The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent points to the scripture verse in Mark 1 where John the Baptist is “crying out in the wilderness” with the urgent message to repent and reform of our lives and prepare for the Messiah whose time is at hand. We are called to make John’s message our own message, to change the direction of our hearts and bring good news and comfort to those who are oppressed.Our history as human beings, and even before, has been a history of life on the move. As your sons and daughters, we continue to search for a place to sleep, food to eat, and families and communities to support us.
We are a people on a journey.
We are grateful for the earth that sustains us, but we do not always take time to thank you. Also, we too often lack compassion for our brothers and sisters who have been uprooted by violence, natural disasters and poverty. Help us to remember that we are always on a journey with them and with You, to a new way of life in abundance.
Amen. -*Father Paul Masson, M.M.
Response: The number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people around the world is at a record high. Learn what is causing people to flee their homes, from where refugees are coming, the top hosting countries, and much more at the UN High Commission for Refugees website. Learn about the hundreds of thousands U.S. immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti who may lose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and be come vulnerable to deportation in 2018.
The Advent Guide offers reflections, questions, prayers, and actions base d on each week’s Gospel reading and the experience of Maryknoll missioners who have lived and worked with communities affected by forced migration in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
* Father Masson served in Ciudad Juárez and Cochabamba, Bolivia, wrote this prayer for JustFaith Ministries’ “Exploring Migration” module in 2017
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