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Years ago, I co-authored a small book, Culture-Sensitive Ministry: Helpful Strategies for Pastoral Ministries.(Paulist Press) At the time it offered unique ways to bring diverse groups together and was a precursor to the synodal process used today. We knew that parish groups could sometimes be strangers to each other, and we believed that vibrant communities would emerge if the groups came together. At the heading of each chapter was a short passage from scripture on welcoming the stranger.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2
‘Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.
Deuteronomy 27:19
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
Matthew 25:35
Our focus on building relationships and broadening circles was exciting. We could not have imagined what the stranger in our midst would mean or experience in 2025.
Today we hear Jesus sending forth a group of seventy-two to towns he planned to visit. He commissioned them to heal wounds and proclaim the kingdom of God. Previously, he had sent out the twelve apostles. The larger group of seventy-two is more like us, the laity, who go out and share what we know of the kingdom of God through words and actions. We may not have the power to heal physically but we do have the power to bring a spirit of healing and reconciliation.
Over the past few weeks, many of us have felt our hearts heavy and, at times, have found ourselves descending into anger at what we see and hear. Immigrants are taunted and mocked. Legislation passes limiting access to healthcare and food for those on the margins. Aid to foreign countries was abruptly stopped, causing untold suffering. It is all contrary to what we know as followers of Jesus.
In my frustration over this long weekend something I had learned from a wise man, Patrick Ziemann, came back to me. He taught me that each day we are called to prayer, patience and presence. He did not advise these as a cure for any ill but as a way to live.
As we navigate through this confusing period our prayers for and with each other including the stranger, our patience with the process of reconciliation and inclusion and our presence whenever possible to those who are fearful and on the margins can make a difference.
The well-known phrase from Jesus in today’s gospel, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few…”, feels true for our time. Let us be the laborers.
Peace,
Anne
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