Spiritual Reflection

Refugee Week

Refugee Week calls us to reflect and respond with faith and compassion to the cry of the displaced. This year's theme, Finding Freedom – Diversity in Community, resonates deeply with the Gospel call to liberate the oppressed and uphold the dignity of every person.

Across the world, over 100 million people have been forcibly displaced due to war, persecution, poverty, and climate change. We see families fleeing with nothing but hope in their hearts, seeking not luxury, but the simple right to live in peace and safety.

Jesus began His life as a refugee, fleeing with Mary and Joseph into Egypt to escape violence (Matthew 2:13-15). In both His teaching and His lived experience, Jesus calls us to respond with compassion and justice.

Refugee Week reminds us that welcoming the stranger is not only a social responsibility but a deeply spiritual act of discipleship and love. The message of the Gospel of Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”, Christ identifies Himself with the most vulnerable — the hungry, the imprisoned, the sick, and the displaced.

During his papacy, Pope Francis reminded us, “Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women, and men who leave or are forced to leave their homes…” (Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2014). Their search for freedom is a sacred journey — one we are called to walk beside.

In our schools, we plant seeds of empathy. In our schools, we create safe environments where stories are shared and human dignity is honoured. When we teach compassion, we offer hope. When we listen, we build bridges. And when we pray, we entrust this sacred mission to God.

Let us find freedom not only for the refugee, but in ourselves — freedom from indifference, fear, and complacency. May we be pilgrims of hope and agents of God’s liberating love in a suffering world.

For reflection:

When do I see Christ in the face of the stranger?

How can I respond to the needs of refugees and displaced people in our communities?