During his prepared remarks, Francis spoke to the religious order about their
mission, which he said, "today as yesterday" takes place in difficult contexts "sometimes characterized by attitudes of suspicion and prejudice, or even rejection towards the foreign person."
These contexts should motivate people to have courage and perseverance in bringing the love of Christ to those who are far from their families and homeland, and "are in danger of feeling far from God," he said.
As illustrated in the New Testament episode of Jesus' walk with his disciples along the road to Emmaus, evangelization takes place by walking with people, he said, listening to people, to their histories, their disappointed hopes, their expectations, their trials of faith.
"First of all listen, and do it in an attitude of compassion, of sincere closeness," he said.
There is a risk, he continued, that the stories of immigrants, both the beautiful and ugly, will be erased. He added that this is a serious loss which can be combated by listening and by walking with people and with communities.
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He explained that this listening must be followed by sharing the Eucharist and the Word of God: "Tell them about [Christ's] mystery of love: incarnation, passion, death and resurrection."
"The Risen Christ sends you today, in the Church, to walk together with many brothers and sisters who travel their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus as migrants. An ancient and always new mission; tiring, and sometimes painful, but also able to make you cry with joy."
Do this with the charism of your founder, Bl. Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, he urged: pay attention to the "dignity of the human person, especially where it is most wounded and threatened."