CALEXICO — “We live in a world where it is easy to become divided, but as followers of Christ, we are called to do something greater: We are called to be one human family,”
That’s what Bishop Michael Pham said in his homily at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in this border city.
He led a Lenten prayer service, themed “To Be United in Christ,” held on the evening of March 23, co-hosted by Catholic Charities. Around 350 faithful from Calexico and neighboring towns turned out for the event.
He was accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido, nine priests and two deacons, and Bishop John Stowe, of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, who was visiting to give a retreat in Brawley.
Earlier that day, Bishop Pham led a clergy visit to the Imperial Regional Detention Facility, which included a Mass for about 40 detained immigrants. The facility houses around 650.
The bilingual prayer service was structured as a Liturgy of the Word, with two Gospel readings. The first was from the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37), while the second was from the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-40). The bishop’s homily centered on their main themes: compassion and taking action to serve the vulnerable.
“Jesus says, ‘I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me,’” Bishop Pham said, referring to Matthew 25. “And then he tells us something that we must never, ever forget: ‘What you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.’
“We also heard the story of the Good Samaritan … Jesus ends that story with a command: ‘Go and do likewise.’
“Jesus does not separate himself from the poor, from the suffering, the vulnerable. He identifies himself with them. So, when we serve them, we are not simply doing a good work; we are encountering Christ.”
The bishop noted that he had once been a refugee, having arrived in the U.S. after his family fled from Vietnam. He said he will never forget what it was like “to be vulnerable, to be uncertain, to rely on the compassion of strangers. And I will never forget that it was through that compassion that I encountered God’s mercy.”
“That experience shaped my life,” he continued. “It taught me that hope is real. It taught me that kindness can save a life. And it taught me that we are called to give back what we have received.”
He said that church is not only a place to pray.
“The Church is the living presence of Christ in the world,” the bishop said. “Through our parishes, through our families, through the work of Catholic Charities, we make His love visible, not in words alone, but in action. Matthew 25 reminds us that this is not optional. It is the measure of discipleship.
“When we respond to him with mercy, when we choose to see, to act, we live the Gospel,” Bishop Pham said. “And this is where unity is found. Not in sameness, not in agreement of everything, but in love, in mercy, in recognizing Christ in one another. …
“We live in a world where it is easy to become divided, but as followers of Christ, we are called to do something greater: We are called to be one human family. Let us pray together that God may give us eyes to see, hearts to love, and the courage to act so that our community, our Church, and our world may truly be united in Christ.”
Near the end of the service, the bishop thanked Father Hilario Flores, of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish; the priests, deacons and religious sisters in attendance; Catholic Charities, for its work helping immigrant detainees; and lay organizations (such as Sagrado Corazón).
