Read more at sojo.net ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ View this email in your browser [[link removed]] [[link removed]] A Liturgy for Celebrating the Holidays Apart from Loved Ones
[[link removed]] Sandy OvalleI remember the day I received my green card in the mail. It was a Monday. I went
downstairs to check my mail as soon as I heard it was delivered and immediately
booked a flight home for that Thursday. It had been over six years since I had
had the ability to leave the United States and visit my home country. I had
missed weddings, baptisms, and funerals. I had missed Christmases, New Year's
Days, Mother’s Days, Father’s Days, birthdays, and all sorts of joyous and
grievous occasions. I had missed my grandfather Salvador’s passing and funeral.
I had welcomed nieces and nephews, born while I could not travel home. Spending
important days apart from my family was incredibly hard. I think of that when I
recognize how difficult this year is for so many.

We have much to lament: the rise of COVID-19 cases and deaths; the ongoing
killings of Black and brown people in the U.S. at the hands of the state; the
negligence in dealing with the great disparities that make this health crisis
particularly acute in Black, Indigenous, and communities of color; the extended
election season that was filled with harmful discourse and abusive behavior;
careless gathering practices; and the continuous stress of living through a
pandemic. We long for a special time of comfort and joy with our loved ones this
holiday season — and our nation’s top health officials say that, too, is
dangerous. That anticipated separation will have an impact on our souls. Our
traditions will need to be mourned and reimagined.

Some have long been familiar with the concept. Many Native American people have
been lifting their lament on Thanksgiving Day through a National Day of
Mourning, which honors native ancestors and condemns the genocide inflicted upon
them, the theft of Native American lands, and the constant erasure and attack on
Native American cultures. Their lament begs us to reconsider the history we
celebrate, to examine the origin of our traditions, and to reimagine a new way
of being together with one another. Some are separated from their families due
to immigrant detention. Behind bars and alongside other detained people, many
immigrants in detention facilities often lean on prayer and songs and on each
other to make it through the holidays. A visit from a family member may be
completely out of the question, as they sometimes live in a different country or
have not been granted a privileged immigration status and therefore cannot
approach a detention facility. In the absence of family, letters and memories
shared with others at detention centers sustain the spirit.

Let us draw lessons from those who have long had to make it work. And in that, I
offer a prayer.

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