In the second reading this Sunday, St. John invites us to gaze upon this beautiful image: “I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9).
I invite you to take a few moments to envision this crowd. Notice how diverse and inclusive it is; it includes people from all nations, tribes, tongues, and races. They are joined together in praising God. This is all happening in heaven. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask that this also take place on earth. So, how do we go about bringing this unity to our parish and our world? And how can we help others embrace God’s diverse flock (as we hear in Psalm 100)?
First, as disciples of Christ, we have to embrace diversity and inclusivity ourselves. Jesusâa male, dark-skinned, Palestinian Jewâreached out to women and those who did not look like him or share his faith. He encountered them with respect and love. In addition, Pope Francis encouraged us to encounter and get to know people different from ourselves in order to become more inclusive. Since coming to St. Isidore, I have met more immigrants, including Fr. Muma, Fr. Noel, members of our Thursday night Hispanic Prayer Group, and many of our parishioners. My life has been enriched by the beauty of their cultures, and I view immigrants differently now. In a similar way, we often think differently about members of the LGBTQ community when a loved one shares their identity with us, as well as when we get to know others who have done the same.
Going out of our way to encounter those different from ourselves will make us more inclusive. By doing so and sharing our experiences with others, we can set an example and inspire them to be more inclusive. Diversity is beautiful. Share that beauty! Keep before you that beautiful vision of St. John, as quoted above. Be inspired by it, and share it with others.
