Welcoming those not like us

Sunday 28 June 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Picture sourced here 2 Kings 4:8-16 Psalm 89

Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 10:37-42

Meditatio:

‘..whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me’ (Matthew 10:37)

Commentary:

There is so much to be thankful for: family, friends, good weather, and - if we are fortunate - health. Yet suffering knocks on the door of everyone at some stage. There are the ordinary, everyday sufferings arising from physical discomfort or pain, as well as the trials of making ends meet, holding down a job, dealing with difficult people, facing ourselves as we are, and not knowing what tomorrow may bring.

We would rather secure ourselves against every eventuality, but that is not possible. We live only in the present moment, here and now. There is much to be said, therefore, for a spirituality rooted in the present moment - one that notices what is within and around us, allows it to be, and keeps our focus on love for God and neighbour.

Many find it hard to believe in a God who allows so much suffering and injustice in the world. I will be honest: I have no convincing explanation as to why there is so much evil and suffering. All I can do is hope and believe that within every suffering including those caused by sin there is a path - a path toward kindness, mercy and generosity and toward consciously uniting our sufferings with those of Jesus on Calvary and in the Eucharist.

Jesus expresses this in stark terms in today’s Gospel:

whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (v. 37)

In Luke 9:23, the call is put even more strongly:

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

This teaching comes immediately after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and Peter’s declaration that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah.

What does it mean to carry one’s cross as a disciple of Jesus? First, it means accepting the reality of suffering in this present moment, in these concrete circumstances. Second, it means loving beyond the wound of suffering, moving toward compassion in the midst of it (some speak of ‘loving your suffering’; I prefer to speak of loving from a place of suffering). Third, it means recognising and entering into the sufferings of others.

We may think we can carry other people’s crosses. At times, that may be true. More often, however, we share in another’s cross indirectly by being a compassionate presence. A parent can be present and fully attentive to a child or young adult in deep distress. Doctors, nurses, priests, teachers, and counsellors can offer help within the limits of their roles and abilities.

In Romans 6:11, St Paul writes:

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

This is how we live in Christ and become alive to God: by dying to our ego and selfishness.

Welcoming one another complements the carrying of the cross. If we are to truly love others—including those who are different from us in race, religion, or other ways - we must welcome them as they are, not as we would wish them to be. In today’s first reading, the Shunammite woman shows generosity and hospitality to the prophet Elisha, providing him with food and a place to stay. She is later rewarded with the birth of a son. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says:

whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple - truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. (v. 42).

Welcome is not an easy idea; it can unsettle our assumptions and defences. Welcoming another does not mean abandoning our principles or beliefs. Rather, it means listening to, acknowledging, learning from, and engaging with others - fellow human beings created in the image of God, sharing a common dignity and a shared home.

Unless we welcome one another in love - and in some way share in one another’s crosses - we fail to extend the welcome of Christ through us. Instead, we hinder that welcome, along with the light and love that accompany it.

Some extras:

Collect prayer (Roman Catholic missal of 1970)

God of the universe, we worship you as Lord. God, ever close to us, we rejoice to call you Father. From this world’s uncertainty we look to your covenant. Keep us one in your peace, secure in your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Post-Communion prayer (Roman Catholic missal of 1970)

Lord, you give us the body and blood of your Son to renew your life within us. In your mercy, assure our redemption and bring us to the eternal life we celebrate in this eucharist. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Private prayer after Holy Communion

(from The Family Missal and Prayer Book of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, Dublin, 1976)

Lord Jesus, Life of my soul, the sacrament I have received is your pledge of my eternal reward. When the passing beauty of this world attracts me, let me prefer your eternal beauty. When money and pleasure tie me to created things, let me prefer your eternal reward.