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Walking the Walk
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Henry Beck, OFM, serves as Campus Minister for the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP). Henry has
been involved in justice and peace work for many years, and continues this tradition in his ministry
at UTEP. He recently accompanied four UTEP students on a service trip to Tucson, Ariz., where they
helped migrants by cleaning and painting a center for the homeless in Tucson and visiting a church,
migrant center and church-sponsored loan office in nearby Nogales, Mexico. They joined other interfaith
volunteers in the “basura day,” going out into the rugged desert terrain to clean up the
trails that migrants take as they cross the U.S.-Mexican border, finding, among other things, baby
food packages and women’s and infants’ clothing. When they met migrants in the desert,
they responded with Christian hospitality, offering them food, water, conversation and prayer.
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Introduction
Greetings, Good People!
Francis of Assisi, our patron, experienced all of God's creation as sacred.
His famous Canticle of the Creatures includes the words:
"All Praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Sun…Sister Moon and Stars… Brothers
Wind and Air…Sister Water… Brother Fire… Sister Earth…Sister Death. All praise be yours, my Lord, through all
that you have made. Happy those who endure in peace."
Francis had a profound respect for all of life. He experienced true solidarity with
the poor and marginalized. As he embraced Lady Poverty, Francis was freed to live very simply, making peace in
every encounter. It is these values that inspire our JPIC efforts. We work to bring about justice and peace in
our world, to end violence and war, poverty and oppression and the destruction of our planet. Our efforts are often
directed at the systems that cause this oppression and destruction. We work in collaboration with Franciscans and
others around the world. We believe that these common efforts are gradually transforming our world.
We invite you to join us on this journey. If you would like to be added to our e-mail
alert list, please contact us at sjbjpic@franciscan.org. We encourage you to visit our pages often and take
action, as you are able. We hope that you, too, will be transformed in the process.
Blessings and peace,
Sr. Donna Graham, OSF
Office of Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation
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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master, grant that I may not
So much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
In pardoning that we are pardoned,
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.
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