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Refugee Children and Education

Ordinary Time (Second Section)Humanitarian Aid, Global Solidarity and DisplacementWeek 35 · Day 4

Scripture References

Read First

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4 Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one.

5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

6 These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart;

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7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

8 You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.

9 You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.

New Testament

Matthew 19:13-15

13 Then little children were brought to him that he should lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.

14 But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”

15 He laid his hands on them, and departed from there.

Thought for the Day

Deuteronomy places words on the lips and on the walls: “Hear, O Israel.” Love the Lord with the whole self. And then: teach these words diligently to your children. Talk of them at home and on the road, lying down and rising. Faith is handed on through attention.

In Matthew, children are brought to Jesus, and the disciples try to manage the crowd by sending them away. Jesus will not have it. “Let the little children come to me.” He lays hands on them and blesses them. The Kingdom does not treat children as interruptions.

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Refugee children carry a particular weight: loss of home, fractured schooling, languages changed, trauma stored in the body. Education is not merely a ladder to success; it can be a form of shelter. It gives stability, friendship, dignity, and a future that is not wholly governed by what happened.

Lord Jesus, bless displaced children. Give them safe classrooms, wise teachers, patient carers, and friends who welcome them. Give governments and communities wisdom to provide education that is humane and durable. And teach the Church to make room for children, not as a programme, but as beloved ones who belong in the middle of our life.

Prayer Points

Respond
  • Protect refugee children from harm, exploitation, and neglect; give safety and stable care.
  • Bless teachers and schools welcoming displaced children; give patience, skill, and support.
  • Provide access to education that is fair and enduring, not dependent on luck or publicity.
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  • Heal trauma in children and families; provide counselling, community, and gentle support.
  • Make the Church a place where children are welcomed and blessed, not managed away.
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