FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES
We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

FOR MIGRANTS FLEEING THEIR HOMES
Every Sunday, our Jesuit community in Brownsville, TX, crosses the border to visit a migrant shelter in Matamoros, Mexico to celebrate Mass. As we reach the Eucharistic Prayer, the celebrant prays, “Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim Church on Earth.” When we pray these words, I look out at the congregation of migrant men, women, and children who have gathered together. This is indeed the “pilgrim Church,” made not of brick and mortar but of the living stones of the faithful.

For so many migrants, faith is a tremendous source of hope and strength, even in the most challenging circumstances, like a prolonged wait in a migrant shelter in northern Mexico as they seek protection in the U.S. The Masses we celebrate are often very simple, with a white altar cloth draped over a folding table surrounded by metal folding chairs. Even in this context, however, the deep resonance of the Eucharistic celebration is never in doubt, especially when you see a migrant family bow their heads as they sing the Kyrie or lift their hands in prayer during the Our Father. 

Many migrants do not have access to the Sacraments for weeks or months as they make their journey. In our experience, it is not uncommon to see tears streaming down their face as they approach the altar to receive the Eucharist or a blessing. The crosses they carry in their escape from violence, oppression, and poverty are burdens difficult to imagine, but the Sacraments in this context, especially the Eucharist, remind all of us that Christ and his Church are present to the poor, shouldering their burdens, and shining some much-needed light in the midst of so much darkness.

Let us join with Pope Francis and unite our prayers together this month. We pray for our pilgrim Church on Earth, that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them. Amen.

Fr. Brian Strassburger, S.J.
 Director of Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries serving in the Diocese of Brownsville, TX, along the U.S.-Mexico border.