29 March 2019 - Friday of the third week of Lent – Psalm 51

     “I am the Lord your God – hear my voice.”  We hear this message in the psalm today.  We hear this message echoed in the answer Jesus gives the scribes, when they ask him to name the greatest of all of God's commandments.  How do we hear God’s voice?  How do we respond?  There is not just one answer to that, just as there is not just one way we seek God in the reality in our lives, just as there is not just one way to look for God and to convert our hearts during this holy season of Lent.

      We have heard a lot about Sister Thea Bowman in our Diocese recently.  She was a very influential individual in our Diocese.  Back in November, by unanimous vote, the US Bishops voted to support the advancement of the cause of Thea Bowman for canonization on the Diocesan level. I thought about Sister Thea when I was looking at the readings for today's mass because tomorrow, we mark the anniversary of her death; she died on March 30, 1990 at the age of 52.  When I taught school in the Delta before I became a priest, as I learned about Sister Thea and the contributions she made to our Church in the way she proclaimed God's kingdom, I always thought that one day she would be on track to be canonized. However, in many ways, she is already recognized as a saint and as a great example of faith by many believers, not only in our own Diocese, but throughout the world.  Thea Bowman was born in Yazoo City and grew up in Canton. Although Thea was not born into a Catholic family, her mother sent her to Catholic schools, knowing that this was the best education her daughter could receive.  Thea became Catholic when she was 9 years old, inspired by her Catholic education and the sister who taught her.  She became the first African American woman to join the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Wisconsin.   Thea helped the Church celebrate the voice of African American Catholics, the contributions and spirituality that they brought to the faith.  Her joyful spirit, her love of music and literature, inspired countless students and those who heard her presentations.  As I think of the psalm today, we can definitely say that Sister Thea heard God’s voice and tried to bring that voice in her own way to the world.