Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.
. . . .
[But] the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
(Is 26:1-6)

Isaiah’s message is strong . . . we have a choice: to be a nation that is just and keeps faith or to be brought down and trampled underfoot by the needy and the poor. We may need to make some changes! Saint Francis Xavier is probably one of the greatest missionaries since Saint Paul. His mission field included India, Japan, and many parts of Southeast Asia.  The photo today is of cars of jobless workers people lined up and waiting to get food at the San Antonio, Texas, food bank during the coronavirus crisis.