Isaiah 58:10
Meditation/Prayer by Ana Reza
Let’s center ourselves. Be present to the moment. Let go of the day so far… of the worries and allow a space to be with God. Relax your body.
During Lent we have been examining what are the temptations in our lives that we seek to spend time in the desert to free ourselves. In this space of reflection, we take some control to remove those temptations that prevent us from being our true self. This is about changing to becoming the love that God gives us to those around us from the person next to you, to the one on the other side of the world.
For a year the programs for asylum seekers were suspended through the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). The result was a violence to our sisters and brothers seeking asylum. Let us pray for healing, especially access to good mental and medical health services. But we know that even for citizen in this country it is hard to access these services.
The more we give, the more we organize to bring justice for all, in turn it will bring us great peace and happiness. Love then leads the way. So let the temptation of being overwhelmed, being helpless, giving up our control and freedom disappear into the landscape of the desert. God keeps us in the path of healing and gives us the strength to live our true self by being God’s love, present brightly in our world! Amen.
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Ana Reza is the Bridge Chaplain at the Diocese of the Rio Grande, living in El Paso, Texas and working in Juarez, Mexico. She works within one of the asylum shelters in Juarez, where she provides pastoral care and trains volunteers to go to the shelters and do a variety of activities from teaching to prayer. During COVID she is involved with EMM in building solidarity with other members of the community working along the border and with asylum seekers throughout the USA.
Episcopal Migration Ministries issues response to Biden’s executive orders
On February 3, 2021, EMM issued a response to Biden’s executive orders, including the order that ended the MPP program:
“At this critical point in time, when there are over 79.5 million people forcibly displaced from their homes, it is imperative that the U.S. reclaim its leadership role on migration issues and continue its long history of being a nation of welcome,” said Demetrio Alvero, Director of Operations for Episcopal Migration Ministries. “Welcoming New Americans is a community effort that brings us together, reminds us of our essential values, and creates a sense of shared hope.”
