3/28/2014 – Friday of 3rd week in 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 the 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.

      This weekend, we commemorate the anniversary of the death of Sister Thea Bowman.  She is someone from right here in our Diocese of Jackson who could one day be named a Saint by the Church. However, in many ways, she is already recognized as a Saint and as a great example of faith by many believers throughout the world.  Thea Bowman actually was born in Yazoo City and grew up in Canton.   Her mom 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.  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.  Sister Thea Bowman died on March 30, 1990 at the age of 53.  Many believe that one day she will be canonized.  But whether she is even officially canonized or not, one thing is for sure, is that she heard God’s voice, and that she tried to bring that voice in her own way to the world.