Open your hearts and feel the yearnings of your brothers and sisters who are lonely, despised, fearful, neglected, unloved. Reach out in understanding, clasp their hand, and invite all to share in the blessings of community created in the name of the One who suffered on behalf of all.
[Adapted from Michael Wright, “Toward the Peaceful One,” 2021, in Project Zion podcast]
Fateme was beaming, because the day before she had been called to an audience with Pope Francis who gathered all 33 refugees together. Fateme, in her great excitement, painted Pope Francis and was able to present the picture to him personally. He accepted it with kindness and graciousness. It is at that audience that Pope Francis called the Mediterranean the shame of Europe. He had been given a life jacket found floating in the Mediterranean that had obviously been with someone who had lost their life. The Migrants’ Crucifix [in Rome] is the cross wearing this life jacket. It is very much like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, or places in the world where we honor the dead that we do not know. So, the Migrants’ Crucifix wears this life jacket. It is in the Belvedere Courtyard in the Vatican Museums. Visitors can see it in the big courtyard as they come through. It is nobody, yet it is everybody. It’s a wonderful call.
We didn’t know what to give Fateme and Kobra, her mother, as a gift. Everybody had done so much for them. The sisters had provided a beautiful warm place to live. The Sant’Angelo community had set up their asylum and immigration paperwork. Fateme was soon to go to Italian high school and to Italian language school and then off to a fine arts high school so she could learn a trade. Everyone had done everything. But I remembered back to when I was new in Italy and what helped me become a fluent Italian speaker. I remember it was television and going to the movies. So, we decided to give them a television. We thought it might keep them from feeling so far away from others. It might bring community in a virtual way into their apartment, and they could start to learn the language of their new land.
Fateme and Kobra’s story is a testament to the Enduring Principle of the Worth of All Persons, reminding us that every refugee carries a sacred story of resilience and hope.
Do we see Jesus in the refugee? And even more importantly, does the refugee see the hospitality of Jesus in us? Have we created a peaceable kingdom where they might be welcomed? These are questions we all must ask. I think individually, as communities, and as a church, these are questions for us to ask. And we have to arrive at a point where we will loudly shout, “Yes!”
Prayer Phrase
“Love does no wrong to a neighbor…” (Romans 13:10).
Community Action
Organize volunteer groups to assist at local shelters or organizations that support refugees, such as the IRC or local church initiatives. Plan events like film screenings, panel discussions, or cultural nights to raise awareness about refugee issues. Organize drives to collect essential items like clothing, toiletries, and school supplies for refugees.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.