“Let us hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow, the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
As we strive for love and brotherhood in the spirit of Dr. King, we remember that this past week we also celebrated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. With the world in great turmoil, the concern for Christian unity is something that is very important to Pope Francis. He said:
“Let us ask the Lord Jesus, who has made us living members of his body, to keep us deeply united to him, to help us overcome our conflicts, our desires, and our self-seeking, and to be united to one another by one force, by the power of love which the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts.”
In our desire for unity, as Catholics, we are called to respect the fundamental dignity of the human person and hope to see that dignity reflected in all of God’s children. This respect for God’s children is reflected in the work of the Mustard Seed Communities. Mustard Seed was organized by Catholic priests and reaches out to children in various parts of the world, especially those who are poor, ill, and marginalized. It focuses primarily on caring for abandoned children with special needs. It strives to find the face of Christ in those most in need. Representatives of the Community will be available after the Masses this weekend to answer questions about the Community and the work it does. Our Holy Father reminds us that we can foster Christian unity through the help we give to the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. In his recent visit to the Philippines, he said:,
“We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished, and protected.”
Mustard Seed strives to love and protect the most vulnerable of our children. Our prayers and our assistance to Mustard Seed can help them in their important mission as we stand united in our support of the least of our brothers and sisters.