Session 4: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 2

Everywhere we turn, people are discouraged.  Jesus invites us to bring them hope.  He said we encounter Him in the least among us.  He delights in the things we do to share God’s hope with those around us whose lives are not easy.  In this session, we look at more of the groups Pope Francis identifies as having a special need for hope: the sick, the young, migrants and refugees, and the elderly.  People in each of these groups face significant challenges that could sap their hope.  Pope Francis suggests ways that all of us can help give them hope.

Our study guide questions will help us explore specific ways we might be able to bring God’s hope to the sick, healthcare workers, people with disabilities, children, migrants, refugees, and the elderly.  When we reach out to those who are overlooked, forgotten, or on the margins of society (what Pope Francis calls the “periphery”), we are recognizing God’s presence in them and welcoming them in as part of “us.”  When we cross the barriers between us, we help make it clear that in God’s world there is no “us” versus “them”; there is only God and “us” – all of us.

Read paragraphs 11-14 in preparation for this session.

Paragraph 11 (the sick)

Why does Pope Francis care so much about the sick?

Read Matthew 25:36

What does Jesus say about people who are sick?

How is visiting someone who is sick a way to foster hope?

In paragraph 11, besides talking about the sick, Pope Francis also talks about healthcare workers.  Why does he say we should show them gratitude?

The recent pandemic showed just how “precarious” the conditions of healthcare workers can be.  What concrete actions can we take as a society to increase their safety and hope?

Suggested Activity: 

• Think about a caring nurse, a cheerful medical receptionist, an upbeat optician or dental hygienist, a gentle phlebotomist, or some other healthcare worker who has brightened your day by the way they have cared for you.  Say a prayer of thanks for them and ask God to renew their hope in their profession.  Then send them a thank-you letter or card or email.  You can also let their boss know how much you appreciate them.  Feel free to do the same for a doctor, but don’t leave out the assistants who make a huge difference but are so often unseen.

How can we emulate, in our own small ways, those who give their lives in service to others?

Who is someone you know who is sick and would be encouraged by a card, an email, a call, or a visit from you?  Listen for who God brings to your heart and take a step to show them God’s love and your caring heart.

Suggested Activity: 

• Ask someone who is sick if you could bring them a meal, a loaf of bread, or just stop by for a visit.  Check with them about their dietary needs and personal likes and dislikes before cooking something, and adjust accordingly.  If they invite you to stay and eat with them, accept their offer – they may appreciate the company more than the food.

In the second part of paragraph 11, Pope Francis expresses concern for people affected by illnesses and disabilities.

Read Leviticus 19:14

Leviticus 19:14 shows the bare minimum of what we should do on behalf of people with disabilities: we should avoid making things more difficult for them.  Why would that even need to be said?  Why it is that, even in our society today, people with disabilities sometimes face unnecessary discrimination and abuse?

Pope Francis calls for our whole society to join in a “song of hope” (par. 11) for people with disabilities through our care for them and respect for their human dignity.  What are the concrete actions that might create a “song of hope” for people with disabilities?

What are some specific things that you or your parish or your society’s institutions could do to help people with disabilities feel less restricted and, with a song in their heart, be more free to be independent participants in society?

Suggested Activities: 

• Check in on people you know who are dealing with a chronic illness.  Many people are dealing with ongoing issues that may take a long time to resolve, if ever, while the attention of those around them may have moved elsewhere; so try to keep in touch over time.

• Get to know a member of your parish who has a disability.  Ask them if they would be willing to move through your church and parish facilities with you and show you the obstacles they encounter.  Then work with them to explore with your parish leadership what might be done to help people with disabilities feel more welcome in your church.

• Invite people with disabilities to events and help make it possible for them to attend if they are interested, rather than assuming they will not be able to do so.

Read Proverbs 31:8-9

Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to be a voice for those who have no voice.  How might you respond to this call?  How can you be an advocate for people suffering from illness or disabilities whose voices are not heard in social circles or the halls of power?

Paragraph 12 (the young)

Why is Pope Francis concerned about our world’s children?  What are some of the signs that they are lacking in hope?

Read Mark 10:13-16

How does Jesus feel about children?

How can we help our world’s children feel the love that Jesus has for them?

Read Colossians 3:21

Although Colossians 3:21 is directed at fathers, it offers wisdom for society as a whole.  We do not want our teenagers to become discouraged or lose heart.  What are some of the challenges young people face that may cause them to become discouraged or lose heart?

In your parish, neighborhood, or city, what are some of the things that might be done to give young people a renewed hope?

Pope Francis says he is encouraged by the ways young people volunteer to help people in need.  Are there ways you could invite young people around you to participate in activities you are involved in?  Are there other ways you could support their hopes and dreams?

Suggested Activity: 

• Ask teens you see at church if they would be willing to share their perspective with you on how the Church could be more welcoming and supportive of teens.  Or ask your parish youth group leader if you could bring a few adults to one of their meetings to meet with the youth group members and listen to their ideas.  Be prepared to try to move forward on some of the ideas you hear, or you will become one more reason why teens are sometimes discouraged about the Church.

Paragraph 13 (migrants and refugees)

In paragraph 13, Pope Francis lists some reasons why people become migrants or refugees.  Why do migrants leave their homelands?  Why are refugees forced to emigrate?

Read Matthew 25:35 and 25:40

The Greek word for “stranger” is xenos, which can mean a foreigner or other unfamiliar person.  What does this passage suggest to us about our treatment of migrants and refugees?

How does our society currently treat migrants and refugees?

How can you help make migrants and refugees more welcome in your society?

Read Leviticus 19:33-34

How does God say “strangers” or “aliens” should be treated?

How would things be different in our society if refugees and other immigrants were treated the same as native-born people, as Leviticus directs?

In the second part of paragraph 13, what is Pope Francis’s hope for how the Christian community will treat these vulnerable people?

How would this approach to immigrants increase the level of hope in our society?

Suggested Activities: 

• Look for opportunities to be welcoming to immigrants or other people who seem to be on the periphery of your parish.  Introduce yourself to them after church.  Chat with them at the coffee hour.

• Research what people in your community are doing to welcome immigrants and look for ways you can be supportive.

• Encourage others in your parish to help or to get involved when you see needs that can be met.

Paragraph 14 (the elderly)

In paragraph 14, why do you think Pope Francis says that elderly people often feel lonely and abandoned?

Why do you think the elderly are so often neglected in modern society rather than held close to us as a treasured part of the fabric of our communities?

Read Leviticus 19:32

What does Leviticus 19:32 tell us about how the older people in the community should be treated?

What might we do in our parishes and towns to keep the elderly connected to the life of our communities?

What can we do to help the elderly live in hope all through their lives?

Suggested Activities: 

• Invite older people to events you are part of.  Go beyond just people who are your age or have the same marital status as you.

• Say hello to the older people in your parish and draw them into conversations.

• Visit people you know who are home-bound.  Send them a card or note letting them know you care about them.  Let your parish know about them. 

• Ask your parish priests whether there might be “shut-ins” in your parish who would appreciate a visit from you.