National
Migration Week Mass: Praying to God with one voice
Homily
of Cardinal Justin Rigali
National Migration Week Mass
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What a joy it is for us to gather here today with so many people of different
lands, cultures and languages, all praying to our God with ONE voice.
Today we acknowledge and celebrate the great diversity that we find in
our Archdiocese and at the same time we realize that we are all members
of ONE universal Catholic Church. Among us are native peoples who inhabited
and lived on this land for many centuries. We are descendants of many
generations of immigrants who came to call this land home. We are newcomers
to this “land of the free” seeking the promise freedom brings.
We are ONE in our belief in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living
God, the Son of the Virgin Mary.
Today we give thanks to Almighty God for the gifts that our native and
immigrant communities share with our local Church in Philadelphia. Gifts
of spirituality, music, art, popular religious customs, and family traditions
add so much to the setting for this Eucharistic celebration. These same
gifts enrich and enliven our multicultural sensitivity. Today, as in the
past, the United States of America embraces so many peoples. We come from
a community of nations and live in unity under one flag.
Our readings from Sacred Scripture today speak of a journey, a journey
out of darkness into wonderful light. Many gathered here in this Cathedral
Basilica have also made a difficult journey from the darkness of religious
persecution, political oppression and abject poverty to the promise of
light and hope in America. Many of you came to this country to seek the
light of freedom that was denied you in the past.
In many ways, the story of the man born blind is our story. We are all
on a similar journey, a journey of faith. And that common journey leads
us to the Light, the Light that is Jesus Christ. The man in Saint John’s
Gospel experienced the darkness that comes from not knowing Jesus. However,
once he comes to know Jesus, his blindness is taken away and the Light
becomes his guide. Where there is no faith in Jesus there is only darkness,
but where faith in Jesus abounds, so too does the light.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, implores us to live as children
of the light. He tells us: “You were once darkness, but now you
are light in the Lord.” Now that so many of you have come to this
land of freedom and established a new life for yourselves and your families,
a new darkness threatens to overshadow you. Some of you might have a fear
of being sent home because of our nation’s immigration laws. This
can be a very real and justified fear that projects a shadow on your lives.
In these and other circumstances we still need to live a life of faith
and Christian love, working hard at remaining in the Light that is Jesus
Christ.
Our responsorial psalm reminds us that Jesus is our Shepherd leading us
out of the darkness of fear. Even in this new homeland there are many
trials and challenges. Many gathered in this church today struggle to
work and support a family. You live good moral lives and add to our common
good by being productive members of the community, and yet the issues
of prejudice and discrimination still affect so many of our ethnic communities.
In the reading from the first book of Samuel we see the call of David.
David was chosen by God from all his brothers to be the leader of God’s
chosen people. God calls each of us to some form of service to His people.
Many of us will do that service through the simple and ordinary actions
of our daily lives. However, there are those whom God calls to extraordinary
service to the Church and to all His people.
In this Bicentennial year of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia we call to
mind two such individuals: Saint John Neumann, an immigrant to this country,
called to serve the newcomers of this nation. He was called to shepherd
the people of this Archdiocese until God called him to his heavenly home.
Secondly, we remember Saint Katharine Drexel whose feast we celebrate
tomorrow. Saint Katharine was born here in Philadelphia. She dedicated
her life to serving the needs of the Native American community as well
as the African American descendants of immigrant African slaves. Like
David, these two humble people affected the lives of so many because they
did not let any obstacles stop them from following Jesus the Good Shepherd.
My Brothers and Sisters: let us heed the call of Saint Paul and always
live as children of the Light, the Light that is Jesus Christ. And may
Mary, the Mother of Jesus guide and protect you all on your journey of
faith. Amen.