Immigrants and refugees have always been a part of the experience of humanity. Perhaps it ties in to that internal tension we feel between staying put and wandering. Many of us like to wander. However, even more of us are forced to wander the earth, looking for a place to call home. Thus, it is fitting that the June prayer intention entrusted to the worldwide Apostleship of Prayer by Pope Francis is for a subject very dear to his heart: “that immigrants and refugees may find welcome and respect in the countries to which they come.”

From his first papal trip outside Rome to the present day, this Pope is a strong and passionate voice for immigrants and refugees. His first official pastoral visit was to Lampedusa, in the south of Italy. There he commemorated the many migrants who have died at sea, trying to find a place of welcome. There have been many reminders since then that migrants and refugees are very close to his heart.

There are many causes of migration. Think back to the Exodus and the experience of the Israelites and their enslavement in Egypt. They had no choice but to flee, searching for a homeland. Contemporary refugees are fleeing war, whether civil war or attacks from an enemy state. They are getting away from environmental disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis and so on) or human-made disasters (such as the experience of Chernobyl).

Or, they need to escape hardship caused by political oppression, economic hardship, gender attacks, and so on. These are some of the reasons for the desperate plight of people who board overflowing boats to escape their scary reality, looking for a better life. The stories are an all-too-common occurrence.

Here in Canada, it is easy for us to turn our eyes from the plight of these desperate people. It's helpful for us to reflect on how our attitudes toward refugees and migrants have changed over the past few decades. Canada used to be a hospitable and welcoming country. Are you old enough to remember the “boat people”? They were from Vietnam and were looking for safety from their country in the late 1970s, after the Vietnam War. Think of our response to them!

My memory may be foggy, but I recall parishes and governments doing all they could to reach out with aid and welcome. It's well known that today it's easier to get into the country if you have wealth than if you are fleeing from an oppressive regime.

We sometimes think that the issue is new. Alas! It is as old as humanity is. We are all refugees! I remember a cartoon I saw on Facebook. The context was the immigration discussion in the United States. There were strong voices in favour of immigration reform and even stronger, almost racist, voices that were xenophobic. I saw a cartoon on Facebook that captured the bigger reality in this discussion. The cartoon showed a First Nations leader who was saying something like, "Oh! You're against immigration. So, when are you leaving?"

In other words, unless I am an indigenous person, I am an immigrant. Perhaps my family traces its Canadian roots to New France. Perhaps my ancestors were escaping the Irish Famine. Perhaps my family was escaping a Communist regime in Eastern Europe. Perhaps my parents were part of the influx of boat people. It really doesn't matter. We are all immigrants.

It's helpful to look to scripture to see how universal is the experience of being a refugee. Look to the Israelites wandering in the desert, in search of the Promised Land. Look to the experience of the Holy Family. We read in the Gospel that Joseph dreamt and experienced an angel, telling him to “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt …” The Holy Family was a refugee family. As an infant, Jesus was an undocumented alien!

Let me offer two very practical suggestions for further prayer and/or action. One is universal. Check out the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service at www.jrs.net. Or, more locally, check out a project associated with the upcoming Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto, dealing with human trafficking here in Ontario: www.faithalliance.ca.