Blessings of peace, mercy, and the love of Christ to all of you, my brothers and sisters.
We gather today in the light of our Lord, who calls us not to complacency but to action—not to silence but to courage. The world around us groans under the weight of injustice, division, and suffering, yet we, the children of God, are called to be instruments of His healing grace. Let us reflect on the trials of our time and the divine mission entrusted to us.
The Stranger at Our Door: Immigration and Compassion
In the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord speaks with piercing clarity: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." (Matthew 25:35). These words are not a suggestion—they are a commandment. When fear spreads like wildfire, when rumors of raids and deportations ignite violence, as we saw in Los Angeles, we must ask ourselves: Where is the love of Christ in our response?
The migrant, the refugee, the displaced—these are not faceless masses. They are mothers, fathers, children, fleeing war, poverty, and despair. They are Christ in disguise, knocking at our door. If we turn them away out of fear or indifference, we turn away from Him. But imagine, dear brothers and sisters, a world where every nation, every community, opens its arms in solidarity. A world where no child sleeps in the cold, where no family is torn apart by borders drawn by men. This is the Kingdom we are called to build—one act of mercy at a time.
The Cry of the Oppressed: Peace and Justice
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9). These words echo across the centuries, yet today, the seas are not pathways of peace but battlegrounds of conflict. The interception of a boat carrying aid to Gaza, the bloodshed near humanitarian centers—these are not mere political disputes. They are wounds upon the Body of Christ.
True peace is not the absence of war—it is the presence of justice. It is the courage to stand between the powerful and the powerless and say, "No more." It is the refusal to let hatred dictate our future. Imagine a world where swords are beaten into plowshares, where aid flows freely, where no mother weeps for a child lost to violence. This is the world Christ envisions—and it begins with us.
The Least Among Us: Care for the Vulnerable
The Book of Proverbs commands us: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9). When health workers are gunned down near aid centers, when the hungry are denied bread, when the sick are left to suffer—we have failed in our sacred duty.
The Church herself is not without fault in this age. Too often, we have been slow to act, hesitant to raise our voices, distracted by internal strife while the world burns. One of our greatest failings is our reluctance to fully embrace the radical love demanded by the Gospel—to be a Church not of comfort but of courage, not of words but of deeds.
A Call to Action—Before It Is Too Late
Brothers and sisters, the hour is urgent. If we do not act—if we do not feed the hungry, shelter the stranger, defend the oppressed—then the world will spiral deeper into darkness. Nations will fracture under the weight of hatred. The cries of the suffering will rise to heaven, and we will be asked: Where were you?
But there is hope—because Christ is hope. Imagine a world where His love triumphs. Where borders do not divide but unite. Where wars cease, and the poor are lifted up. This is not a dream—it is our mission.
Let us rise, then, as one Body, one Church. Let us pour out our lives in service, in prayer, in relentless love. Let us be the peacemakers, the defenders of the weak, the hands of Christ in a broken world.
For if we do not act, who will? And if not now—when?
Amen.
What can we do?
The world often feels heavy with injustice, conflict, and suffering, but each of us has the power to act—not in grand gestures alone, but in small, consistent ways that ripple outward. Here’s how we can make a difference in the face of these challenges:
Immigration and Compassion
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