Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 148

Thus says the LORD:
"You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry. 

The author of Ecclesiastes, whom we know as Jesus ben Qoheleth, said, "There is nothing new under the sun!" and human beings have wandered the face of the Earth, as the Bible says, since Adam and Eve fled from Paradise; Eden ended in exile. The story of our salvation – which we call Salvation History – begins with migration: Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees; and, two generations later,  his grandson Jacob led his twelves sons, their wives, children, and livestock into Egypt. 

Climate change, droughts, fires, floods, earthquakes, disappearing lakes, rising sea levels, disease, war, and many other catastrophes drive us from valleys to sea coasts to mountains, jungles, deserts, and the frozen tundras of Siberia, Yukon, and Alaska in search of safe places to raise our children and grow old in peace. Even good things like prosperity and abundance may spur migrations like the Viking families. When climate changed warmed Norway and Sweden, farmers found sixteen feet of topsoil. Families flourished with ten and twenty children, and dispossessed sons went seafaring; they invaded England, Ireland, France, Russia and North America in search of new territory.

And God’s people, remembering that we are exiles from paradise and unwilling to kill innocent people, welcome aliens, exiles, and refugees. It is our trademark, our boast, and our privilege. We obey the Author of Hebrew and… 

“do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels."

Does it come easily to us? No, of course not. Why should it? 

Is it expected of us? Well, yes; of course.

Our families, neighbors, and friends and enemies expect God's holy people to open our hearts to strangers, regardless of where they come from. It’s what we do. And those who deny that responsibility would lead us back to Egypt to wear the ball and chain, and serve the Pharaoh like slaves. 

History has shown that laws, wars, and walls cannot prevent the migration of people; the same history has shown us that when we welcome strangers, life gets better for us and for them. Catholics know that because we carry the Real Presence of Jesus wherever we go, and we bless the nations by our presence. As Saint Paul said to us today in his letter to the Galatians:

“...in every place your faith in God has gone forth.”

And when Catholics come to us from Mexico, Central-, and South America, the Lord comes with them. 

Did you ever wonder why Cincinnati and Saint Louis have major professional baseball and football teams, and Louisville has neither. My mother could have explained it to me seventy years ago, for she told me about the hatred, anger, and violence which murdered German and Irish Catholic immigrants on Bloody Monday, August 6, 1855. 

According to Wikipedia, the massive disturbance profoundly impacted emigration from Louisville. After the riots, arson, and murders, when there were only 36,000 people living in Louisville, more than 10,000 citizens packed and left for good. Many fled from the west end of Louisville to southern Indiana, but most went to St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee, and a large group left in 1856 for Kansas City. 

The loss of population caused dozens of local businesses to close, affecting arts, education, and charitable causes with the loss of members and money. Empty storefronts were the norm on once-bustling commercial corridors, and many of the destroyed and charred ruins lay untouched for years afterward, as a silent reminder of that terrible day. Some scholars believe the exodus of immigrants fleeing – or avoiding Louisville – weakened the city permanently; while St. Louis and Cincinnati prospered and became major cities.They have major baseball and football teams; and Louisville has neither. 

What would the Catholic ancestors of southern Indiana and Louisville say to their descendants about ethnic and religious hatred? 

Recently the nation celebrated Columbus Day, but we did so with mixed feelings. Some can remember only the violence of the European invaders; others defensively recall the savagery of native american tribes. While some Europeans brought Baptism and the Eucharist, others brought their lust for gold and land. Some introduced religious freedom by suppressing the indigenous rites, customs, and languages of the natives. 

I think we might do well to call it “Immigrant-Indigenous Peoples Day,” and celebrate the success we have had in building a united nation from so many nationalities. True, we could have done better, but we could have done worse. And because the Lord is delayed in his coming, we have time to make this Christian ideal work well for everyone. 

The Two Great Commandments which the Lord gives us in today’s gospel spell a recipe for a healing of the nation and a renewed commitment to democracy. 

"You shall love the Lord, your God,

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

and with all your mind.

This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Because the Catholic Church has members from every nation on earth, and speaks many languages, and lives under democracies, oligarchies, monarchies, dictatorships, and kleptocracies we have the Spirit, the Teaching, and the Sacraments to welcome the homeless children of Adam and Eve into our hearts.