(The following is the English language text of the homily given by Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville at the Mass for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees that he celebrated on Sept. 25, 2022 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Bishop Dorsonville serves as the chairman of the Committee on Migration of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.)
Today we celebrate the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. In his message for today Pope Francis reminds us: “We are called to renew our commitment to building a future that conforms ever more fully to God’s plan of a world in which everyone can live in peace and dignity.” In other words, we all have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters. And today we recall especially our responsibility, as the pope reminds us in his letter, to migrants and refugees, to displaced persons, and to victims of human trafficking.
Consider, for example, that today there are about 100 million forcibly displaced persons in the world.
Or consider the tragedy and trauma that many migrants face: especially those who have been in a sort of legal limbo for years in this country, the Dreamers and farm workers.
Or again, we have many refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan entering the U.S., fleeing conflicts in their homelands. We are deeply troubled by what we are witnessing in both these situations and the indefensible loss of human life in both instances.
Or consider victims of human trafficking: a recent study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that about 200,000 women and children are forced into sexual slavery in the United States each year.
I realize that in light of this human tragedy these situations seem overwhelming. But let us never forget what Pope Francis recalls in his message: “The tragedies of history remind us how far we are from arriving at our goal, the new Jerusalem, ‘the dwelling place of God with men’ (Revelation 21:3). Yet this does not mean that we should lose heart. In the light of what we have learned in the tribulations of recent times, we are called to renew our commitment to building a future that conforms ever more fully to God’s plan for a world in which everyone can live in peace and dignity,” Powerful words from Our Holy Father, Pope Francis.
And that brings us to the Word of God. We know that love is the beginning and end of the Christian life. But love has two very important characteristics. First, we can only love because we have first received love. Ultimately, we can only love because we have received God’s overwhelming, awesome love for us, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And second, the Lord calls us to pay that love forward, to share it with our brothers and sisters. If we don’t share God’s love for us with others, the love in our hearts dries up. If we do, the wellspring of love remains fresh.
In fact, Jesus doesn’t tell us to love Him as He loves us. Remember, He commands us to “Love one another” as He has loved us. How does Jesus love us? With a love that becomes action. Love means to will the good of the other person, and to do whatever we can for his good, for her good.
And Jesus states this forcefully in today’s Gospel, Luke 16: 19-31. A poor man named Lazarus lies outside a rich man’s door. He is starving, and would give anything to eat the food that falls from the rich man’s table. But no one gives him anything. In fact, only dogs seem to care about him.
The rich man is totally oblivious to him. Oddly enough, he knows that the poor man’s name is Lazarus, but he never seems to wonder what he can do to alleviate his suffering. The rich man’s gravest sin is a sin of omission: he is indifferent to the suffering of others.
In recent days and weeks, we have seen this indifference play out in the lives of migrants who have come to this country seeking relief, only to become victims of our divisive political culture. But we must recall Jesus’ words in Matthew 25: “Whatever you do – or fail to do – for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do – or fail to do – for me.” Jesus invites us to see His presence in others, and to act to lighten their suffering.
Our commitment to action involves first and foremost prayer. The Lord wants us to pray for others. Not because he doesn’t already love them and want what’s best for them, but because he wants us to be his instruments in this process. When we pray for others, our hearts become more like the heart of Jesus.
When we pray for others, we experience God’s love for them, and we realize that he calls us to act. Prayer moves us to act for the good of others.
As we continue this Mass, let us remember that the people who are great in God’s eyes, and in the eyes of humanity, are those who have tried to do something for others. And with that in mind let us resolve to pray for our vulnerable brothers and sisters, especially migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking, and for us to be instruments of God’s love in their lives.
