Many people are not remembered in the pages of history, especially refugees who have died seeking safety far from home. However, God knows and loves everyone; our love should extend as far as his does. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Tuesday of week 11 of ordinary time can be found here.
In recent years there’s been a growing interest in oral history projects. This is where historians sit down with a tape recorder (or nowadays a mobile phone) and listen to the stories of ordinary people – soldiers, miners, factory workers, dinner ladies, shopkeepers and countless others. These are people whose name would never normally have been recorded by history, whose lives would never have been noticed. Yet oral historians recognise that history is not only made by the powerful and famous. Everyone’s story is important and deserves to be heard.
The name of Naboth would never normally have been remembered. He was not rich, influential or powerful. The ones who wielded power in the land, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, had Naboth killed so they could steal his vineyard. They assumed he would soon be forgotten. Yet God knew who Naboth was, God remembered him and loved him. And so he sends the prophet Elijah to confront the king over what he had done. Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” comes from the idea that every life matters. It can be all too easy to divide up the world into those who are like us, deserving of our love, and those who are not. For Jesus, our circle of love extends far beyond those we know to embrace everyone, everywhere.
Many refugees who die in the process of fleeing war, persecution or terror will never be remembered by history. They may not even have a grave, and their families might not know what happened to them. But the God who remembered Naboth and was angered by his death, remembers and loves them all. In this Requiem Mass we claim that love for those who have died as refugees. We protest at a world that divides people up into those worthy of love and those not, a world that views some lives as expendable. And we pledge to extend our circle of love beyond those we know or who are like us, to all those forgotten by history but whose lives and stories are imprinted on the heart of God.
Mass today is in St Mary’s at 6.30pm.
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