Mother Teresa
One
Mother Teresa
Born in Albania in 1910, Mother Teresa entered the Sisters of Loretto in 1928. She served in Bengal, India, as a teacher for girls from wealthy families. However, in 1942 she made a vow to give to God anything He may ask, and not to refuse him anything.
On Tuesday, September 10th, 1946, on a train bound for Darjeeling, she had a mystical encounter with Christ. She saw a big crowd of people who cried out to her, “Come, come, save us, bring Jesus to us.” Then she heard the voice of Jesus pleading with her, “Come, come, carry Me into the holes of the poor. Come be My light.” This double invitation from the crowd of poor and from Jesus echoed throughout her life.
At first, she hesitated because she had a stable, safe, and comfortable life. However, again Jesus spoke to her with words that cut her to the heart, “You have come to India for Me. The thirst you had for souls brought you so far. Are you afraid to take one more step for your Spouse, for me, for souls? Is your generosity grown cold? Am I a second to you? You did not die for souls. That is why you don’t care what happens to them. Your heart was never drowned in sorrow as it was My Mother’s. We both gave our all for souls and you? You are afraid that you will lose… (who you were), and that you will be wanting in perseverance. No - your vocation is to love and suffer and save souls and by taking this step you will fulfill my Heart’s desire for you. That is your vocation.”
Two
About that same time, Mother Teresa read a biography of St. Francis Cabrini who left her home in Italy to be a missionary in America in 1889. Reflecting on her life Mother Teresa wrote, “Mother Cabrini did not wait for souls to come to her. She went to them with Zealous workers. Why can’t I do the same for Jesus here in India?”
Yet Mother Teresa did not feel capable. In reply Jesus said to her, “You are, I know, the most uncapable person, weak and sinful, but just because you are that I want to use you for my glory! Wilt thou refuse?”
So, in 1948 she left the comfort and security of her convent, walking through the gates with five rupees, the equivalent of five pennies, to go out into the dark holes of the slums of India to bring the light of Jesus to souls steeped in the darkness of sin, abandoned by any help in the world. From that day forward her aim was to bring souls to God and God to souls.
In 1950 twelve women joined her and the Missionaries of Charity began. She writes, “The Aim of the Missionaries of Charity is to satiate the thirst of Jesus on the Cross for love and souls. Today the Missionaries of Charity number more than 5000 members with 766 homes serving the poor in 139 countries.
Like Mother Cabrini before her, Mother Teresa was adamant, “We will not wait for souls to come to us; we will go in search of them.”
Three
Mother Teresa knew that she and those who joined her were totally incapable to bring the light of Jesus to those in darkness. She was convinced that the work of comforting those in the greatest need would be impossible without the continual grace of Jesus received every day in the Eucharist and a deep life of prayer. Jesus would have to do everything, she would say, we have just to follow.
So, no matter how busy they were or how great a need they faced, Mother Teresa relied not on herself alone, but on Jesus by spending one hour each day with Him in Eucharistic Adoration.
On days in which she had too much to do she would spend two hours with Jesus, confident that while things might be humanly impossible for her, nothing was impossible for God if she relied on Him.
Mother Teresa had also consecrated her life to Mary and was devoted to the Rosary. The rule of the Missionaries of Charity was never to go to the slums without first praying the Rosary. Mother Teresa would say, “Cling to the rosary…for without Our Lady we cannot stand!”
Four
Mother Teresa spoke of three types of poverty: material, social, and spiritual.
She would say “Calcutta is everywhere.” And “The greatest, most serious form of poverty is spiritual.” To live life without food, water, shelter or health care is bad. But to live life without a relationship with God is far worse. Physical poverty will end. Spiritual poverty, to live without God, can go on forever.
Our mission with this Rosary Podcast and all we do in this organization, The Holy Family School of Faith, is to eradicate spiritual poverty by leading people to friendship with Jesus and friendship with others.
There are three essential ingredients to achieve this mission:
Daily meditation on the Word of God which Our Lady has asked us to do in the Rosary.
We know that solitary embers grow cold. So if you don’t want your faith to burn out and if you want your family and friends to have a burning faith, then we need others. Everyone needs a small group of family or friends with whom we share life and faith regularly. Our Lady wants us to share life together and to pray together.
Finally, the third ingredient, conversion and transformation only happens if it gets down to the personal level. We need personal investment one-on-one. We need someone investing in us and we need to invest in others one on one.
Can you hear those around you saying, “Come, come save us, bring us to Jesus.” And Jesus, “Wilt thou refuse?”
Five
Mother Teresa had a vison of big crowds. Most people respond, “Well, I’m no Mother Teresa. I just want to help my family and friends to heaven.” That is precisely our call.
Our Lady has said, “If you want to do something, do it in your family and with your friends.” Before you try to change the big world, begin with the little world God has entrusted to you.
Who are the people God placed in your life? Who are the people God expects you to care for? Spouse, kids, grandkids, friends? Make the commitment to invite the people in your life to get together regularly, habitually to share life and to pray together. Invite your family or friends for a meal, drinks, or dessert. Go to a park. I don’t care what you do but do something together and talk and delight in one another. But don’t watch screens, that is not spending time together, stop kidding yourself.
If they are open to it, invite them to pray the Rosary together. If they are not open, don’t nag. Just continue to know, understand, love and care for them. Then go to the final step: talk with each of them one-on-one this month. Why? Because one on one is where we really get to know them, can understand them, and it is where we can challenge them and hold them accountable. That is hard to do in a small group.
Our Lady wants Her children to live a simple way of life of friendship, good conversation, and the Rosary. Can you hear Jesus calling you, “Come, come, carry me into the holes of the poor? Come be My light.” Can you hear those closest to you saying, “Come, come save us, bring us to Jesus. Wilt thou refuse?”