The Outsiders and the Foreigners are the first to recognise the Divinity of Jesus.

It is no mistake that Luke’s infancy narrative has the Shepherds, the outcasts, as the first group to come and worship the child Jesus and then the Wise Men, the foreigners, as the second group. All through Luke’s writings we see Jesus portrayed as the one reaching out to the widows, orphans, the lepers, all the outsiders making them a core part of the Kingdom. He shows Jesus reaching out to the Samaritans, to the non-Jews inviting them to be part of God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is a totally inclusive place where there nobody is an outsider or a foreigner, all are welcome.

We, as Christians, must ask ourselves are there any groups that we do not welcome, that we are prejudiced against, that we discriminate against? We are living in strange times where national governments seem to be increasingly looking in on themselves and becoming more isolationist. In this country we have the phenomenon of EU Citizens, many of whom have been living here for decades, having to apply for Settled or Pre-Settled Status, and having to pay to have legal status. We have, as a Catholic community, to be seen as an inclusive, welcoming and caring group who show forth the values of Christ in Borehamwood.

It is not enough to come to church and pray for our own redemption but we must be seen to reach out to the outsiders, the foreigners and those who are the poorest and weakest in our area and uphold their dignity and their rights.