- February 3, 2023 Social Justice
A reflection by Sister Gail Trippett on the death of Tyre Nichols
As a nation, we are mourning the senseless killing of Tyre Nichols. We are standing in the same shoes again. How do we ensure our response is not the same? There will be many protest marches, many prayer vigils, articulation of the need for police reform, hosting numerous televised forums, and then we move on. The only ones who do not move on and resume life as usual are the families of the deceased loved ones.
Tyre Nichols is the newest life added to the list of those who were sacrificed for the universal need to value the humanity of all. There are acts of love that we can do each day to keep their value and loving sacrifice alive in a transformative way. We are aware that the divine energy of God flows through our being, yet seldom acknowledge its power through our intentional actions.
Prayer is a daily part of our lives. Let us maximize the collective power of the divine within the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Bible gives us a glimpse of this power when God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." The essence of who we are is the divine energy God breathes through us every day. That same divine energy creates positive or negative through the intentions in our thoughts every day.
You are invited to join the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to live our charism of unity and reconciliation through a common divine action. That divine action is using our collective power of prayer to send the world community the living energy of kingdom thinking. The desire of this daily action is to stop at least one potential killing every day and to increase kingdom living throughout the world.
Meditation for Thy Kingdom Come
Sit or lay quietly, breathing in and becoming more aware of the energy of God. When we exhale, release the thoughts that divide the world and resist being the family of God.
- Breathe in the oneness of we are People, exhale or release the energy of dominant/non-dominant.
- Breathe in the oneness of we are the Family of God, exhale or release the energy of superior/inferior.
- Breathe in the oneness of we are the communion of saints, exhale or release the energy of developed/non-developed nations.
- Breathe in the oneness of we are the body of Christ, exhale or release the energy of separation
Then, mentally visit every continent in the world, staying long enough in your mind to visit every household, sending them spiritual union, love, peace and kingdom-thinking. Allow God to build the kingdom vocabulary within each soul and to guide the actions that follow the vocabulary that can lead us to kingdom living, one thought at a time.
May the outcome of our collective daily intention stop at least one senseless killing at a time.
“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”