I remember when I was in seminary, I was very interested in learning more about the faith and spirituality of Sister Thea Bowman, a native daughter of our state who was a strong voice in the American Catholic Church. Since I posted on the internet a prayer written by our Diocese in the spirit of Sister Thea, I have heard many comments of how people were affected and influenced by Sister Thea’s joyful and courageous spirit. It is a spirit that speaks to us today. Sister Thea, the daughter of an educator and a physician, knew the importance of an education and the importance of building bridges. We Catholics have always been a minority in the state of Mississippi. We know what it is like to be discriminated against and to be called out. We need to form alliances and to build bridges to work with others to address the problems that we face as a society. Here is another prayer I would like to share with all of you in the spirit of Sister Thea, a prayer written in her own words. Sister Thea calls us to overcome the selfishness, anger, violence, and revenge that may spring up in the hearts of many who look out in the world today. Let the words of wisdom from Sister Thea speak out to us today.
O, Lord, help us to be attentive to your commands. Help us to walk in unity. Help us to celebrate who we are and whose we are. Help us to overcome selfishness, anger, and violence in our hearts, in our homes, in our Church, in our world. Help us to knock down, pull down, shout down the walls of racism, sexism, classism, materialism, and militarism that divide and separate us. Help us to live as your united people, proclaiming with one voice, our faith, our hope, our love, our joy. Amen. +
Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln
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