On the World Day for Refugees and Migrants, Pope Francis challenged us to open our hearts to welcome and respect those who are denied sanctuary. The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) offers one way that we can accompany refugees and migrants through prayer during Lent.
Opening our door to a stranger is a daring and very radical way of being human but at the same time, it is rewarding and enriching. Louise Zanré, Director of JRS UK, says: ‘Many of the people we accompany at JRS derive great strength and hope from their faith. They are always pleased when I tell them that others are praying for them. I hope that those who use this prayer resource will be able to enter into the experience of the people we accompany and those who host them in their homes.’
The ‘At Home’ prayer resource invites us to take a journey of hospitality alongside hosts and guests with JRS to see the courage and dignity of asylum seekers who experience destitution and homelessness, and to reflect with them on the themes of Home, Welcome, Encounter, Around the Table, Sharing, Journey and Courage. Stories or passages of scripture are suggested alongside questions and prayers in the Ignatian tradition.
To download a pack, go to www.jrsuk.net. An online version with spoken reflections and music is available at www.pray-as-you-go.org. To order a pack, please contact uk@jrs.net or call 020 7488 7310.
