“My Home Is Within You” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)

Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

.. the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another, and say, “Come! Let us go to implore the favor of the Lord”; and, “I too will go to see the Lord.” Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the Lord.  (Zechariah 8:21-22)

And all shall sing, in their festive dance: “My home is within you.” (Psalm 87:7)

On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. (Luke 9:52-56)

Piety

“By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.” —St. Teresa of Calcutta

Study

The Samaritan villagers’ lack of hospitality was not a rejection of God’s only

Harry Fenn [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons.
Ruins of Mount Gerizim, about 1880.

begotten son. That was not even on their radar screen. It was based on the fact that he was Jewish and was going to worship at Jerusalem rather than Mount Gerizim. The enmity between the peoples had existed for centuries, and it’s understandable that the sons of Zebedee saw this encounter as a way to level some old scores rather than to reach out their hands. Lack of connection breeds suspicion and fear and the instinct to strike out before we are struck.

But Jesus gets that this isn’t about who he is, or even who people say he is or isn’t. It’s just an old tribal wound. Instead of exacting revenge or issuing judgment, he shows mercy and moves on.

That tribal instinct lives on today. Many of us seek commonality whenever we meet someone new. We desire to find a link by birthplace, college, neighborhood, profession, life status, faith, even a favorite book or movie. When we can’t find it, it’s easy to get sucked into indifference or worse. May we always remember, as St. Teresa of Calcutta said, our hearts “belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus,” and welcome others to join us there by our words and actions, even when that place is unfamiliar or threatening to them. Home for all of us is within the Lord, and He calls us to help Him put out the welcome mat at all times.

Action

Consider your identity. Is your go-to answer that you are a Catholic? A northern Virginian? A mother? A husband? An attorney? Or is your primary “place” in the heart of Jesus? Pray today for ways you may share that blessing with others and invite them in.