Day 4: Bridging Differences

Several times a month, I spend my Saturday mornings delivering groceries to members of my parish. The people I serve are immigrants, mostly from Central America, and they share a horrific commonality: each family has lost a breadwinner to detention or deportation since January 2025. Many of my fellow parishioners are too scared to leave their homes to work, go to school, go shopping, or attend Mass. Their lives have been disrupted and changed forever.

In response, a group of US citizens and residents at my parish got to work supporting our fellow parishioners in their time of need. We’ve raised money to go toward rental assistance, legal funds, and other necessities. We’ve partnered with another parish and several organizations for additional donations and monetary support. It’s an ongoing ministry that changes daily given the needs of the community, but one thing remains constant: the need for accompaniment.

Ten years ago, when I arrived at my mission site in Guatemala, I stepped into an entirely new language and culture. I brought very little with me, but, importantly, I brought a spirit of openness. My time in formation with Franciscan Mission Service prepared me as much as possible, but I quickly learned that I needed to use my openness to approach every situation I encountered. This spirit of openness allowed me to shed any preconceived notions I had about Guatemala and allowed me to fully enter into companionship with my new community. 

Occasionally, I faced situations where I felt uncomfortable or out of place. In those moments, I reminded myself that I was a guest in Guatemala and I needed to allow God to use me by strengthening my openness to new experiences. This allowed me to more fully accompany the people I served.

Now, I try to bring that same openness and spirit of accompaniment when I spend time visiting the members of my parish who are in need. I think of how, in the Gospel of Luke, we learn about Elizabeth’s response to her cousin Mary’s visit, “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” How does it happen to me, that I am in a situation of privilege where I can help ease the burden of someone suffering? How does it happen to me, that I see glimpses of Christ in my fellow parishioners during the short conversations I have while dropping off their groceries? 

When we encounter people as they are, we allow ourselves to see one another as God sees us. Pope Francis reminded us, “Now is the time to set out in haste towards concrete encounters, towards genuine acceptance of those different from ourselves. This was the case with the young Mary and the elderly Elizabeth. Only thus will we bridge distances – between generations, social classes, ethnic and other groups – and even put an end to wars.” My life has only ever been enriched through encounters with the “other.” My hope is that once we see each other as children of God, it will become impossible to alienate one another and we can journey together.

Question for Reflection: How can you adopt a spirit of openness to better accompany those in your community?