Blessed Teresa's 100th birthday is today!

How can I ever say anything about Blessed Teresa?  I will use quotes of hers with these pictures that I scanned from a special Time Commemorative issue that I picked up the other day...

"In Christ, who died on the cross for us, we can definitely confirm the fact that suffering can transform itself into a great love and an extraordinary generosity."

"Peace and war begin at home.  If we truly want peace in the world, let us begin by loving one another in our own families.  If we want to spread joy, we need for every family to have joy."

"In Jesus, Mary and Joseph - the Holy Family of Nazareth - we have a beautiful example for us to imitate.  What did they do?

Joseph was a humble carpenter in order to support Jesus and Mary, providing their food and clothes - whatever they needed.

Mary, the mother, also had a humble task - that of a housewife with an son and a husband to take care of.

As the son was growing up, Mary would worry that he would have a normal life, that he would "feel at home" in the house with her and Joseph.

It was a home where tenderness, understanding,and mutual respect abounded.

As I said before: a wonderful example for us to imitate."

"Everybody today seems to be in a hurry.  No one has any time to give to others: children to their parents, parent to their children, spouces to each other. 

World peace begins to break down in the home."

"Where does love begin?

In our homes.

When does love begin?

When we pray together.

The family that prays together stays together.""If we were humble, nothing would change us - neither praise nor discouragement.  If someone were to criticize us, we would not feel discouraged.  If someone were to praise us, we would not feel proud."" Who are we to accuse anybody?  It is possible that we see them do something we think is not right, but we do not know why they are doing it.

Jesus encouraged us not to judge anyone.

Maybe we are the ones responsible for others doing things we think are not right.

Let us not forget that we are dealing with our brothers and sisters.  That leper, that sick person, that drunk, are all our brothers and sisters.  They, too, have been created by a greater love.

There is something we should never forget.  That sick person, that alcoholic, that thief, are my brothers and sisters.

  It is possible that they find themselves abandoned in the street because no one gave them love and understanding.  You and I could be in their place if we had not received love and understanding from other human beings.

 I will never forget the alcoholic man who told me his story.  He was a man who had surrendered to alcohol to forget the fact that no one loved him.

Before we judge the poor, we have the duty to look inside ourselves.""The lepers, the dying, the hungry, the ones sick with AIDS: they are all Jesus.

One of my novices was aware of this.  She had just entered the Congregation, after finishing her studies at the university.  The next day she was supposed to accompany another Sister to help in the Home of the Dying in Kalighat.

Before they left, I reminded them, "You know where you have to go.  During Mass notice how tenderly and lovingly the priest touches the Body of Christ.  Do not forget, that Christ is the same Christ you touch in the poor."

The two Sisters left for Kalighat, and three hours later they returned.  One of them, the novice, knocked on my door.  She told me, full of joy, "Mother, I touched the Body of Christ for the last 3 hours."  Her face reflected her deep joy.

"What did you do?"  I asked her.  "Right after we arrived," she answered, "they brought us a man covered with wounds.  He had been picked up from the rubble.  I had to help take care of his wounds.  It took 3 hours.  Therefore, I touched the Body of Christ for three hours.  I am sure it was him."

The young novice had understood thta Jesus cannot deceive us when assures us: "I was sick and you took care of me."  (Mt 25:36)"We have been created to love and to be loved.

A young man was dying, but for three or four days fought to prolong his life. The Sister there asked him, "Why do you continue with this fight?" 

"I cannot die without asking forgiveness from my father," he answered.

When his father arrived, the youth embraced him and asked forgiveness.

Two hours later, the young man passed away peacefully."

"All sicknesses have cures.  The only one that cannot be cured is the sickness of feeling unloved.

I invite all those who appreciate our work to look around them and be willing to love those who have no love and to offer them their services.

Are we not, by definition, messengers of love?""To help us be worthy of heaven, Christ put as a condition that at our hour of death, you and I, regardless of whom we were (Christians or non- Christians, each human being has been created by the loving hand of God in his own likeness), will stand before God and be judged according to how we have acted toward the poor." (Mt 25:40)

"To love and to serve the poor presupposes something that has nothing to do with giving them our leftovers, or giving them the food we do not like.  It has nothing to do with giving them the clothes we no longer wear just because the clothes are no longer in fashion or because we no longer like them.

I this sharing the poverty of the poor?  Of course it is not."

"I recommend praying these words to Mary:

"Mary, Mother of Jesus and of those who participate in this priestly ministry, we come to you with the same attitude of children, who come to their mother.

WE are no longer children, but adults who desire with all our hearts to be God's children.

Our human condition is weak, that is why we come to ask for your motherly aid so we are able to overcome our weaknesses.

Pray for us so that we can, in turn, become people of prayer.

We invoke your protection so that we may remain free from all sin.

WE invoke your love so that it may reign and we will be able to be compassionate and forgiving. 

WE ask for your blessing so we can be like the image of your beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen""At the moment of our death we will not be judged according to the number of good deeds we have done or the diplomas we have received in our lifetime.  We will be judged according to the love we have put into our work."

"Once more today and yesterday, Jesus comes to his own and his own refuse to welcome him (John 1:11)

He comes to the broken bodies of the poor.  He also comes in the rich who are drowning in the loneliness of their own riches.  HE also comes in their lonely hearts, when there is no one to offer them love.""There are thousands- milliions- of people who die for lack of bread.

There are thousands-millions-of human beings who grow weak for lack of a little love because they would like to be recognized, even if just a little.

Jesus becomes weak and dies in them.""The poor are great!

The poor are wonderful!

The poor are very generous!

The poor give us much more than we give them."

"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her.  It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.  WE have refused to be instruments of love in the hands of God to give the poor a piece of bread, to offer them a dress with which to ward off the cold.  It has happened because we did not recognize  Christ when, once more, he appeared under the guise of pain, indentified with a man numb from the cold, dying of hunger, when he came in a lonely human being, in a lost child in search of a home."In the Time Magazing special edition.. the story of this woman brought tears to my eyes over and over!  She was a tiny malnourished infant brought to Mother Teresa in a shoebox... sick with chicken pox and measles... they nursed her to health and then she was adopted by a doctor and eventually grew a priviledged life in the US... She became prenant while living with, who would be her future husband and wrote Mother about it... Her loving simple card she wrote her..."Thank you for writing to let me know how you are.  Little Alyahia (her daughter) is God's gift of love to you.  I pray that all will go well for you and that you will get married soon as the fullness and fruitfullness of love can only be found in marriage which is total giving of yourself to your husband in unconditional love."  She did then marry and has 3 daughters and was able to see Blessed Teresa in 1995 when she came to the US and whisper in her ear as she hugged her, "Thank you for saving my life.""To smile at someone who is sad; to visit, even for a little while, someone who is lonely; to give someone shelter from the rain with our umbrella; to read something for someone who is blind: these and others can be small things, very small things, but they are appropraite to give our love of God concrete expression to the poor."

There is so much here to take in!  Blessed Teresa is filled with the Love of her Lord and is therefore a source of such wisdom!  I might add more this evening because she fills me with awe and makes me fall on my knees asking God how I can make a difference in this world!  But tomatoes are calling and another batch of tomato soup is soon to be on the stove!

Dearest Lord... we are forever changed and touched by your saints among us.  Thank you for this 100th year since the arrival in this world of your servant of all servants... Blessed Teresa.  May she, who is standing at your side in heaven now intercede for us as we ask to serve as she did to all the "poor" in our midst.  Jesus we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb