Since 1914 the Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. It provides us Christians an occasion to express our concern and fellow feeling for the vulnerable people on the move; to show our solidarity with them with prayer and empathy.
This year’s celebration is being held on Sunday, 26th September. The 2021 theme chosen by Pope Francis is “Towards an ever wider ‘we’”
The Pope appeals to us to build a universal “we”. “We are all like so many grains of sand, and all of us are different and unique. But together we can form a beautiful beach, a true work of art. We are called to commit ourselves so that no walls separate us. “
Should we not admit the fact that all of us are refugees and migrants in this world? When we refuse to share the goodness we enjoy, when we grab power and riches for ourselves, we create walls between ‘you’ and ‘us’, ‘we’ and ‘they’. Our narrow nationalistic tendencies blind our hearts and minds and we close the door on others. Nations wage war against nations. People become victims. People get displaced. Poverty and unemployment result. Natural calamities add to the menace. Asylum seekers increase.
The pop urges us to see that no one is left behind. Our commitment needs be personal and collective. “One church, one home, one family”, “a church that reaches out” and “Learning to live together.”