Tuesday, January 31, 2017

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Shelter...the homeless"

Reading 1 IS 58:7-10

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard."

"The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him. 
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens."

CCC 2241

Always in life there is a balance between competing goods, had the needs of persons always paramount:

“do not turn your back on your own”

We do have a duty toward our citizens and families before strangers, a duty imposed by God under the virtue of piety: our origin from our parents imposes a duty to honor them; also to country of origin.

As well, saying we welcome born strangers from other countries while being unwelcoming to the unborn child by supporting abortion is sinful, an affront to God which makes repentance and sacramental confession necessary before returning to receive Communion.

If we welcome the immigrant or refugee we can see but reject the preborn child we cannot see, we also reject God and sin in His sight. Coming forward to receive God in holy Communion while rejecting His image and creation in the preborn child adds sin to sin and frustrates out eternal salvation, placing us in jeopardy of damnation instead.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

We have a right to find out who is coming here. Just look what is happening in europe.