Tom Kiefer is an American photographer who held a second job as a janitor (2003-2014) at a Customs and Border Patrol facility in Southern Arizona. In 2007 he received permission to salvage the pre-packaged food people brought into the country at the border. While sorting through the garbage he found a discarded Bible and knew he had to start paying more attention. His photographic essay titled El Sueno: An American Project grew out of that. This photograph of discarded rosaries is found among those photographs of shirts, wallets, toys, water bottles, shoelaces, gloves... Tom Keifer writes:
These are the personal effects and belongings of people apprehended in the desert by U.S. Border Patrol Agents that were subsequently seized, surrendered, or forfeited as they were processed at a US. Customs and Border Patrol facility in Southern Arizona. During the course of intake, this property was considered non-essential and discarded. These personal effects and belongings represented their choice of what was important for them to bring as they crossed the border to either start or continue their life in the U.S.
When Pope John Paul II gave us the Luminous Mysteries he opened a spirit-door inviting us to go beyond the three traditional sets of mysteries and to perhaps find other points of meditation to help us pray. The photograph of the discarded rosaries is left large so we can see more clearly. We might pick one out to pray. I've offered a thought to accompany each Hail Mary. The rest I'll leave to you.
We might hold over our prayer (umbrella like) the Gospel scene of the Flight into Egypt (Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt when Joseph is told in a dream that Herod wants the Holy Child dead). Some folks say you can't use scripture this way - calling the Holy Family refugees, migrants or asylum seekers. Yes you can. I'd even suggest if I don't, then my religion risks being isolated from today's lived realities and being fossilized or reduced to sentiment or something else. This is why young people so often reject organized religion, saying, It's just a bunch of old stories.
1. May the owner of this rosary I have chosen be safe. Hail Mary...
2. May the owner of this rosary I have chosen once again be glad. Hail Mary...
3. May the children of tears be comforted. Hail Mary...
4. May the world of anxieties be consoled. Hail Mary...
5. May I partner with God who dreams of a world made whole. Hail Mary...
6. May I avoid spiritual stagnation and be an en-spirited Christian. Hail Mary...
7. May the world shun lies and greed. Hail Mary...
8. May the cities of ruin and dust be raised up and made beautiful again. Hail Mary...
9. May those who are addicted find inner freedom. Hail Mary...
10. May the leaders of the world be people of good heart. Hail Mary...
1. May murderers and en-slavers be converted to the beauty of life. Hail Mary...
2. May the world become a human family. Hail Mary...
3. May there be more joy, laughter and peace in this world. Hail Mary...
4. May there be more justice, goodness and compassion in this world. Hail Mary...
5. May God's dream come true of swords being beaten into plow shares. Hail Mary...
6. May no one feel they don't belong. Hail Mary...
7. May love be the root of our laws. Hail Mary...
8. May the crooked way of injustice become straight. Hail Mary...
9. May the rough way millions walk be made smooth. Hail Mary...
10. May the mountains of arrogant power be brought low. Hail Mary...
1. May those who live in darkness experience God, who said, "Let there be light." Hail Mary...
2. May no child end a day hungry. Hail Mary...
3. May all of God's creation be reverenced and protected. Hail Mary...
4. May the world be re-configured for the love of people, not money and power. Hail Mary...
5. May the world's leaders model humility, integrity and dignity for their people. Hail Mary...
6. May the world's children feel the right to be hopeful. Hail Mary...
7. May there be education for every boy and girl. Hail Mary...
8. May we stop making fun of other religions. Hail Mary...
9. May I experience the reality of God's goodness, active presence and forgiveness. Hail Mary...
10. May we experience God's victory over darkness, death and sin. Hail Mary...
1. May God's light overcome the darkness of hateful hearts. Hail Mary...
2. May every child be welcomed and protected. Hail Mary...
3. May Christ's Resurrection triumph over nationalism's disdain for others. Hail Mary...
4. May we face the future with courage despite the present discouraging chaos. Hail Mary...
5. May we learn to make room for others. Hail Mary...
6. May we learn the Holy Trinity's lesson of community and diversity. Hail Mary...
7. May I learn Eden's lesson: I was made for relationship with God and others. Hail Mary...
8. May the Church be Christ's community of the beloved. Hail Mary...
9. May love be the sign of the Holy Spirit's presence in our parishes. Hail Mary...
10. May the name "Christian" mean the renewing good news of God's love. Hail Mary...
1. May I not condemn the world but love it into transformation. Hail Mary...
2. May my religious life be less self-interested and more other-referred. Hail Mary...
3. May I personally know the new birth and life-evolving way of Jesus. Hail Mary...
4. May I know each day some small way by which I can change the world. Hail Mary...
5. May the Holy Spirit shake me out of discouragement. Hail Mary...
6. May the Holy Spirit heal my inner wound. Hail Mary...
7. May I know again the joy of when I first met Jesus. Hail Mary...
8. May my country of such possibility creatively address poverty, war and hostility. Hail Mary.
9. May my genealogy be healed of abuse, addiction, imbalance and lovelessness. Hail Mary...
10. May we understand Jesus' Family Values to mean an inclusive love for all. Hail Mary...
