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Nataliia and her two grandchildren Lia aged 8 (pictured above) and Timur live with 6 other families in a converted house in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. Each family has their own room and they share the kitchen, dining room and living-spaces. The families support each other where they can. When the war broke out, the family stayed in Zaporizhzhia close to Ukraine’s nuclear power plant. But in September 2022, Timur aged 10 went to buy milk and was almost hit by a shell. Half a year later, he still recalls every detail of the experience.
Epistle Reflection
All we long for is to know the Christ
and the power of his resurrection,
to share in the sufferings of Christ
and become like him in his death.
New Testament Reading - Bear One Another’s Burdens
7Don’t be misled; remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows! 8If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death; but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him. 9And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up. 10That’s why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers.
. . . . . Galatians 6:7-10Intercession
Compassionate One,
our society has failed you.
You were a refugee, seeking safety and freedom,
and we did not welcome you.
You were naked and exposed,
with inadequate shelter and insufficient pay,
and we did not fight with you for equal rights.
You were fearful of being detained
or deported without a just trial,
and we did not provide you sanctuary.
We seek forgiveness for the ways we have forsaken you,
and offer our thanks for the communities,
people, and organizations who have
extended welcome,
advocated for justice;
and provided sanctuary to people seeking refuge
despite opposition.
Teacher,
your instructions are clear:
We shall not oppress migrant people,
nor deprive them of justice,
nor practice extortion or commit robbery against them;
We shall love strangers as ourselves,
for we have all been strangers;
We shall share our harvest, our homes,
and our lives with others,
thus extending the same hospitality that you have selflessly shared.
We shall advocate for the human rights of all people.
Give us the steadfast persistence needed
to follow your commandments
in these challenging times,
remembering that the love and respect that we show to each other
is the love that we show to you,
our Compassionate Teacher.
Amen.
