Mother Teresa: Love: A Fruit Always in Season

 

The above titled book had great words to me this week, so I will place excerpts here, to remember in other weeks.

“No Matter What Religion, What Matters is That We Love
               Some call Him Ishwar, some call Him Allah, some simply God, but we all have to acknowledge that it is He who made us for greater things, to love and be loved.  What matters is that we love.  We cannot love without prayer, and so whatever religion we are, we must pray together.

It is so beautiful that we complete each other.  What we are doing in the slums, maybe you cannot do.  What you are doing in the level you are called, family, college, work, we cannot do.  But you and we together are doing something beautiful for God.

My religion is everything for me, but for every individual according to the grace God has given that soul.  We must not condemn or judge or pass words that will hurt people.

All People are The Same
Looks, education, or position vary, but they are all the same.  They are people to be loved.  The people you see on the streets of India or Hong Kong are hungry in body, but the people in London or New York have also a hunger which must be satisfied.  Every person needs to be loved.

What Mother Teresa said in an interview in China about communism hit the front page of all Chinese newspapers:  “Mother Teresa says a communist is a child of God, my brother, my sister.”

We have absolutely no difficulty working in countries of many faiths, like India.  We treat all people as children of God.  They are our brothers and sisters.  We show great respect for them.  Our work is to encourage these Christians and non-Christians to do works of love.”

I don’t usually limit my blog posting to excerpts of books, but this book, this week of Pentecost --- and of Memorial Day --- are times I reflect on love, love lived out.  In this old book I have on my coffee table for occasional reads, I read her comments this week, and it summarizes my readings and thoughts from the bible and in church when alone with God.  We just need to do works of love; it is how He came and showed us to live.  Just love our neighbor.  All creatures of God, they are our family. 

I want to remember that, when I hear stories of people’s differences and wars.  It’s not something for me to be irritated in any way about, but only to pray about, praying with trust, and love.

Follow Me

 October 30 is the feast day of St. Andrew, the apostle.  Jesus said to him “follow me.”  Then Andrew went to his brother Peter and said “We have found the Messiah, that is to say, the Christ.”  It doesn’t say that Peter believed him immediately, but Andrew brought him to Jesus “to learn everything for himself.”  They both became disciples, which are committed followers; they followed to learn from The Teacher.
In today’s Office of Readings was a sermon by St. Augustine.  I have these words underlined in my book:

Let us sing alleluia here on earth, while we still live in anxiety, so that we may  sing it one day in heaven in full security.  Why do we now live in anxiety?  Can   you expect me not to feel anxious when there are so many temptations here below that prayer itself reminds us of them, when we say: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us?  Every day we make our petition; every day we sin.  Do you want me to feel secure when I am daily asking pardon for my sins, and requesting help in time of trial? … Deliver us from evil:  And yes, brothers, while we are still in the midst of this evil, let us sing alleluia to the good God who delivers us from evil.

Scripture does not say that he will not allow you to be tried, but that he will not allow you to be tried beyond your strength.  You have entered upon a time of trial but you will come to no harm --- God’s help will bring you through it safely.  You are like a piece of pottery, shaped by instruction, fired by tribulation.  When you are put into the over therefore, keep your thoughts on the time when you will be taken out again; for God is faithful, and He will guard both your going in and your coming out.

Keep on making progress.  This progress, however, must be in virtue, for there  are some, the Apostle warns, whose only progress is in vice.  Sing then, but keep going.

And then I read this short reflection by Mother Teresa of Calcutta (in Love, A Fruit Always in Season):

God is the friend of silence.  We need to find God, but we cannot find Him in noise, in excitement.  See how nature, the trees, the flowers, the grass grow in deep silence.  See how the stars, the moon and the sun move in silence.
The more we receive in our silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.  Silence gives us a new way at looking at everything.  We need this silence in order to touch souls.  The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and what He says through us.

These works I read all spoke to me of my making progress in my relationship with Jesus.  You don’t immediately become friends with anyone, nor do you get to know them if you are focused on events of the world or your own concerns (like Peter’s fishing).   He said: “Follow Me.”  The disciples don’t tell Jesus what to do.  They listen.  They try to understand what He is teaching.  And, Mother Teresa reminds us that today, we listen and ponder His word, but also all His creation.  Through all these things He speaks; we listen.
“Follow Me”

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And sometimes I listen to Him through my friends.  So today I put up my Christmas tree as they insisted (and most of the ornaments).  It doesn’t seem to mean as much to me, nor some ornaments on it from friends in the 1980’s.  But others see it also, and like it or not, it sets a tone around me which I can’t ignore, kind of like silence.  It’s the world’s problems I need to ignore.  It is surprising how many people have stopped watching television, and how many are turning off their phones --- even if only to pray in silence.  Walmart got rid of the children’s sex toys from its stores, and dropped sex mandates from their suppliers.  A radical agenda quickly overtook our country and our culture, perhaps it is slowly turning.  
And perhaps next Thanksgiving children will again come to be with their parents to celebrate and give thanks.

Being Joyful

 

On the way to and from Sunday mass, I drive through the village of Dixboro, Michigan.  There, sometimes as I pass by an old cemetery, I glance at all the headstones and pray a prayer for the long-forgotten souls buried therein.  This morning, I noticed a sign as I neared Dixboro, a sign which I have passed by dozens of times, only this morning I took note of the words: “Founded 1824”, exactly 200 years ago.  So, after mass I stopped at that cemetery, and as I walked among those old head-stones I prayed a rosary for the souls buried there.  Many of those stones were worn beyond reading, but one said that the man buried there had been born in 1801!  I wonder, will someone 200 years from now ever stop to pray for me?

Sunday afternoon I went to the adoration chapel I usually visit.  In front of the nearby church I noticed a small tent where some cub-scouts, in uniform, were selling hanging planters.  Since I had not bought any flowers for my porch and deck yet, I went over to them.  When I said I’d like to buy a few, the young boys were very enthusiastic about picking out “the right ones” for me.  After helping me put the flowers in my car, they went back to the tent and I entered the chapel, but I was only there for a moment when the thought came to me: they would be sending a strong message if they marched behind the Eucharist in procession around the downtown park in a few weeks on Corpus Christi Sunday.  I went back outside, and proposed the idea to the scoutmaster, but it was the boys who quickly replied: “Oh, could we?!!”  And there were lots of smiles on their faces.  So I went back into the chapel, smiling myself.  I had resolved to put more joy into my life; oh, this was what joy felt like.

Inside, I spoke to Jesus, and how I now so understood His love for the little ones.  I began reading Day 1 of a novena prayer to Saint Teresa of Calcutta.  It was titled: One at a Time, and the words spoke of how every single person was important to her.  And it ended with this reflection:

“Take time to ponder your life.  Are you in too much of a hurry?  Can you take concrete steps to slow down and love within the present moments of your life so as to be more attentive to needs around you?  Perhaps you can put this on your “to do” list and then make it happen.  At least three times a day pause, and immerse yourself right into the present moment.  Bless yourself with the powerful Sign of the Cross.  Offer God a simple heartfelt prayer: Jesus, help me to live in this moment.  Jesus, I trust in you!  Try not to worry about yesterday or tomorrow.  Live right now.  What could God be asking you in this moment?  After a while you will be more able to consciously stop and pray, and to become aware of the moment.  Ask Mother Teresa to be more aware of needs in those present moments, as well as to listen to God’s whispers to your soul.”

On this Mother’s Day holiday, I recalled how “Mother Teresa” said her focus was always on “that one in need in front of me.”  And despite all the horrible poverty and abandoned children on the streets of Calcutta, she conveyed a joy to all she met, and found joy in the darkest of situations.

I experienced joy today, and I liked it.  I’ll continue to work at getting and giving it more.  If I am trying to live like Jesus, I know that’s a key part of it.  Smile, even in hard times, and perhaps especially at those in need of a smile.         

Love Finds Ways to Love

 

My prayer petitions to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and my readings of her life, have opened my eyes to things around me I hadn’t noticed before.  She said: “Love the person in front of you.”  My eyes have been opened to how often I fail to do that, if not downright ignore the person in front of me.

The easy-to-see occasions are when someone says they need something from me, whether money, a ride, or some time.  It’s easy to check my wallet or my calendar and quickly respond: “Sorry I can’t help today”, and totally forget them.  Also, easy-to-see occasions are those where we see someone struggling with a walker, or too many packages, or even the guy wandering around the parking lot, obviously looking for where he parked his car.  It’s easy to turn away from their struggles.  And sometimes we need to really SEE the person in front of us, to see their shabby clothes, or notice the way they are favoring their arm, or talking with a rasping voice.  These people don’t tell us of their monetary needs, or their recent surgery, or their upcoming surgery, or of their soon-to-end life, unless we ask.  And sometimes we need to notice that person who is always in the adoration chapel or stays long after mass to pray.  All these are people are in voice, action, or appearance saying to us --- if we are listening --- “I need.”

Their saying “I need” is the Jesus within them saying “I thirst”; I thirst for you.    

In today’s Gospel the man asked Jesus “But who is my neighbor?”  Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan, who helped the man he saw in need by the side of the road.  He just helped him.  That was the good neighbor.  That’s what Mother Teresa was saying that she did (and advised us to do), “Love the person in front of you.”

The Good Samaritan mended and found lodging for the man by the side of the road.  But how do we love those we see in need of love? The first step is to stop, and focus on them; don’t pass them by.  That sounds obvious and simple, but I’m also coming to learn that it is much easier to focus on myself, or focus any conversation on myself or what I can do for them.  But loving them says they are important; and people need love.  Letting them talk, and listening, says loudly that we think them important.  Even if the people we focus on only feel we are acting out of mercy, love is a form of mercy.  By focusing on the one in front of us, we are loving our neighbor.

Love finds ways to love.

I think the greatest prayer people are praying these days is to ask for God’s mercy; It’s as if we were asking Him to focus on us.  He is already focused on us; He was there waiting for us to call.  That’s what love does; it focuses on the one loved.  And He has always loved us, and always will.