A few months ago while traveling in Thailand I visited the Fatima Self-Help Center, run by the Good Shepherd Sisters.
The Center invites women from the slums to learn a variety of trades, like hairstyling, sewing, embroidery, and weaving, which give them with an opportunity to support their families.
The Sisters also provide a day-care program for children from the slums.
In the afternoon the children were lining up after school.
Just before leaving the grounds, these Buddhist children stopped in front of a prominent statue of Mary and sang a lovely hymn to her.
I was puzzled that Buddhist children were singing a hymn to Mary, a traditionally Catholic practice.
When I inquired, I was told, "Buddhists honor the spirit in every house."
I was amazed at this profound and crystal-clear truth, spoken in such a matter-of-fact tone.
What if the world were to honor the spirit in every heart, in every house, in every religious denomination?
What if each of us honored the faith of every tradition and welcomed all their followers as brothers and sisters?
That spells peace on earth to me.
The irony is that children modeled it effortlessly, yet learned adults find it impossible to fathom.
On my journey toward living with reverence, I will remember this truth and honor the spirit in every heart.
This is the peace and oneness that I believe God aches for us to understand.
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- VICTORIA S. SCHMIDT lives in Springfield, Illinois. She has a missionary heart that has been formed by thirty years of missionary work around the world. She currently serves as Director of Theresian World Ministry, an international Catholic women's organization.
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