Kateri, if you were among us, what would your eyes see?
People living side by side:
Native Peoples, settlers, immigrants, refugees…
We are all neighbors, and we walk this earth with hesitation,
like you when you lost your sight.
Let us see and tell our stories with new clarity.
Kateri, if you marched among us, what would your ears hear?
Yearnings, dismay and voices asserting themselves,
to claim the place of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples
who have long suffered because of colonialism, racism and resistance to change.
Let us hear the thirst for justice and commit ourselves to achieving it.
Kateri, if you walked among us, what scents would tickle your nose?
The sweetgrass, the crisp autumn leaves, the damp earth in springtime,
the fire that crackles and brings family together…
We are all responsible for safeguarding our common home, Creation and its creatures.
Let us listen to the wisdom of your Peoples, who are guardians of the lands and the waters.
Kateri, if you lived among us, what would you touch with your outstretched hands?
The wrinkles of a wise elder, the soft skin of children full of promise, the frail hand of a sick person…
We are all connected: one body, one humanity.
Let us reach out to those who need consoling.
Kateri, if you prayed among us, what would you offer to our God?
Broken hearts, sickness, despair and conflict…
We are all called to build the kingdom of justice and peace that Jesus Christ proclaimed.
Let us be the salt of the earth that gives a taste of salvation to our world.
Kateri, we pray that all our senses may lead us, like you,
on the path of holiness, to ensure that all God’s children be clothed in dignity.
Amen.
Prayer composed by Sabrina Di Matteo
Originally published in French for Vie liturgique magazine and Mission chez nous, a Quebec-based organization dedicated to Christian solidarity with Indigenous Peoples.
These suggestions may enrich the Eucharistic celebration of the day or be used in a Liturgy of the Word. Even if the celebration of Kateri’s memorial is prevented this year because it falls on Easter Sunday, it is still possible to devote a time of prayer to her. The suggested prayer can also be used in another liturgical assembly or context (Celebration of the Word, community meeting, family prayer, etc.) in the days that follow or in any other appropriate way or time of the year.