"Thus says rthe Lord: "Do not oppress nor molest an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt." Exodus 21:1 

 

"Thus says the Lord: do not oppress nor molest an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt."

How timely is today's first reading! When Pope Francis addressed the U.S. Congress he put it this way: "On this continent...thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of better opportunities...Is this not what we want for our own children?

We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation...Let us remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Respond to imigrants in a way which is always just, humane, and fraternal."

And thus speaks an undocumented imigrant in Los Angeles in  a poem he wrote:

His name: Yosimar Reyes:

He has a name. He has a face. He has a dream.

"I love my undocumented people,

because everyday we wake up in a country that hates us.

We wake  up and give thanks to God.

And we go to work.

Then we watch the newa,

and hear how our own TV defines us as criminals.

We change the channels.

and pray that tomorrow

will be a better day for us."

And WE?

We build a wall that will cost billons.

We are deaf to the Scriptiures and deaf to the Holy Father who pleads with us:

"Build bridges between peoples, not walls!"

And so we pray:

Deliver us from name calling:

"those illegals!"

They are not aliens from some other planet!

They have faces, and children wirh hopes and dreams,

just as OUR chidren do.

Deliver us from hate!

Deliver us from racism.

Deliver us from bigotry.

Deliver us from leaders who sow hate

and who thrive on division.

Deliver us from TV and radio

that make money by demonizing

the least of our brothers and sisters.

And so we pray:

DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

AMEN