The gospel today puts a very real contemporary crisis for our consideration and prayer as well as action! According to Matthew, Jesus said, "Be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Scripture scholars, theologians and the Church teach us what Jesus meant with that sentence: be fully human as your Father is fully divine. What a challenge to us when Jesus also says "love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you." Even though the disciples and we ourselves may have heard "Love your neighbor but hate your enemies," Jesus also said that we cannot so selective to accommodate our felt needs or prejudices. Today we hear some people -- among them parishioners, family, priests, pastors, elected officials, Bishops and Cardinals --- saying "We must help the poor but do not help the undocumented." Some also say "Give humanitarian aid to democracies but not even to the needy in terrorist nations."
You and I, we are created in the image of God. Do we think about this much any more in our rat-race world? We are to be like God whose goodness has no limit. Maybe it is truly believing these words of Jesus Christ recorded in the gospels that has brought Cardinal Mahoney (Los Angeles) and a few other Bishops in our Church to speak out so strongly in the current national immigration debate.
We hear many Catholics speak out against Catholic politicians who support the Pro Choice position in the abortion debate and continue to receive the Eucharist. Where are these same Catholics in the immigration debate?
You know, those words of Jesus, "Follow me," they are not easy to swallow.
