Bending the Arc

December 10 is International Human Rights Day. The 2025 theme is “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials.” Learn more here.

December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron of the Americas. During this time of heightened anxiety amongst the immigrant community in the United States, when we see appalling displays of violation of human dignity, Pax Christi USA invites you to consider praying especially for immigrants using this prayer service. Feel free to adapt it in whatever way is useful for you and your community.

Use this link to download the PDF

In a December 10 reflection from Josephine Garnem, Chair of the National Council for Pax Christi USA, she writes: “As we move into this holy season of Advent, we remember another migrant family—young, vulnerable, seeking refuge from violence to protect the life of their unborn child. This sacred story echoes in the lives of families here in the United States who have crossed deserts, oceans, and borders with nothing but hope in their hands and the desire for a future for their children. They, too, are seeking peace, hospitality, and the chance simply to rest.

So we must ask ourselves, as peacemakers: What is ours to do, right now? How do we embody the pope’s call for a less violent Middle East and a world that is hanging onto peace by fraying threads? How do we stay awake, alert, and open-hearted to the migrants at our own doorstep? How do we cultivate the courage of that innkeeper who, despite all limitations, said: ‘Come. I can help. In my home, all are welcome.’”

Here are additional resources from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns:
Advent Reflection Guide: Walking with God
Faith-filled Resistance to Immigration Enforcement