By Sr Teresa Joseph, fma –
“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts,” affirmed Mother Teresa. Gonxha Bojaxhiu, Agnes (M. Teresa) was born on 27 August 1910 – in Skopje, Macedonia and died on 5 September 1997. With her hand in the hands of God, Teresa was ever alert to the cry of the needy.
That profound encounter with a lady who was almost at the end of her life, prompted her to institute a religious community: the Missionaries of Charity to carry out the mission of bringing comfort and healing to the truly marginalized. Being at the service of the the poor is the 4th vow that the members of Teresa’s Congregation assume as an expression of their promptness and availability to leave everything in order to be at the service of the poor. In 1952 Teresa opened the house of Nirmal Hriday (“Pure Heart”) at Kolkata (then Calcutta). Today the Missionaries of Charity, the Sisters of Mother Teresa are present in the five continents; working in almost all counties.
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With Rs. 5/- in her hand and heart full of faith
The beginnings no doubt are always simple and humble. Love and love alone is the measure of fruitfulness. Mother Teresa often used to remind her Sisters and collaborators: “You cannot go to the poor with a long face.” The COVID-19 global pandemic finds the Missionaries of Charity with their frontline services across the world. Mother Teresa excelled in developing within her institute, a style of response to the need of the hour: from Calcutta to New York she opened houses for the dying.
Mother was one of the pioneers with homes for the victims of Aids; the first house began already in 1985 in New York. With immense work and many journeys across the globe, Mother Teresa never turned out to be a ‘manager. She was indeed a woman of faith. St. John Paul II has expressed splendidly: “Mother Teresa has marked the history of our century with courage. She has served all human persons promoting dignity and respect, has made those who felt defeated of life aware of the tenderness of God.”
A faithful band of followers
The life of faith and prayer guided Mother Teresa to come out with powerful quotations on prayer: “Prayer makes your heart bigger, until it is capable of containing the gift of God himself. Prayer begets faith, faith begets love, and love begets service on behalf of the poor.” Mother Teresa’s leadership was one of loving witness.
Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of Mother Teresa’s canonization cause has expressed it powerfully: “Mother’s life is like a mine still under exploration, we are discovering new elements, new riches. The good thing is that Mother is not only helping people by the impact of her example, but also that she is still active from heaven interceding many graces for people in need.”
Getting to know the ‘miners and explorers’ of Mother Teresa is an amazing task. She has left a living legacy: The Missionaries of Charity. There are other groups that take her legacy beyond every imagination with a strong network of people. The Missionaries of Charity Brothers is an order of consecrated men, began in 1963. Missionaries of Charity Contemplative Sisters and Brothers who dedicate more time to prayer and contemplation with part of their day lived in direct service of the poor.
Ordained Consecrated Religious Men with the assistance of Father Joseph Langford, an American priest, Mother Teresa founded an order for priests, as well the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. As ordained consecrated men these two groups live Mother’s charism. As the circle of Mother Teresa’s collaborators and friends kept growing she established the Lay Missionaries of Charity.
During her life, Mother started the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa. It is a free organization of lay people without a permanent commitment who want to reach out to the poorest of the poor and live Mother’s spirituality. She initiated the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers for people who want to be connected with her work by prayerfully offering their own suffering to God to assist those committed to direct ministry.
In one of her letters to the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, she wrote: “In reality you can do much more while on your bed of pain than I running on my feet, but you and I together can do all things in him who strengthens me.” The Corpus Christi movement of priests is another organization she commenced. This is an organization of diocesan priests who wish to remain in diocesan ministry but promote their work and spirituality by the spirit and example of Mother Teresa and are urged to focus their lives on prayer before the Eucharist and serve the poorest of the poor.
The face of Christ in the face of each person
My little experience with the Missionaries of Charity at Dahanu, Tirupathi, Guwahati, Rome, Pune and Bombay has helped me to see these Sisters in humble, loving service. There is an atmosphere of simplicity, hospitality and deep spirit of prayer that characterize their way of being. They are very focused on their mission among the needy. What is the secret of such an extraordinary work?
Mother Teresa had a special love for the poor and needy. It was with great sense of humour and cheerfulness that she used to approach the poorest and neglected on the streets of Kolkata. They have picked it up from Mother Teresa who was able to see the countenance of Christ in the face of each person, especially the poorest. With the awareness that even the most disgraced person has his/her dignity, Teresa placed service in the first place. The mercy and compassion that she nurtured for the poor shines out in the way she defines them: “personification of Christ.” Her prayer: “May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in” did bear abundant fruit.
One day, the head of a multinational company visited Teresa to offer her a property in Bombay, but first he asked her: “Mother, how do you succeed to manage your budget?” Teresa asked: “Who has sent you here”? The head of the company responded:”I experienced a push within me.” And Teresa added: “Other persons come to meet me and they tell me the same thing.” It is evident that God has sent you… It is the grace of God that moved you. You are my budget…” And Teresa accepted the property of the head of the multinational company renaming it: Asha Dan = Gift of Hope.
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Pope Francis wanted to proclaim Mother Teresa a saint in the jubilee year of Mercy because Mother Teresa is an icon of God’s Mercy. Mother Teresa became mercy and compassion of God for the poorest, the forgotten and the down trodden. The people of India had already declared Mother Teresa a saint in her lifetime and her official canonization took place on 4th September 2016, at the Vatican, Rome. On 4 September at 5.00 p.m. at Blessed Mother Teresa Church, Virar, His Grace Archbishop Felix Machado presided over a Solemn Thanksgiving Eucharist. The Church and the Church compound were packed to maximum capacity: faithful from all over Vasai, believers of other religions, priests and religious were all present to render thanks to God for our Mother, St. Teresa of Calcutta.
His Grace Archbishop Felix gave a strappingly motivating Homily on St. Teresa of Calcutta fondly remembered by all as Mother Teresa. His grace began with the words: Mother Teresa, she was already a saint for those of us who met mother. She was a saint for the way in which she reached out to the poor and how she served the destitute. She went even to the gutters to rescue them and to give them dignity. Our Sr. Teresa is a saint. Isn’t it a miracle that we are witnessing? The peculiarity of this canonization is that the whole world is talking about it. The sainthood of Mother Teresa has made the whole world happy because of her way of treating the people.
A connecting link between India and Europe
St. Teresa of Calcutta, you were a loving connecting link between India and Europe. As the human family continues to recall your dedicated and selfless service to humanity and that of all your followers, we pray intercede for us that the COVID-19 pandemic may not spread further, that we may be able to find an appropriate vaccine to prevent it. St. Teresa of Calcutta pray for us.
Sr Teresa Joseph, FMA is a Salesian Sister of the Bombay Province. She holds a masters degree in Science of Education with specialization in Catechetics from Auxilium Rome and a PhD in Missiology with specialization in Inter-religious Studies from the Gregorian University Rome.
Sr Teresa is a freelance writer and contributes articles for various journals in India and abroad. Her recent publications include Dream Big Dream True and Family of Truth: The Liminal Context of Inter-Religious Dialogue. She has launched and co-edited an animation book for the family titled Stay Connected in the Circle of Love (2007).