World day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees
26th Sunday Year B – Nenagh – With the Polish Community and Veneration of the Relics of the Polish Martyrs – 29th of September 2024
Because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.
Migrants and Refugees
Today is World Day of Migrants and Refugees. In our not distant past, we would not have thought Ireland would ever be a place for migrants or refugees. Today, as in many European countries, it is a contentious subject that has divided opinions as well as polarising some sections of this country.
Meaning, Categories, Labels
To begin, we should be clear what the terms migrant and refugee mean. The words are merely labels of convenience that States use to define people. In actual fact, International Agencies working in this area sees these as temporary labels and that these labels cannot define the people to whom they are attached.
A Refugee
A refugee is someone who has fled their own country because they are at risk of persecution there. An asylum seeker is someone in a comparable situation but is awaiting official acceptance as a refugee.
A Migrant
A migrant is someone who has left their own country and is seeking work because of poverty, seeking work, or wishing to join their family.
In the shoes of…
In order to understand this better, we would need to place ourselves in such a position. We would need to imagine ourselves as refugees fleeing persecution. We would need to imagine the relief we would feel to be welcomed in by a country offering us safety.
Likewise, as a migrant we would hope to be accepted in a foreign country and respected as people wishing to work and make a new life for ourselves and our families.
Fears expressed…
People in this and other host countries are naturally frightened by the large numbers of people coming into their country. Likewise, there are people who prey on these fears and escalate them.
Gospel Values… welcome…
Today’s gospel underlines the need to welcome the stranger into our lives. It preaches acceptance of difference and the setting aside of prejudice. Gospel phrases such as Because he was not one of us we tried to stop him, and Anyone who is not against us is for us, speak to the current situation of refugees and migrants coming into our country.
The gospel today highlights the fundamental truth of Christianity as being open, kind, and generous towards those in need: if anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
The issue of Refugees and Migrants are serious matters for our country. For the Christian, there can be no doubt of our obligation to be open to them. We might learn from those who urge people to look beyond labels such as refugees and migrants.
They urge people to see the individual beyond the label. A worthwhile quote in this regard is.
“Each human being has more than one identity. Refugee, migrant and asylum seeker are only temporary terms; they do not reflect the whole identity of women, children and men who have left their homes behind to start a new life in a new country.”
Such words are of their own imbued with Christian values. The Christian cannot but be welcoming to the stranger seeking our help.
Rejoicing and Celebrating the Richness of Diversity
In our diocese of Killaloe we have been richly blessed by the presence of so many from countries like Poland and several other countries. In terms of our priestly fraternity, we are privileged to have 5 wonderful pastors from Kerala and in our medical system where would we be without them and many more from abroad. On this special Sunday of celebration we rejoice and embrace the diversity and richness that such multiculturalism brings to enhance our lives. Amen!