“I am often moved by people who go out of their way to show compassion toward another person. Recently at the Humanitarian Respite Center a family arrived, a father with his wife and small child. My staff pointed to the nice tennis shoes he was wearing and asked him how he got them.
“The young father shared that when he and his family were apprehended after they crossed into the United States, a Border Patrol agent looked down and saw his feet blistered and bleeding and asked him, “¿Qué te pasó?” Why are your feet like that?
“The young father shared how they walked for days and days to the point the shoes he had were no good and his feet blistered and bled from all the walking. The Border Patrol agent was moved to tears and quickly went to get his own tennis shoes which he had in his car. He then took off the socks he was wearing and put them on the young father.
“Our Catholic Social Teachings speak to us of the dignity of the human person. The Border Patrol agent like many others like him who perform actions of love and compassion toward our brothers and sisters in distress are upholding the dignity and respect of a human person. God created us in his image and likeness. Every human life is sacred and must be protected and treated with respect. Showing kindness toward someone who has been stripped of everything is our way of restoring their dignity.”
