I find it absolutely disgusting to hear time and again these or other similar words: the (parish) church belongs to us not them or we are being overwhelmed by outsiders, etc. The parish church is not a democratic state, it is the HOUSE OF GOD wherein not a single soul should be excluded. We do not belong to the parish by being a council member, or by serving in one ministry or the other, or by attending daily Mass, or by tithing or some financial contribution, or by family history. We belong to the Church because of our BAPTISM into Christ. It is what Christ does and not what we do that incorporates us into His mystical body. In the House of God, everyone is a FOREIGNER, who by divine adoption, has been admitted. Many of St. Peters fellow Jews thought that God loved them more than the gentiles, but St. Peter came to understand that God did not show favoritism: I truly understand that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34). God wants people of all nations to repent and be saved. St. Paul echoes this in Romans 2:11, For God does not show favoritism. God also does not want us to show favoritism. St. James teaches us that partiality is sin: My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? (2:1-4) God shows no favoritism or partiality. The Bible teaches us that we should not either.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 06:53:04 +0000
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