Almost a month ago, we had the funeral of a well-known gentleman of the parish, Harry Dunn Jr. There were a number of visiting priests at the mass and I was speaking to Fr. Tom Dempsey in the sacristy before we began. He knew I had just moved to Incarnate Word and kindly asked me how things were going. I told him it was difficult to start over, to leave a parish where you were in the middle of people’s lives to once again become an outsider in a new community. Fr. Dempsey, a priest for more than 55 years, gave me some encouragement and shared that his experience was similar, that the first weeks and months of a new assignment are indeed the loneliest and most difficult. However, the process of being welcomed into a parish family and becoming an important part of your new parish makes it all worth it.
This feeling of belonging or conversely, the fear of not fitting in or wondering what our place might be, is something we all experience at different points as we start a new school year, begin a new job, move into a different neighborhood, or join a different parish. Our psalm and first two readings are beautiful scriptures about inclusion. Through Isaiah, the Lord states that any foreigner who unite themselves to him will be part of his family. God’s house is meant to be a house of prayer for all peoples. The psalm exclaims, “O God, let all the nations praise you!” Even the fiery St. Paul shares the love and encourages the Gentiles, meaning all non-Jewish people, that God’s mercy is extended to them as well.
This theme of belonging, of acceptance in God’s house seems to hit a brick wall with the gospel. The feeling of not belonging someplace was certainly forced on the woman who comes to Jesus seeking healing for her daughter. She was a Canaanite, a gentile, a pagan. The apostles try to shoo her away! Who does she think she is: asking healing from this Jesus, a Jewish Holy Man? Jesus Himself seemed to emphasize this exclusion when He joined the sentiment of the crowd and said that He was only sent for the lost sheep of Israel. But the woman wouldn’t give up.
She demanded an audience with Him. Her faith was further tested when the Lord said “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs”, dogs being the Jewish way of referring to the gentiles. Her response that even the dogs eat the food that falls from the table showed Jesus her faith in Him would not waiver. It was clear that she belonged there, before the Lord. No one could say she didn't belong. She couldn't even say that about herself. Rather than mistreating her or pushing her away, Jesus, who alone can read hearts and souls, is actually testing and rewarding her faith.
None of us should ever feel that we don't belong before the Lord. We do belong here in his house. We belong here because he has called us to be here. Of course we are not good enough to be in His Presence. Not on our own. But He makes us good enough. That is what Baptism does. And, if we squander the Grace of our Baptism, then Reconciliation makes us good enough. Everyone in the Church belongs here. And there are billions of people outside the Church who also belong here. This is the Catholic Church. The word Catholic literally means universal. All people from all lands, demographics, and races belong in the Church. They deserve to know Christ and the healing he offers.
The Catholic Church is not a white Church or a black Church or an Asian Church or a Hispanic Church. The Catholic Church is not an American Church. The Catholic Church is not a European Church. An attitude of “us’ vs “them”, “insider” vs “outsider” has no place in Catholicism. The Catholic Church is the universal Church. All people belong here. Saints and sinners belong here. People who are living exemplary lives belong here. People who are seeking to live better lives belong here. Most of us, probably all of us, are in that second group. We don't go to Church because we are so holy. We go to Church because we are seeking holiness. If you are seeking a friendship with God, you belong here.
There are many people here in our church, at Incarnate Word Parish, including myself, who come to Mass every week and even every day, asking God to heal us. We are seeking to be sincere in our practice of the faith. We belong here. "Come, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, the Lord said. He didn't exclude anyone. He said, all you who are weary. One of the most effective weapons the devil uses against us is convincing us that we deserve the Grace of God. The devil wants us to give up on ourselves and each other. He wants to divide God’s family and create little camps opposed to each other. The Lord promises he will never give up on us. So we don’t have the right to give up on ourselves and each other. God wants his family together for prayer and service, no matter how imperfect and complicated that family may be. And so, we come before Him this Sunday and every Sunday. We come before Him with simple faith like the Canaanite woman and we ask Him for healing. We learn to be patient and persevere, even when it feels like Jesus is testing our faith and making it stronger. Especially in those times, like the quick-witted woman of the gospel, we trust Him. For His mercy and compassion are infinitely greater than our sins. We look at the image of our Lord on the cross. We meditate on what He has done for us. And in complete humility we say, "I belong here and to each other, you belong here.”
