Few stories in our country’s recent history rattle me quite like the murder of Emmett Till. A 14-year-old Black Chicagoan visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955, Till was ripped from his bed in the middle of the night, tortured, and killed for allegedly whistling at a White woman. Some historians cite his murder as the spark that ignited the civil rights movement. His mother, the late Mamie Till-Mobley, agreed, once calling Emmett “the sacrificial lamb of the movement. “

Etched on the back of my mother’s headstone are three simple prayers: “Lord, live in me, love in me, and act in me. ”

Adapted from Clarence Enzler’s Everyone’s Way of the Cross, these prayers not only perfectly describe my mother’s life, which ended suddenly in February 2021, but also echo a ritual she loved during Lent: the Stations of the Cross.

Racism will never be eradicated. But guiding future generations to face it with courage and steadfastness will make the world a more just and loving place.

In a youth-obsessed culture, 30 might seem practically over-the-hill. But this decade can be a time of growth, satisfaction, and renewed faith.

“All manner of things shall be well. ” Julian of Norwich’s words and the example of the hermit saints can help us embrace solitude as an opportunity to grow closer to God.

Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP, reviews “West Side Story, ” “Being the Ricardos, ” and “The Unforgivable ” in our February issue!