DARK CLOUDS OVER A CLOSED WORLD

AN ABSENCE OF HUMAN DIGNITY ON THE BORDERS

39. Then too, “in some host countries, migration causes fear and alarm, often fomented and exploited for political purposes. This can lead to a xenophobic mentality, as people close in on themselves, and it needs to be addressed decisively”.[40] Migrants are not seen as entitled like others to participate in the life of society, and it is forgotten that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person. Hence they ought to be “agents in their own redemption”.[41] No one will ever openly deny that they are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human. For Christians, this way of thinking and acting is unacceptable, since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love.

Why do comfortable Catholics, although never openly denying that they are human beings, allow migrants, the unborn or the abused to cause fear and alarm; which is often fomented and exploited by magaist, progressives or clericalist, who promise for political purposes, “Peace and security,” if we are only faithful in “big” matters such as abortion, capital punishment, or a priest’s persistent phone calls on his cell during the night ; when these “-ists and -ives”, in practice, are simply justifying the pulling in of our hands to these poor, showing that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human and thus deny ourselves any fruit from our handiwork???

Catholics know “this way of promising ‘Peace and security,’ is unacceptable, since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love”; therefore we are faithful in small matters as we reach out our hands to the poor, and thus eat the fruit of our handiwork!!!

Today’s Scriptures

She reaches out her hands to the poor,

PRV 31:20

R. (cf. 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

PS 128: 2

…saying, “Peace and security,”

then sudden disaster comes upon them,

1 THES 5:3

Since you were faithful in small matters,…

MT 25:21