I met Juan, sitting on the floor of the parish I usually go to. He was charging his phone. I asked him if he has company, he said, he is alone. He is from Venezuela. Are you alright? I asked him. I just have the courage to ask him amidst my poor Spanish. Besides the Gospel of that day was about feeding the multitude and the first reading talked about "manna from heaven". God will not forsake His people but the people must seek and ask for God's blessings instead of complain. After calling several Spanish-speaking Sisters whom I know, they were able to talk to him so I can understand his situation, I finally got his story at least good enough for me to know what can help him other than leave him on the floor, looking helpless.
He left the Catholic Charities for a job. The painting job only lasted
for two weeks. He has a friend in Florida but could not help him to
stay in his house because of his friend's family. He missed his court
date in Florida. He is in San Antonio, but he has been in several places
according to the church staff who was also trying to look for help for
him. He wants to be deported. The church staff was also busy with
the demands of the church obligations and the parishioners that they needed to
look after. The city of San Antonio has not called them yet
regarding the situation of Juan. He showed me $10 in his pocket. I
added what I barely have. We have a gracious God, in Jesus Christ, who
provided the multitude if I can give what I have. Juan told me that
the Catholic Charities Shelter cannot accept him anymore because he has left
their custody. I called Haven for Hope but unfortunately, they do not
accept refugees there. There is one hope that I can advise
him. On very few occasions in the past, I volunteered in the Greyhound bus
station where the Raices and Interfaith Coalition tirelessly welcome and give
sandwiches, backpacks, and advise the migrants and refugees about the next bus
to get into. With the help of his cellphone, he can look up on how
to go to Greyhound Bus Station. There are volunteers there who can
further assist him. He agreed to go to the station I
suggested.
The system is overwhelmed by the refugees and immigrants who are coming to
United States. Especially in Texas borders where the refugees without
families are left to the situation of taking chances of what the system can
provide. Juan's friend is not able to help and still migrants like Juan took
chances of travelling from one country to another to seek refuge.
Perhaps, they are hopeless and see United States as their only hope. The
refugees are coming here because they feel lost, climate change, dying in their
countries without necessary assistance, civil unrest, government instability,
war, drugs, and violence.
I can see in the news that in European countries, families are taking in
refugees and immigrants. The system in United States is mostly working
through non-profit organizations, government, and non-government
organizations. The refugees are given a court date that they must comply
depending on what the refugees told the immigration officer, they will have to
appear in a specific place where their case will be heard. There might be
cases when refugees do not have money to buy a ticket to go to the place of the
court hearing. I occasionally volunteer in Catholic Charities, where they
cater 40, 50, 100, even more than 700 refugees, asylum seekers in a day.
Every day, the Catholic Charities shelters are flooded with people waiting for
their next destination. They cannot stay in temporary shelters and thus,
the work of the staff is to get them to their families, friends, or temporary
shelters. There were occasions when there were no shelters to place the
refugees.
The long-term solution to the root causes of this migration crisis requires a foreign economic policy, political will, conversion of leaders to work for the common good, our continuous conversion to change our lifestyle to put an end to increasing risks brought by the climate crisis, and an open heart, mind, and hand to assist what we can with prudence about the human trafficking that could be at large and abusing the vulnerable people including the migrants. In case of Human Trafficking, please report to National Hotline 1-888-373-7888. It is a crime to enslaved people for work, sex, and money. I would not let that young man to be trafficked. I would rather give him the right resource. This is the manna from God to have compassion. Compassion is similar to fish and loaves.
Mother Teresa said, "if you cannot feed a hundred,
then feed just one." Sometimes, we are burdened by a lot of issues
and challenges that we face. We can tackle them by attending to what we
can do at a given moment. God can give us one person in front of us. In
this case, I saw Juan. I have the option of ignoring him, leaving him
looking helpless. However, I chose to direct him to the right
resource. There are resources available in places where we are. We
must be aware of where the resources are. Give the people the
options. Jesus Christ worked with the resources that are available and
offered it up to God. It is human's work to cooperate with God's graces,
to humble ourselves that we need help, to receive the graces, and to be
transformed.
We could easily be trapped in the idea
of complaining that there are a lot of responsibilities, a lot of pending work,
and a pile of things to do. God does not want us to make miracles out of
nothing because it is God's work to multiply and to change hearts so others
will give too. Each of us has been given Juan in our lives. God is asking
us what we have and offer it up. We have the option to focus on the good
things we can do and offer it up. The harvest is plentiful, and the
laborers are few. We have the option to open our eyes, heart, and use our
hands and feet to put our time and resources in the service of others.
United States is a country full of talents, resources, opportunities, and dreams.
Wherever you are, there are five loaves and two fish.
What blessings do you have to offer today?
You could be that one person that Jesus has been waiting
for to give the fish and loaves.
