As I prayed about what I was supposed to preach on this week, it became clear that Jesus wanted me to tackle a thorny, controversial, and very timely topic.

So before saying anything else, I’m gonna go ahead and ask you guys to BUCKLE UP and pray for me — pray that the Holy Spirit will guide my words, and that He will help us to come into agreement with God’s Heart, expressed through the Church’s teaching on this topic.

…

So I’m sure most have heard it said that Catholicism is not so much a religion of “either/or” — but really more of a “both/and” kind of faith…

Jesus is BOTH true God AND true man.

The Church is BOTH the divinely inspired spotless Bride of Christ… AND it is full of sinful, corrupt people.

Mary is BOTH virgin AND mother.

Salvation is BOTH already AND not yet…

God BOTH loves the sinner AND hates the sin…

And so on…for a whole host of doctrines we hold most dear.

Well, in our first reading from the book of Sirach, we get yet another BOTH/AND of our beautiful faith…

God is BOTH totally, perfectly just and fair… showing no favorites, no partiality whatsoever… AND at the same time, He hears the cry of the oppressed. He “is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint.” He has a particular sensitivity and care — a “preferential option” even — for the weakest, the most vulnerable, and the most downtrodden.

It is vitally important to hold both of these truths in tension with one another when we approach all sorts of issues and questions, but today I’d like to zoom in on the relevant and very prickly question of immigration.

When it comes to this topic, we find once again within the corpus of Catholic social teaching not an “either/or” — but a very very crucial “BOTH/AND.”

To help me articulate this, I’d like to read to you all from the outset what the Catechism teaches on the subject. This comes from paragraph #2241 if you’d like to go home and look it up later for yourself: 

The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him. 

(Ok great. So far so good. It then goes on…)

Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.

Alright, so what TWO vital concepts do we see at work here?

First: We read that “the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able… to welcome the foreigner.” 

Ok. I think it’s fair to say that the United States is a very, very prosperous nation… Even if we are in an obscene amount of debt — to the tune of $38 trillion now — we remain the wealthiest nation on the planet. Therefore, we have a certain obligation to “welcome, protect, promote and integrate” in the words of Pope Francis and Pope Leo… the foreigners who are knocking on our door. The Christian perspective sees Christ Himself in these tired poor, huddled masses…

But the Catechism goes on. And we also get this: “Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions.” …It says that immigrants are obliged to “obey the laws” of the nation they are residing in, that they ought to respect the culture they are entering, and that they must also assist in any civic duties proper to them.

Ok. — So, somehow what the Church is proposing is that we must BOTH welcome the stranger, the foreigner, the immigrant, the refugee — we must always treat them with humble respect and tirelessly defend their human dignity… AND at the same time, we must uphold the right of nations to set clear, just boundaries and proceed to enforce its laws accordingly in service to the Common Good.

It’s the Catholic Both/And! Which is amazing news because…. 

These two concerns, contrary to what the mainstream media will tell you — ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE!

We don’t need to choose between human dignity… and law and order…

We don’t need to choose between compassion… and law enforcement…

We don’t need to choose between keeping the border secure… and helping the undocumented integrate into our communities legally.

It’s not actually a choice between a radical open border policy — and an all-out purge…

All of this is quite similar to what Pope Benedict XVI very famously said about the inner harmony of Love and Truth — He said that Love and Truth never contradict one another. “To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life” he says, is an “indispensable” form of love. 

God is LOVE yes. But He is also Truth.

Once again, we come to a classic Catholic BOTH/AND…They always go hand in hand. To separate love from truth would make it no longer real love. It would be a lie. A kind of false hope. A malicious deception…

But getting back to the topic at hand, I do want to share what the bishop of Arlington, Bishop Burbidge said in a pastoral letter he sent out earlier this year on American immigration law because I think it’s helpful. He said:

“We always defend and protect the most vulnerable, even as we defend the rights and duties of nations to govern themselves and to safeguard the common good.” —(There’s that great Catholic both/and again…)

He goes on:

“I have confidence that comprehensive immigration reform need not harm the dignity of any person. Even when immigration reform includes repatriation of those persons who have committed violent crimes, or who otherwise violate the terms of a right to remain, human dignity can be respected. We must not presume a conflict between human dignity and the rule of law.” 

There it is again! It’s not EITHER human dignity OR rule of law.

It can and ought always to be BOTH.

Bishop Burbidge then proceeds to say this, which I think sums it all up quite well:

“We are a Church that stands for justice, not against the enforcement of law, but for its application with mercy and understanding for the good of all persons and our country.”

This is so important guys. 

We stand for justice. Because we do serve a God who is perfectly just and righteous… A God who knows no favorites. A God who Himself has provided clear laws that we must then conform our lives to with the help of His grace. “If you love me, keep my commandments,” Jesus clearly said.

And yet, we also serve a God who is compassionate and merciful… who hears the cry of the poor and the oppressed. Who is tender towards those who fall short… who beg at our doorstep.

How this all gets worked out into public policy is a very hotly debated topic. But frankly, it’s not my job to try and figure that out. It’s also not my job to tell you what you should think about how certain politicians — on either side of the aisle — are handling immigration.

My job is simply to present to you what the Church actually teaches without sugarcoating it, and to invite us all to live in accord with that teaching. I hope I’ve been able to do that today, however inadequately.

So now we turn once again to the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith — it’s the visible sign of unity and communion in the Church with Jesus Christ.

And we pray to Him like the tax collector in our gospel this weekend prayed: 

‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

What we DON’T do is come and pray like the Pharisee “prayed” —

“O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity… I’m glad I’m not one of those (insert some stereotype group here…)

No.

How about we all just come and ask for God’s mercy together. This is what unites us most actually:

…Our common need for the Lord’s mercy.

And thank the Lord, He knows how poor we all are… how weak we are. He knows how messy and complicated our world and its politics really are.

Our job is not despise one another, but instead seek His Mercy.

And last, but certainly not least: 

May I also recommend that we turn to our Blessed Mother for help and guidance with this issue and in all things? October is the month of the Holy Rosary. So we turn to Mary, our most gracious Advocate and Mother for all the help we need.

Together, let us pray: 

Hail Mary…