Welcoming Others

Maybe it’s because so many of our readings from the Bible during Lent – – at Mass, or for us priests, deacons, sisters, and brothers, in the daily Divine office – – remind us of our moral obligation to treat the immigrant with dignity and respect;

It could be due to St. Patrick’s Day last week, when we Irish gratefully recalled the open door given our starving and hopeful ancestors when they arrived here;

Then again, perhaps it was last week’s feast of St. Joseph,  as we recalled that Jesus was born away from home, to parents “on the move,” and that, soon after, St. Joseph had to flee as a refugee to Egypt, with Mary and the baby Jesus, to escape the wrath of the murderous regime of Herod;

Come to think of it, it’s in the news a lot, with our political leaders in D.C. unable to deal effectively, fairly, and comprehensively with immigration reform, or with Governor Cuomo attacked for his promising proposal of the Dream Act to offer all our young people, even immigrants the chance for a college education;

Or, maybe it’s just that I live here, in New York City, where daily I greet the recently arrived, some of our most reliable and hard working neighbors, and where so often I look upon the Statue of Liberty.

All I know is that, whatever the reason, I’ve been thinking a lot about immigrants recently, how welcoming them is an essential part of our religious and patriotic heritage, and how ugly it is when suspicion of them takes hold of the American people.

No wonder I was so inspired last Wednesday to visit our Immigration Help Center of Catholic Charities, where thousands of immigrants are assisted with legal and documentation problems, reunification with their families, English language study, and, especially for our unaccompanied minors, with health, housing, and clothing needs.

At least those Catholic Charities workers will be able, when Jesus asks them, “When I was a stranger, did you welcome me,” to look Him in the eye and reply, yes!

Will we be able to?