Yesterday at our Methodist-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, in keeping with the daily routine, the pastor of the hospital said the morning prayer over the loud-speaker system. The prayer caught my ear because the pastor elected to say the morning prayer of St. Francis Xavier (SFX) as it was his feast day. I was interested by its contents and likely many Goenkars specially Catholics may feel the same. SFX's morning prayer as provided by Dc. Paul Lehman. Dear God, Help us to look upon all nations as your family. Pour out the abundance of your Spirit upon each one of our brothers and sisters so that we may give an answer to the hopes which the world places before us today. Stay with us, Lord, when we walk the paths of the world side by side with our brothers and sisters. Grant that we all find ourselves in heaven, our homeland, after having been members of the same family on earth. Amen. Somehow if one follows postings of Goan Catholics on Goanet, one does not get the impression that SFX prayed for the people of Asia as reflected in this prayer. Some postings even portray and allege SFX as being anti-native and instigator of the inquisition top punish natives. The last thing Goenkars attribute to SFX is treating natives as his "brothers and sisters". This prayer does not even include a prayer (God's blessings) for Goa's colonial masters and supposedly the patrons of SFX. Happy belated Feast of SFX - Goencho Saib.
Regards, GL
