10 YearsTomorrow marks the ten year anniversary of the death of Blessed Mother Teresa.
Just recently, media reports have presented a side of Blessed Mother Teresa infrequently seen by the public-a doubting, questioning, and, quite honestly, very human side. Some in the news have attempted to use this information to discredit the diligent work and charity of Blessed Mother Teresa, even calling her fraudulent and a hypocrite. In reading her diaries and hearing the testimony of her confessors, one thing is clear: in spite of her doubt and inability to see or feel God's presence at every turn-she carried on her work and that of her order. Call me crazy, but I think before judgment is passed, perhaps a little scripture refresher course is in order:
"Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1If her diaries do anything, they should convict us all to continue on with the work God calls us to do-regardless of how we feel every millisecond that we do it. That's real faith. Perhaps the fact that she did just that and up to now has been regarded as saintly (especially with the fast-track canonization process) her all-too-familiar fears and doubts convict those of us who, too often, used the crutch of her saintliness to dissuade us from sticking it out through our own rough spots.
"Oh sure," we'd say to ourselves, "she was able to care for the sick, the dying and the unwanted. She was special. She was different. She wasn't like me. I could never do what she did."
Now that we know differently, we can't fall back into our old ways of thinking. She was, as her diaries showed, more like us than we thought. In light of this, are we willing to be more like her than we thought we could be? Through her trials and dark places, she never failed to call out to God in prayer and He sustained her, just as He will us-even when we can't see or feel Him.
Catholic Greetings has some beautiful e-cards available to share with your family and friends on the celebration of her 10th birthday in Heaven.
3 comments:
Having dealth with post partum depression over the past six years (I've had four kids), Blessed Mother Teresa has touched me so deeply. I've read her words from her diary (printed in the TIME article) and thought, "I've said those very same things." Her comparison of despair to Judas really hit home. She is a visable reality of what a saint is. So often we read about them in books and they can seem so far off, not real. But, we all knew Mother Teresa in the here and now. We saw her on TV, in magazines, books, etc. She was a tangible witness of faith for our times. I look forward to her canonization, and she brings me hope. Thanks for this great post.
I think it's easier to relate to her as well. I whole heartedly agree with you.
Thanks for your comments. Mother Teresa is one of my favorites and this just makes her even more real.
Jen, I totally can relate to what you said. I had some pretty rough patches after my last three pregnancies as well-scary deliveries, lots of worry and anxiety long after the baby came. I'll be praying for you.
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