The welcome of baptism is for all God’s children. In this Sunday’s second reading, Paul reminds us that this baptismal gift sets us free from the power of sin and death. In this Sunday’s gospel, Christ promises that the disciple who gives a cup of cold water to the little ones serves Christ himself. In the heat of a Texas summer, this metaphor resonates as well with us as it did with Jesus’ earliest disciples in first century Palestine. Our relationships with our neighbors, be they ones of rejection or welcome, impact our relationship with God. From worship we are sent on our baptismal mission: to serve the little ones of this world and to be a sign of God’s merciful welcome.
image: Dorothy Day with Homeless Christ by Kelly Latimore. Copyright © Kelly Latimore. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the artist.