At the Kino Border Initiative, prayers are offered in so many instances. Offered in gratitude or supplication, joy or sorrow, as expressions of solidarity with others in the comedor or loved ones far away, these invocations provide spiritual support and are a foundational part of the KBI’s message and mission.
Each KBI board meeting opens with a prayer led by Father Sean. This one, in English and Spanish, is a testament to the value of compassion in this important border work. We share it here so that our readers can also be part of an extended circle of prayer and support that sustains the migrants we serve and all of us.
Value of Compassion/Valor de Compasión:
We believe that/Creemos que…
- Our work with migrants, and the communities that receive them, requires patience, listening, empathy and caring./Nuestro trabajo con migrantes, y las comunidades que los acogen, exige paciencia, la capacidad para escuchar, empatía y cuidado.
- Direct experience with the suffering of migrants has the ability to change the hearts and minds of people./Experiencia directa con el sufrimiento de los/las migrantes puede cambiar los corazones y mentalidades de la gente.
- Education is critical to creating empathy for the migrant experience./La educación es crítica para suscitar empatía por la experiencia del migrante.
Pope Francis – Jubilee Year of Mercy/Papa Francisco – Año Jubilar de Misericordia:
“I present, therefore, this Extraordinary Jubilee Year dedicated to living out in our daily lives the mercy which the Father constantly extends to all of us. In this Jubilee Year, let us allow God to surprise us. He never tires of casting open the doors of his heart and of repeating that he loves us and wants to share his love with us. The Church feels the urgent need to proclaim God’s mercy. Her life is authentic and credible only when she becomes a convincing herald of mercy.”
<<Yo presento, por eso, este Año Extraordinario Jubilar de Misericordia dedicado a vivir en nuestras vidas cotidianas la misericordia que el Padre nos brinda constantemente a todos nosotros. En este Año Jubilar, dejemos que Dios nos sorprenda. Él nunca se cansa de abrir las puertas de su corazón y de repetir que nos ama y quiere compartir su amor con nosotros. La Iglesia siente la necesidad urgente de proclamar la misericordia de Dios. Su vida es auténtica y creíble sólo cuando ella se hace un heraldo convincente de la misericordia.>>
Reflection Questions/Preguntas de Reflexión:
How do I see God’s mercy at work in the Kino Border Initiative? How can I be an instrument of that mercy in the KBI and in my own life?
¿Cómo veo la presencia de la misericordia de Dios en la Iniciativa Kino para la Frontera? ¿Cómo puedo ser instrumento de esa misericordia en la Iniciativa Kino y en mi propia vida?
Photo by Larry Hanelin.
[…] Many of the staff and long-term volunteers are able to work at KBI for long periods of time only after having lived similar experiences. Also, all visitors leave the same way I left: encountering an intimate and personal God, with a heart on fire, and the desire to advocate compassion towards the migrants and the challenges they face. We may not have the flexibility to volunteer for months on end, like Keith and Judy, or for a few months in the summer, like I did. We also may not have the resources to alleviate major needs for KBI. But, one thing we all can do is pray. […]