Walk in the Light
God is light, and in him, there is no darkness at all. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5B-7
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. Matthew 2:13-15
Piety
[As we get ready to enter the year 2019,] We give thanks to God the Father for the many blessings of creation, and to our Lord Jesus Christ for the gift of salvation. We raise our prayer to the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us in carrying out all that the Lord has commanded us. In discerning the signs of the times, we note the greatly increased migration among the peoples of the Americas, and we see in this but one manifestation of a worldwide phenomenon–often called globalization–which brings with it great promises along with multiple challenges. (USCCB, Strangers No Longer)
Study
Our first reading pretty much sums up the covenant we have with God and God has with us. It is the ultimate “quid pro quo.” If we do this, then He will do that. If we walk in His light, then we are redeemed from all our sins.
If we walk in His light, the obedience of Joseph would not be hard to emulate. Imagine having a dream to pick up your family and all you own and move to a foreign country. If you thought this was a risky trek, the next journey was 200 times the distance.
The Roman-commanded journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census was only about 15-20 miles (depending upon which dunes the donkey had to navigate around). However, heading off to Old Cairo was a journey of more than 535 miles. There would be mountains that would require the young Holy Family to climb more than 3,000 feet in elevation. There were no 7-11 stores with convenient supplies of Aquafina. Daily walking for about eight hours would take at least 21 traveling days to get there (not counting some days stopping to rest and get provisions).
Joseph was not being asked to do easy tasks. Take on a wife who is shamefully (but at least privately – for now) pregnant. Bring your pregnant spouse to the census. Now, head off to a whole new world and live abroad for several years.
The choice was easy. If he did not take on these tasks, the alternatives would be worse. Shame. Prison. Death. Not that any of these options were without risk. But we did not see Joseph sitting down and making a list of the “plusses” and “minuses” of each option before deciding. He did not consult his wife. He did not consult his rabbi. He did not consult the rest of his family. He did not close down his carpentry business. He just went.
Action
Eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died on Christmas Eve in a New Mexican hospital. His soul joins that of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal who died in Las Cruces, New Mexico earlier this month.
Such journeys fleeing the perils of your home country are not without risks. Jesus could have met a similar fate without modern sanitation or healthcare. But people will take some incredible steps when faced with such perils (think fight or flight).
Joseph did not stand a chance staying to fight the marauding troops of Herod. Felipe and Jekelin did not stand much more of a chance two thousand years later.
Taking action on migration issues is a challenge for American Catholics today. However, the challenge of church teaching is clear. Grounded by our belief in Jesus Christ and Catholic teaching, Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) fulfills the commitment of the U.S. Catholic bishops to protect the life and dignity of the human person. We serve and advocate for refugees, asylees, migrants, unaccompanied children, and victims of human trafficking.[i] This is not a statement from some secular, liberal website. This is official church statement from the USCCB.
We are one family under God and the Gospel calls us to Joseph-like obedience. Understanding how the Church’s teaching tradition informs its position on migration will help Catholics and others of good will better understand how these principles can be and should be put into practice. The resources highlighted here will help you learn more about the Church’s social teachings as related to migration and how you can help to make positive change.
In 2003, the bishops of the United States and Mexico issued a joint pastoral letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, that presented a Catholic framework for responding to the ongoing migration phenomenon in their respective countries. In doing so, the bishops offered pastoral guidance to Catholics who encounter and engage migrants living and working in their communities. The letter also suggested systematic reforms to U.S. immigration policy and presented an alternative to the existing immigration policy paradigm. For a brief overview of the major points presented in the pastoral letter, this summary pamphlet will prove of assistance.
Read up on that position at the Justice for Immigrants web site. Consider the path your family took to get to this country. There was no wall when my great-grandfather arrived at Ellis Island from Naples, Italy onboard the Trojan Prince in the summer of 1899.
Maybe even consider a gift to Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico in Las Cruces where they are serving the “anawim” of today – the poor in spirit like Felipe and Jakelin – on the front lines of the immigration issues we face today.
No comments:
Post a Comment