SUNDAY, TWENTIENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 56: 1, 6-7 Ps 67: 2-6, 8 Rom 11: 13-15, 29-32 Mt 15: 21-28
A HOUSE WITH NO WALLS
One day, a curious person in heaven asked Saint Peter, “How many Hindus are here in heaven?” St Peter smiled and replied calmly, “No Hindus.” Surprised by this answer, the man asked, “Well, then how many Muslims are here?” “Not even one,” replied St Peter. The man was completely taken aback. He said, “Oh! Then there are only Christians in heaven?” “No, there are no Christians in heaven either,” replied St Peter. Stunned, the man asked, “How many Catholics?” “No Catholics either,” Peter said. Seeing the man’s utter confusion, Peter explained gently, “Heaven is not meant for any particular group of people. All people are invited to God’s kingdom to enjoy the loving presence of God.”
This lovely story captures the deep meaning of the readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary time. God shows us that His heart is wide open to everyone. He completely shatters our human tendency to leave people out. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promises: “I will bring foreigners to my holy mountain. My house will be called a house of prayer for all people.” Saint Paul also showed this all-encompassing love in his life and ministry. He wrote with great joy about his work, saying that he was proud to serve the Gentiles, who were considered outsiders by many at the time.
There is no doubt that Jesus knew that he was sent to the Jewish people. But with his interaction with the Canaanite woman from outside the Jewish territory, he revealed that his mercy and love is not limited to one nation alone. He noticed her deep faith and healed her sick daughter. That specific action proved that he came for men and women of every faith, every race, every colour, and every background, in every time and place.
To really understand this beautiful mystery, we ought to look at the history of the word ‘religion.’ It comes from an old Latin root word, religare. This word literally means “to bind fast,” “to tie together,” or “to connect.” By its very definition, true religion is meant to bind us closer to God. At the exact same time, it is meant to connect us deeply to one another. True religion is supposed to be a bridge that brings us together, never a wall that keeps us apart.
Today, we Christians live side by side with Hindus, Muslims, and people of many other faiths. What should our attitude be toward them, knowing that God wants to welcome everyone? First, we should notice that the spiritual values and cultural gifts of these different faiths are beautiful. Because of this, we should not view other religions as a threat or something to reject. Instead, we could see them as a welcome reality. The hand of God, which breaks down walls and builds up communities, is alive and active everywhere. In fact, a world with many faiths can be seen as a wonderful gift from God, meant to bring all His children together into one single family.
Therefore, we need to drop any negative attitude toward people of other faiths. Instead, we are called to build real relationships with them. Just living peacefully next to each other is no longer enough. We need to talk, listen, and truly meet one another. By doing this, we can work together to treat each other as true brothers and sisters under the care of God, our loving Father. This is what religare looks like in real life, being tied together in love. This welcoming spirit must also be visible in how we treat each other inside our own Catholic parishes. Do all parish members feel equal when it is time to share jobs and responsibilities? Or do some people feel left out of parish life? The word Catholic simply means “universal” or “open to the whole world.” Finally, God’s open invitation challenges our personal relationships. Do we treat others as outsiders? Charity might begin at home, but it cannot end there. If we only love our own kith and kin, or if we are too stubborn to change our plans for a stranger in need, we stop growing. It is easy to look down on others so we can ignore their needs. But God challenges us to see the common humanity in the face of the stranger, the person who is different, and the neighbour, responding with an open heart. Let us live out the true meaning of religare and let God’s love bind us all as one.
Response: Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
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