It seems a long time ago now, but on September 24, 2015, Pope Francis addressed Congress. Let me remind you what he said:

“In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants …. when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.”

Reminding us of the Golden Rule, he then said:

“Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. ”

Executive orders were signed this past week to build a wall on our Southern Border and to restrict people from select Muslim countries from entering the United States, and for at least the next 120 days, prevents all refugees from everywhere in the world from entering the United States.

My archbishop, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, reached a conclusion shared by many religious leaders, that not only cannot these actions be reconciled with the Scriptures; they are “the opposite of what it means to be an American. ” 

The German Foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel said: “The United States is a country where Christian traditions have an important meaning. Loving your neighbor is a major Christian value, and that includes helping people. I think that is what unites us in the West, and I think that is what we want to make clear to the Americans. ”

If you find the Golden Rule as found in Scripture binding for your soul, if you find the words of Pope Francis inspiring, if you agree with Cardinal Tobin that “Confident kindness is what has made, and will continue to make, America great” then you will find yourself in opposition to the executive orders issued by our newly-sworn president; you will find yourself in the middle of a divisive political controversy. If that is where you find yourself, and I confess it is where I find myself this morning, today’s gospel, the beatitudes, offers us comfort and warning. Jesus tells us: 

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

If you truly hunger, if you truly thirst for justice for the alien among us; if you see in the least of your brothers and sisters the person of Jesus, then God will bless you. 

You will have need of God’s blessing because surely you will be persecuted for the peaceful actions your faith compels you to take. There will be divisions with fellow citizens, parishioners, family members, and certainly with our newly-sworn government. 

Jesus warns you that you are not promised success; what you are promised is His blessing, your communion with Him, and His words: 

“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

Amen.