Neighborhood Watch

Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from October 23, 2005

“The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself" Matt. 22:39.

"THE QUESTION IS, Who is my neighbor?

On another occasion Jesus was asked this question. He told the story of the Good Samaritan. Robbed and bloody the victim on the roadside was not helped by Levite or priest. They passed by. The Samaritan helped. A feature of this story is that the Samaritan was a foreigner, a stranger of another culture and religion.

The first reading echoes this theme: "Thus says the Lord: you shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt."

We need to define our neighborhoods inclusively. Our neighbors include the immigrant and the refugee.

Ever since 9/11 we have worried about our borders. Immigration policies need to be re addressed to find a better balance between security and welcome. In some neighborhoods gang violence and machete killings have left a residue of fear. Day laborers in shopping centers are seen as a nuisance. Efforts to provide solutions have caused controversy. It is easy in a climate such as the present for politicians to take advantage of and to foment the fear of the immigrant—especially of those without documents, making it hard to get drivers' licenses or to receive public benefits.

People of faith need to continue to listen to the voice of the Gospel. "Love your neighbor as yourself." Schools such as St. Charles, which is even more diverse than the parish, demonstrate the possibility of living gently and lovingly with the other. The first and second commandments are intertwined. Love engenders faith, and faith engenders love.