CLERGY RESOURCE

Happy New Year from CRS! As Lent approaches, we ask you to reflect on the question: Who is my neighbor? At the launch of the Share the Journey campaign in September, Pope Francis reminded us of our Gospel call to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ and to Love our Neighbor. So many of our neighbors are on the move: migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, travelers. During Lent we ask you to consider what it means to encounter the stranger, to accompany one in need and become a companion on the journey.

Here are some resources to assist you as you prepare for the Lenten season:

Ministry Resources

CRS Rice Bowl's Lenten Faith Formation materials are now available!
Check the Share the Journey website for resources and updates on ways to involve your community in the global migration campaign.
Find additional Lenten prayer resources here.
Don't forget to order your Rice Bowl materials today!

CRS on the Ground

One of this year's featured Rice Bowl Stories of Hope is about Majd. When he was eight years old his family left their home for what he thought was a trip to take a picnic. His mother, Lamya, said they would be back home in a week. But when ISIS attacked their home in northern Iraq, the family fled for good.

"What worried me the most were the kids," Lamya says. "Our life was stable and we were doing well; we had a very big house. Our children had everything they needed. But when we fled, I was not able to bring anything for them—not even food."

Fortunately, the family found an apartment to rent with other displaced families. It is much smaller than the home they had, but it's safer. The children enrolled in a CRS-sponsored school, where the routine provides hope, stability and a sense of belonging. Learn more about Majd and Lamya's story and the work CRS is doing in Iraq.

TAKE ACTION

This week is National Migration Week. It's an opportunity for our Church to reflect on the stories and circumstances migrants, including refugees, immigrants and survivors of human trafficking, are experiencing. It's also an opportunity to raise our voices in solidarity with our brothers and sisters on the move. You can heed our Holy Father's call to ‘love with our actions' this new year. Take action now, and share the journey with families in search of safer and better futures.