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Advent Together
Kate and Rosemary both took part in Pax Christi’s annual Advent Service at St Aloysius church near Euston in London this week. Kate shares what she enjoyed about the occasion.
Jesuit Refugee Service UK was invited to offer a testimony and focus for prayer for a gathering of people who work for justice all the way through the year. We were together to listen to stories, reflect on scripture and sing. The event was both intercession for people who all year round struggle in impossible circumstances and a festive celebration at the same time.
This service was particularly important to me. It was beautifully designed and presented with a lot of thought and love - whether through the choir, Westminster Deaf Service interpreters or the different creative stations for prayer. It is not often that I feel my worship truly reflects my work and commitment to working for peace. So I am grateful that on occasion we were able to honour refugees, those caught up in the troubles in the Holy Land, women who suffer from violence and those who seek to transform conflict throughout the world.
Each theme had a scripture verse, a personal story, a prayer from Pope Francis or a litany and a song. During the service we were all invited to make a pilgrimage around the church to each area, by way of accompanying people throughout the world who find themselves in situations of flight, discrimination, trafficking or isolation. We sang in English, Arabic and Hebrew and made a commitment to instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. It meant a lot to me to share those words with a mix of people who I know do that in their daily lives.
After the service, we all went downstairs to share a mince pie and glass of wine. JRS had a stall with crafts made by refugees in Kenya (www.jrsea.org/mikono) and sold more than £100 of products. Thank you to everyone who bought something from us.
Read more about Pax Christi’s work: www. paxchristi.org.uk
Read more about JRS’ work in Syria: http://en.jrs.net/campaigns_
The collection was taken for Pax Christi and JRS Syria. You can donate here: https://en.jrs.net/donate
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Crossing Bridges Together
Fr Michael Pastor volunteered with JRS in the UK for six months moving on to undertake his Jesuit tertianship in Chile.
We begin accompanying from the experience of being accompanied. JRS helped me to cross the foreign language obstacle when I came to the UK. Moreover, my crossing this barrier has given me a better understanding of this experience for refugees. I took the place, several times, in the feelings that two young Moroccan guests had to feel in my own Bilbao community back in Spain.
We begin accompanying from the experience of being accompanied. JRS helped me to cross the foreign language obstacle when I came to the UK. Moreover, my crossing this barrier has given me a better understanding of this experience for refugees. I took the place, several times, in the feelings that two young Moroccan guests had to feel in my own Bilbao community back in Spain.
Then, I realised the importance of walking with someone, being present either at lunch or in the day centre, even more when visiting someone. Our presence, before doing anything, says something very important: "Here I am. We appreciate you, you are worth something".
When a refugee feels that he or she is helped and appreciated (accompanied) in our warm, friendly space at the day centre, he or she begins crossing a bridge to go into a new place. This is what JRS UK is doing in either visiting the detention centres or setting up peer support groups such as Women4Women and Men4Men. As well, this is the service they need: to share whatever they are living in their hard situation. All of us need this space to share our lives with someone who listens to us.
But the thing that has taught and touched me more is the hope and strength of human beings when we feel that we ourselves have value. At the third Men4Men meeting, I learnt that life has the strongest power if you are able to listen to and share. And of course, instead of listening to for a while in those meetings, if you offer to a refugee your home, you will feel even more this hope and strength. "At home" we accompany, serve and become advocates of them. It is worth it!!
