Goodness to strangers - How Strange!

Saturday, 32nd week in Ordinary Time

November 17, 2018: 3 John 5-8; Luke 18: 1-8

The first reading today speaks of Godliness, as being good to strangers. Doesn't that sound strange in today's context. People find being good to the known, already a little too tedious. But among the people of God in the Old Testament, taking care of strangers, widows and the orphans was a special commission given to them by God. And that was an experiential learning on the part of the people who were themselves strangers, orphans and sojourners.

Unfortunately the population of the kind that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel - those who do neither fear God nor respect people - is on the rise and with no qualms of conscience. Religious or Irreligious, educated or uneducated, male or female ...nothing serves an exception to this condition. The generation is becoming more and more insensitive. 

Killing for a pittance, killing for honour, killing for payment, killing for religion, killing for profits, killing for property, killing for convenience, killing even in the name of God... what is humanity going towards? With all these, speaking of being good to strangers - how strange! 

The term stranger or foreigner was indicative of every one in need, people in insecure circumstances. Today we have every category you can ever think of within this definition of the people in need. The exploited, the immigrants, the refugees, the unemployed and the homeless: today we have a responsibility towards this part of humanity. Pope Francis leads us by example in this expression of true Christian love! But including him, all those who think in this manner are considered abnormal, unacceptable and strange... better be ready to be considered strange - that's being truly Christian!