World Refugee Day

Deuteronomy 10: 12 – 19 
 
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow,  
and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.  

Welcoming the stranger, the poor, and the marginalised is central to the lived expression of an authentic Christian faith. Both Scripture and tradition are clear in their teaching that refugees are to be treated with dignity and offered hospitality in new places if they are not able to stay in their home countries. We remember that Jesus was a stranger in Egypt with Joseph and Mary. Today, Pope Francis also urges us to compassionately support those fleeing violence and injustice through no fault of their own. In the Message for the World Day of Migrants in 2016, he encouraged Catholics around the world to recognise Christ in those who seek safety and welcome: 
 
                    Biblical revelation urges us to welcome the stranger; it tells us that in so doing,  
                    we open our doors to God, and that in the faces of others we see the face of    
                    Christ himself.       

In welcoming, sustaining, and protecting refugees, we follow Catholic teaching and respond to the call of Christ for unity in respecting the dignity of every person. Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons from the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, 2013: 
 
Any person at a frontier, who has a well-founded fear of persecution, has the right to protection and should not be returned to his/ her country, irrespective of whether or not they have been formally recognized as refugees. Refugees should be treated on the same level as citizens of the hosting country, or at least on the same level as other resident foreigners. They should be entitled to the rights which are ensured to them. 

Going Deeper:  

Australian Catholic Bishops Social Justice Statement 2015 – 2016 
For Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas: Justice for refugees and asylum seekers. 
https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2019/11/18/social-justice-statement-2015-16/ 

Refugee Council of Australia Events, 2021: https://www.refugeeweek.org.au  

Prayer:

Pope Francis’Prayer on the 106^th World Day for Migrants and Refugees, 2020. 

Father, you entrusted to Saint Joseph what you held most precious:  
the child Jesus and his Mother, in order to protect them  
from the dangers and threats of the wicked. 

Grant that we may experience his protection and help.  
May he, who shared in the sufferings of those who flee  
from the hatred of the powerful, console and protect all our brothers and sisters driven by war, poverty, and necessity to leave their homes and their lands  
to set out as refugees for safer places. 

Help them, through the intercession of Saint Joseph, to find the strength to persevere, give them comfort in sorrows and courage amid their trials. 

Grant to those who welcome them some of the tender love of this just and wise father, who loved Jesus as a true son and sustained Mary at every step of the way. 

May he, who earned his bread by the work of his hands, watch over those who have seen everything in life taken away and obtain for them the dignity of a job and the serenity of a home. 

We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, whom Saint Joseph saved by fleeing to Egypt, and trusting in the intercession of the Virgin Mary, whom he loved as a faithful husband in accordance with your will.  

Amen. 

Artwork:

Freedom (2013) by ‘Mohammad’  
Villawood Detention Centre, NSW (Coffee on Paper) 

This image is one of a number of works made with instant coffee powder that has been diluted in water and then put to the page. The technique was initiated by an Iraqi detainee who had some knowledge of art and who liked to paint in his free time. Upon entering detention, he had no access to paints, so he reached for whatever was at hand, in this case finding an alternative use for instant coffee. Coffee painting has gained a life of its own inside the Villawood Detention Centre and is now something of a tradition. The recourse to food as an artistic medium speaks to the ingenuity of detainees who have limited access to adequate materials and tools.   

Music:

Shine Your Light (Song By Refugees) Feat. Ricky Kej, Aditya Narayan, Neeti Mohan and Salim Merchant