When I was in fourth or fifth grade, there was a new student who came to our Catholic school. He looked much different than the Irish, French and German immigrants who settled in the area where I grew up.
His name was Tín, and he was from an Asian country. He was shy, quiet and didn’t understand our culture. He didn’t speak English well. For some reason, God put on my heart to reach out to him, and for all our physical and cultural differences, I found him to be gentle, kind and humble. He knew that he was different, and I came to learn that he was a lot like me.
That friendship left an impression on me. Through it, I came to glimpse a deep truth of our faith: What truly matters to God is not our outward appearance or background, but the state of our soul. The color of one’s skin, the language one speaks, the customs one follows—in God’s eyes, these make no difference.
But the purity and inherent dignity of every soul does.
From the moment of conception to natural death, every person is to be cared for with profound reverence and fraternal charity. May our hearts, minds and wills advocate for the full flourishing of every person.
This is illustrated most fully in Luke 18:9-14 where Jesus addresses those who think of themselves as righteous. The Pharisee approaches God in prayer, thanking him that he is above the tax-collector, but the tax-collector stands in humility, asking God for mercy.
In her work “The Interior Castle,” Saint Teresa of Avila wrote, “God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in truth.”
God’s revealed truth is that every person, regardless of age, race, culture or any other difference, deserves the utmost dignity, reverence and love. This truth forces us to ponder where we stand: Do we stand before God in humility, like the tax-collector, walking in truth? Or are we the Pharisee, blinded by pride and self-righteousness, blind to the truth?
My brothers and sisters, we are Christians. God calls us to humility, asking us to manifest love and reverence to those before us. And by doing this, we become ambassadors of God’s love and truth, helping others come to discover the beauty of every soul, regardless of age, condition of life, color of skin, culture or any other difference.
I’ve often wondered what became of my friend Tín. Through the years, God has continued to bring people like him into my life. As priest and bishop, I have the privilege of working with people from many different cultures and countries from all around the world. They continue to teach me humility and love. Through them, God continues to reveal his perennial truth that we are to welcome everybody, not as a stranger, but as a beloved son or daughter of God.
Let us be attentive to those who are before us, regardless of physical and cultural differences. Let’s pray for the grace to be humble of mind, body and spirit.
