For those on the move

For people who left because staying was worse.

The Holy Family fled to Egypt with a price on the child’s head. The Church has never been able to think about refugees at a comfortable distance, because her own founder was one before He could walk.

The Prayer

Lord Jesus, who as a child was carried into Egypt
by parents fleeing a king who wanted You dead:

be with those on the move tonight —
on boats, in lorries, at borders, in camps that were meant to be temporary
and have lasted a decade.

Protect the children travelling alone.
Give strength to the mothers, and to the people who go out to help.

Soften the hearts of those who decide these things,
and of the rest of us, who mostly look away.

Give them safety, work, welcome and a future.
And where they arrive, make Your Church the first door that opens. Amen.

Our Lady, Solace of Migrants

In 2020 Pope Francis added Solace of Migrants to the Litany of Loreto — a new title for Our Lady, added for a very old reason.

About This Prayer

Christ identified Himself with the stranger in Matthew 25 as directly as He identified Himself with the bread at the Last Supper — I was a stranger and you welcomed me. The Church’s teaching balances the right to migrate with the duty of nations to order it justly, but it has never been ambiguous about the person in front of you.