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She was an internationally powerful woman who lived among the poorest and powerless of people. She could summon help from heads of state with a phone call, lecture them on policies she believed were morally wrong when she was their guest, and then return to those no one else would help, touch, or even notice.
While most talk about what should be done she did what she believed was her responsibility every moment of her life. She cared for those who needed care unconditionally, and it is this that causes me to place her above the others. There was no we and they, no us and their, for her there were only people who needed care.
She was Catholic, I say so what. To categorize her with any confining label is to insult her and her life's work. She did not offer her care based upon religion, or a person's view of their God. She was criticized by The Roman Catholic Church for not converting those she helped, for not seeing that more of those that no one else cared about were baptized.
The dandified occupants of The Vatican whose custom tailored frocks would feed hundreds of people were concerned with what was and is of no value, they still pompously howl at the moon that their religion is the only true way. While they were offering a jeweled ring to be kissed, The Mother was caring for a Leper, or for one who was dying, for she believed no one should die alone.
One of my favorite stories...
One of her buildings was near a shrine, and the Monks wanted her and her inconvenient destitute patients evicted. They wanted nothing to do with leprosy, death, and reality. They brought the appropriate Magistrate to tell The Mother she would have to move. They entered the building and located The Mother tending to a patient. There was a pause, and the Magistrate announced that when the Monks were prepared to do her work, he would ask her to leave. At the time of the visit The Mother was using tweezers to remove live maggots from the face of a person brought in off the street. The fact that no Monk stepped forward is no surprise; the fact that eventually more than one of those same Monks died in her care is the most perfect of ironies, and a great tribute to this woman. Health and well-being bring arrogance. When death approached they sought The Mother's care. There was no doubt she would provide it, she was free from hypocrisy.
Mr. Navin Chawla has written eloquently about this wonder of a person before, and this time his words are complimented by the exceptional photography of Mr. Raghu Rai. There are many books about Mother Teresa, and even more that she wrote herself. If you buy only one, this volume gives you her words, the words of her biographer, and the pictures of a very talented photographer.
This woman was more important than a given named faith, she did not give her life to the helping of Catholics, she helped anyone who needed her WITHOUT DISTINCTION. She did not qualify her love, classify those deserving of her time, or impose her beliefs on those that needed her.
She represented and represents all that a human can be, and how absurd it is to label a given faith, or hold it above that of another. She transcended all religious boundaries, did so without distinction, and her actions were beyond any reproach.
She was a woman of faith who offered the world a reason to still believe that hope actually meant something, and unconditional love exists. If History is any indication we will learn little from her, from this gift that was given to all. We will continue to divide into groups, argue about theological minutiae to which there are no absolute truths. And we will continue to slaughter using religion as justification, whether we are the killers or the victims.
I hope I am wrong, I fear I am not.
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The readings take less than a minute a day, but the idea is one that can be chewed on all day long. I learned from Mother Teresa that the greatest poverty in the world in not want of food but want of love. I learned from her that love is unlimited, is diffusive of itself. When we give love we don't divide, we double. I learned from her not to give just from the tips of my fingers, but of my substance, and of myself.
What wisdom this great lady had, born of her love and her humilty. In summary, this book is a treasure.
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She once took my hands in hers and said to me, "Love is giving, so go love. Don't use words where your hands can speak better." Mother was love. Her two gnarled hands stretched out to bring selfless, pure love to the orphan, the dying, the despised. At the entrance to the leprosarium there is a notice which reads: "Where there is great love, there are always great miracles."
This small, 116-page booklet cannot capture the immensity of Mother's love for all humanity, but it can give you a sampling of her spirit. The 35 black-and-white photos of Mother Teresa along with her words of wisdom make this an excellent gift or just a book to put in your pocket and read daily, while commuting, waiting in a line, or somewhere in our love-starved world. Highly recommend.
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Ms. Kelly's writing is direct; yet her images are so colorful that they enfold the reader in a world of intense suffering and poverty that is nevertheless surrounded by great joy and spiritual celebration. _The Camel Knows the Way_ amused, distressed and ultimately taught me much about Lorna Kelly, Mother Teresa and myself.
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I'm sure that she would shy away from all this praise. Yet truly she is a reflection of her Savior, which is her heart's desire. This strange and unearthly power she has to affect lives with nothing more than her presence perhaps can help us understand how an illiterate carpenter from the backwaters of the world managed to split history in half and utterly turn the world upside down. When you draw near to God, even just a reflection of Him, you cannot help but be changed.
What I love most about Mother Teresa, what inspires and challenges me the most, is her ability, maybe even insistence, in seeing Christ in the poor and destitute that she cared for. He said 'whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me' and she takes it seriously -- and the result is beautiful beyond comparison. It makes my heart leap.
Thank you, Lord, for sending us a woman like your servant Teresa to remind us of your face, your call, and your love. We are eternally grateful.