No Room in the Inn:

Remembering Migrants on the U.S./Mexico Border

Las Posadas Litany

Every Christmas, communities in Mexico celebrate Las Posadas, a re-enactment of the story of Mary and Joseph searching for shelter in Bethlehem. In towns along the U.S./Mexico border, candlelit processions from both sides come together at the border. Hands reach through the fence in a touch of peace.

Following is a litany, adapted from the Border Working Group in Washington, D.C., that follows Maria and José, two immigrants from Mexico, who are seeking welcome in the United States. It includes readings for six "stops" along the journey.

Consider hosting a celebration and reading of the Las Posadas litany in your congregation or community. Events could range from a dramatic reading of the litany on a Sunday morning to an evening pilgrimage around the neighborhood complete with songs, candles, colorful costumes, a symbolic fence-cutting and tacos and hot chocolate at the end!

At the Maryknoll Border Program in El Paso, Tex., the Las Posadas pilgrimage ends at the church doors, with a fence made of chicken wire attached to poles in buckets of sand. On the other side of the fence is a table with bread and juice for communion. Leaders hand out small pieces of paper and participants write down phrases about the fences in their own lives that keep them from welcoming "strangers." Participants are invited to attach their papers to the fence, and then to pass around a wire cutter. Each person takes turns splitting the fence from the bottom up, and the community is welcomed to pass through the fence for communion.

Narrator: Las Posadas is traditionally celebrated in Mexico and in the Southwestern United States. While the tradition varies from place to place, the common thread is a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay after their journey to Bethlehem to be counted in the census. As we know, Mary is nearing the end of her pregnancy, making for a very difficult journey.

This version of Las Posadas takes us along on the journey of a present day migrant family, Maria and José, moving from north to south. They too are seeking hospitality in a foreign land in a time of great need. We take part in this custom to remember our immigrant brothers and sisters who live in the United States. We pray that we will embrace the biblical call to welcome the stranger, since we were once strangers in a strange land. Throughout this service we keep in mind the thousands who have died in the last several years while seeking safety and survival across the border.

Let us pray.

All: Lord, help us to remain mindful of those who are traveling, especially those who must depend on the kindness of others. Help us to act with generosity. Open our hearts to the pain of others, especially those who have lost loved ones in the desert. Help us to make our communities welcoming and just. Help us to treat all people like our brothers and sisters, no matter where they were born.

Deciding to make the journey

Maria and José: We stand at the door and knock. Will you let us in? The coffee crop was bad this year, and we have lost our farm. We heard from our cousins in the north that there is work there. We are hungry here. We have no food for our family. We have to go to the north. We have no choice. Will you welcome us there?

Voices from the North: Why do you come north? Why don't you stay in your own country? We can't let you in or you'll take our jobs and ruin our standard of living.

Narrator: Half the world's people live on less than $2 a day. Maria and Jose are part of this group. They have decided to journey to the north to seek work because they cannot make a living in their home country.

All: Lord, help us to see Christ in the stranger

All Sing: O Come, O Come Immanuel

At the U.S./Mexico Border

Maria and José: We stand at the door and knock. Will you let us in? We have arrived at the border. We want to enter the United States. We are willing to work. Will you let us in?

U.S. Official at the Border: Do you have your papers in order?

José: Looks at the ground.

U.S. Official: No? Well I can't let you in.

Maria: But in this country, there is no work. We will not be able to eat, and we will soon have a child.

U.S. Official: I didn't make the laws, I just enforce them.

Narrator: Hundreds of thousands of people each year find themselves in this situation. More than 2,500 people have died trying to cross into the United States from Mexico since militarization of the border began a decade ago. Armed agents, metal fences and stadium lights increased dramatically in urban areas, and migrants who had traditionally crossed through major cities were forced to cross through the treacherous deserts. Still, these policies have not led to a decline in the number of people entering the United States. If Maria is not granted entrance, she may be next in a long line of migrants who did not make it through the desert.

All: Lord, help us to see Christ in the stranger.

All Sing: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

On the Road

Narrator: Eventually our couple makes it through safely. They were forced to borrow money in order to hire someone to help them across the desert, and will be repaying this debt for many years. They were lucky that they found someone who led them across and did not rob them. In the end, they walked many miles across the desert. Inside the U.S., they look for transportation to get them to their destination.

Maria and José: We stand at the door and knock. Will you let us in?

José: We need a ride. Can you help us? My wife can no longer walk.

Motorist: No, we can't. We don't know you. We could get arrested for giving a ride to aliens. We just can't risk it.

All: Lord, help us to see Christ in the stranger.

All Sing: O Little Town of Bethlehem

In Your City

Maria and José: We stand at the door and knock. Will you let us in?

Maria: I need to see a doctor. We have just crossed the desert on foot and we want to make sure the baby is okay. Will you let us in?

Receptionist: Do you have insurance? Do you have money? No? Well, we just can't afford to let you in. We really should call immigration enforcement, but we'll let you go.

Narrator: In 1996, immigration laws revoked the right to public assistance for immigrants, including those who have been here legally for less than five years. Undocumented immigrants who are in need of help often do not contact public agencies - including police officers, fire fighters and hospitals - for fear of someone reporting them to immigration enforcement. Persons or agencies who ask for documentation before they agree to offer assistance create barriers to many immigrants.

All: Lord, help us to see Christ in the stranger.

All Sing: Silent Night

At the Doors of the Church

Maria and José: We stand at the door and knock. Will you let us in? We need a place to stay. We are cold and in a strange land. Do you have a place for us?

Usher: No, this is a church. We don't have the facilities to keep people here. Our Advent services are about to start. You really must go now.

All Pray: Lord, sometimes in our wish not to disrupt our lives we turn away from the stranger. We forget that all human beings - those living in foreign lands and those living near us who are different from us - are your children. We pray that we will create a community that is welcoming to all.

All: Lord, help us to see Christ in the stranger.

Church Member: I heard you talking to the usher. I heard you needed a place to stay.

Maria and José: Yes, we have been traveling for many days and we need to rest. We are going to have a baby.

Parishioner: You can come and stay with my family.

Narrator: Let us pray.

All: Lord, help us to see Christ in the stranger. Help us to know your love and show this love to all around us. Let us affirm those in our community who work to create a welcoming and just environment for migrants. Let us all join in this work, in whatever ways we can, to make this community a generous and welcoming home for all who live here.

All Cheer! and Sing: O Come All Ye Faithful

Adapted from a litany by the Border Working Group in Washington, D.C., http://www.rtfcam.org/resources/packets/posadas/las