Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.

When God created the heavens and the earth He created the United States, Poland, Italy, Japan, Russia…

Well, we know that’s not true. Yet, by His Holy Will we were created nations, peoples and cultures. God created man in such a way so that the gifts of humanity would be shared between us. He created man in such a way as to:

—…fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

God created the world in such a way as to apportion its gifts, its flavors, its beauty, and from that apportionment came the peoples we know today.

Brothers and sisters,

Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you

While God apportioned His gifts, everything He has taught us about Himself, from His commandments on Mount Sinai to the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ, tells us that God is One and we are to be one like Him.

So how do we take the places, the cultures, the families, and the history we each represent and become one?

The only way, the only perfected method is in Jesus Christ, at the Holy Altar, in His Holy Church.

In a Sermon on the Church on March 22, 1914 Bishop Hodur said:

We built a house of God. We desired God to come down and live among us. And He fulfilled our desires.

As diverse peoples we need to bond into a common purpose. We need to bond together in a common desire. Our purpose and our desire is that God live among us. This is why God has given us our Holy Church.

The Holy Church is the unifying force, the Body of Christ on earth. We are all part of that unified body, regardless of class, color, national origin, or culture. We are different, yet we are united.

This unity is not a false unity. It is not the unity given by governments, by the sword, by the promise of politicians. It is not a unity that requires dilution of our gifts. It is not a unity which says be different for no particular reason. Rather use your gifts for our common purpose and goal – that we all be joined in the heavenly Kingdom.

We teach that the natural gifts given to mankind are of Divine origin. That the cultures and heritage we each own is provided for a purpose. That purpose it the raising of our voices to God. To bring the gifts that are from and of our heritage into God’s Holy Church.

Of course we must use care.

In achieving the goal we must not toss heritage aside like so much refuse. In doing that we sin against the gifts we have been given. We call into question God’s wisdom.

To toss heritage aside is false unity, and it is no better than tossing food aside as part of a false diet. Heritage is a gift from God, and rightly understood, a gift to be used for God’s work.

At the same time, our heritage is not a fortress wall, a rampart intended to keep others out.

My friends,

From our immigrant experience we know the trials and tribulations faced by that —other— face in the crowd. We know the pain or rejection, of being thought of as less of a human being.

It cannot be that way in God’s house.

We welcome all so that by sharing our gifts in unified purpose, we might show the world Jesus Christ.

As St. Paul writes

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

The gifts we have been given are brought to perfection when they are clothed in Christ.

Brothers and sisters,

We are blessed by our heritage. It is diverse, but focused to one end.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.—

The Great Commission is the task we must take up.

We must speak to all, drawing them and their gifts into the Church. We must build up the Church so that God may come and live among us. We must proclaim the name of Jesus to all, teaching all to live within the Body of Christ, rejecting sinfulness and joyfully sharing their gifts for the fulfillment of the Kingdom.

Amen.