Catholics urged to ‘open wide the church doors’ for migrants

PORT READING — During a Sept. 29 liturgy, the congregation in a suburban Catholic church, many of them long-standing area residents, listened intently as their deacon shared sobering statistics of persons who had no place to call their own.
St. Anthony of Padua Church was the site of a Mass for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Father William J. Smith, pastor, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, presided.
Instead of being decorated with flowers, the foot of the altar was adorned with empty water bottles, worn out shoes and sombreros to signify the meager possessions of many migrants on the move.
Deacon Peter E. Barcellona gave a moving homily on the Gospel of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31), drawing parallels to the plight of migrants and mankind’s responsibility to care for its most vulnerable.
“There are more people on the move now than ever before,” he said. “There are an estimated one billion migrants in the world today, 258 million of them internationally and 763 million of whom are eternally migrants. Think about that: one billion of them means that one out of seven people in the world today are on the move.”
About 68 million migrants have been forcibly displaced due to poverty, violence, war or religious persecution, Deacon Barcellona added.
“We cannot forget them. Pope Francis’ theme for this day, ‘It’s not just about migrants,’ is to show us our blind spots and make sure no one remains excluded from our society,” he said. “Today’s readings point to one thing: God is on the side of the poor.”
The deacon reminded the assembled about how poor Lazarus ascended to the bosom of Abraham and the rich man’s eternal damnation for not aiding the poor.
“We fail to encounter them as persons, fellow children of God. We look down on them and view them as the source of all society’s problems,” he said. “Pope Francis reminds us that they are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity, not a problem to be solved, but brothers and sisters who deserve to be welcomed, respected and loved.”
Referring again to the rich man’s neglect of the poor beggar at his feet, Deacon Barcellona said, “The Gospel asks us to step out of our comfort zones and care for the Lazaruses of the world, those at our doorsteps, our gates and our walls, searching for a better way of life. They are an opportunity … to show concern for Jesus Christ in the person of our marginalized brothers and sisters.
“Just like us, these people are moving because they want to have life and the safety of their children. What parent among us would not do this? The child Jesus was a refugee who fled along with the holy family to Egypt. The Holy Family’s journey is being taken today by families who are fleeing their own country.
“It’s not about the migrants but about building the city of God and the city of man. It is about our call to act with and for justice. The highest form of charity is that offered to those who cannot reciprocate, or even love us in return.”
Helping those in need is everyone’s responsibility, Deacon Barcellona said.
“We are the Church, not just Father Smith or the deacons or those who work around here. It is our mission to reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ who has come to show us the way to the Father,” he asserted. “As Catholics, we really have no choice but to open the doors of the church wide to those who are on the move.”
“I have traveled to Lebanon, Egypt and the Texas-Mexico border,” said Deacon Barcellona, who serves as associate director for the Diocese of Metuchen’s Catholic Charities Solidarity Team. “I’ve seen the work of Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities and our Catholic Church to relieve the suffering of so many refugees, and they are doing such amazing work. Even with all the good works on the ground I have seen, there is so much more to be done.”
Governments must act as well, he added.
“The bishops of the United States have been working for decades to get comprehensive immigration reform to pass with very minimal success,” the deacon declared. “Our challenge today, on this World Day for Migrants and Refugees, is to listen to our poor brothers’ and sisters’ cries for help.”
An encounter with the poor is an encounter with Jesus Christ, he asserted, since the migrants and refugees are our brothers and sisters and we are their keepers.
“This is not someone else’s work,” Deacon Barcellona concluded. “It is our work to do as faithful Catholics. May we be blessed and strengthened in our work to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”