The opportunities to serve our Sisters and Brothers who are seeking Asylum and who are Homeless are right in front of us and is part of experiencing what the Kingdom of God is really like. I thank God for these experiences to serve as it is in these acts of servitude that my spiritual growth is taking place in a richer and deeper way that I could never have imagined. It is the Word of God coming alive and validating all that has been written in scripture about the joy of living a spirit filled and Christ centered life. These experiences of serving whether in be in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Birmingham, Washington DC, Germantown, PA all have a common thread and that is Christ is deeply alive in each and every individual we encounter and also in His Holy Creation. Our individual and communal commitments to seeing Christ in every person we encounter calls us to solidarity and action with those who are struggling physically, mentally or spiritually.
Once again, the experience of encountering Christ is taking place here in Washington DC this weekend. I am blessed to be back in DC to participate in the ministry of showing hospitality to Asylum Seekers with wonderful volunteers from St Thomas Episcopal Church DuPont Circle and also from the Migrant Mutual Aid Solidarity Network. On Tuesday God willing I will have the opportunity to serve breakfast to our siblings who are homeless at St Margaret’s Episcopal Church “Charlie’s Place” https://www.charliesplacedc.org/ I am also encountering numerous individuals who are homeless while traveling in DC on the Metro.
I thank God again for all these experiences and thank all of the people from my Parish Family at St Anna’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans Saint Anna's Episcopal Church, New Orleans LA - Saint Anna's Episcopal Church New Orleans (stannanola.org) and my Franciscan Sisters and Brothers in the Community of Francis and Clare cfcfranciscans.org for their prayers.
Br. Donald
