SAINT TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS (EDITH STEIN), VIRGIN AND MARTYR (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

The Lord, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky. 

This is a curious passage, isn’t it? In one breath, Moses tells the Israelites that God has chosen them “in preference to all other peoples” of the earth (Deuteronomy 10:15). But in the next breath, he commands them to “befriend the alien” and treat foreigners with special love and care (10:19). You would think that if Israel were so special to God, they wouldn’t need to be concerned about other people; they would only need to focus on their own relationship with the Lord.

Actually, these two commands go hand in hand. God took special care of Israel in order that they might fulfill a vital mission: to be a light to the other nations. They needed to preserve their special relationship with God, but they also needed to remember their call to welcome the “outsiders” and treat them with compassion. This is how their light would shine—by showing the nations that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity” (Exodus 34:6).

Most of us are Gentiles. In fact, most of the Church is made up of Gentiles. That means we are here because of those faithful children of Israel who embraced their calling to welcome the stranger. We are here because of Jesus, a Jew whose death and resurrection revealed just how “gracious and merciful” his Father is. And we are here because Jesus empowered his first followers—all of whom were Jewish—with his Spirit. That enabled them to welcome Gentiles—“strangers” and “aliens”—into the Church.

Always remember who you are and where you came from. You have received the blessings that flow from the faithfulness of your spiritual ancestors. At the same time, you have received the same Spirit that filled the apostles. That means you have the same calling as they did: to show kindness, patience, and compassion to the “strangers” in your midst. It also means you have the same promise: that every time you do, the light of God’s love shines through you. So embrace your inheritance—and your calling!

“Jesus, teach me to love everyone with the same humility that your apostles had.”

Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Matthew 17:22-27
Deuteronomy 10:12-22

WORD AMONG US