A year of hope
Gathering on Zoom on 20th December, the Advent reflection session “Welcoming Jesus in Each Other” gave the various teams of JRS Asia Pacific an opportunity for reflection and fellowship. Personal sharing by Sr Evelyn de Alba FI, Fr Martinus Dam Febrianto SJ and Fr Joseph Gerald Hampson SJ left us to contemplate how we can embody the Spirit of Christ, and be a source of light and hope in the lives of those around us — whether through acts of service, words of encouragement, or simply being present to others.
Sr Evelyn, who has been based at the Northern Thailand-Myanmar border for the past 20 years, shared the harsh reality faced by refugees who have been fleeing Myanmar for the past three decades. Sr Evelyn also shared that conditions have worsened significantly since the 2021 coup. Despite the hardships faced by those living in the camps, Sr Evelyn was deeply moved by their camaraderie, sharing what little they had with newly arrived refugees.
“It was the loving presence of Jesus acting in and through the refugees who responded to those who were in most need of help at that very moment. I felt the Lord affirm that He is Emmanuel – the God who remains with His suffering people.”
~ Sr Evelyn
For Fr Dam, Country Director of JRS Indonesia, December 2024 proved to be a very busy month of outreach to vulnerable families. His team, together with a consortium initiated by several NGOs and individuals, visited refugee families, providing essential aid and basic needs such as food, shelter, and medical care. This humanitarian outreach is even more crucial now, following the funding suspension of UNHCR Indonesia in July 2024. Fr Dam shared the story of Fatima*, a 33-year-old Afghan woman. She was able to consult a doctor about her debilitating back pain with the financial assistance she received. She is just one of the many refugees to whom the assistance has made a big difference.
A Rohingya refugee youth shared via the chat box the difficulties faced by his community in Pekanbaru. While JRS Indonesia currently does not have a programme on the island, Fr Dam assured him that the advocacy efforts put forward by JRS Indonesia team does include refugees who are in Pekanbaru.
To conclude our evening, Fr Joe read from the Gospel reading of the day, with the focus on the Annunciation. We feel the anxiety of Mary when she hears that she is highly favoured by the Lord and will soon become pregnant.
She asks, “how can this be?”
Many of us may have asked the same question, though perhaps not for the same reason as Mary. Do we sometimes wonder how God allows so much suffering to persist in this increasingly volatile and turbulent world? It seems almost dissonant that an ever-loving and all-powerful God could allow dehumanizing poverty, dreadful ecological disasters, and high levels of forced displacement to endure. Amidst this human suffering, Fr Joe encouraged each of us to reflect on Pope Francis’s declaration of 2025 as the Year of Hope. “We must cry stop to the disaster and human suffering — not in the name of fruitless despair, but rather born from a hope in Emmanuel, that God is with us and that He will eventually reign over a world of justice and peace.”
Inspired by the evening’s sharing, Christopher B. Estallo our RACPA (Research and Advocacy for Climate Policy and Action) project manager was moved to express his thoughts. “Instead of thinking ‘How can this be’, let us ask ‘How can this be transformed for good’. This perspective inspires us to rise above despair, uncover opportunities for positive transformation and journey forward with faith and perseverance”.
What a beautiful message for us to contemplate on as we closed the year. Let us all look forward to a new year of hope that is grounded in God and with a commitment to love and service.
* Name has been changed for privacy purposes.