From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy

One of the truly great Christians of our time was Mother Teresa.  As a young woman, she heard the call to serve the Lord.  She affirmed that call and became a nun and a teacher.  Later, she affirmed this call, this commitment, in a more direct way by devoting her life to serving the poor, the sick, and the marginalized.  In her lifetime, she gathered many dying people from the streets of Calcutta.  It did not matter if they were Hindus or Christians or Muslims or Jews.  What did matter was that they were human beings, children of God who deserved caring and love.  Her devotion to the poor and disenfranchised won the admiration of believers and non-believers alike.  What inspired her most deeply was the vision of such outcasts as sisters or brothers in Christ.  She believed that what she was doing for these outcasts, she was doing for Christ.  By coming to their assistance, she believed that she was only fulfilling the mission of the gospel.

In her work, she experienced rejection from some of the civil authorities.  But she would not be deterred.  She identified this suffering, this rejection with that of Jesus Himself.  Just recently we may have heard that she experienced, at times, great doubts of faith.  Nevertheless, despite these doubts, she persevered in her mission, and in the process, affirmed her commitment to the Lord in word and in action.  She allowed this commitment to shape her values, her goals, her behavior, and her priorities.  She is loved throughout the world because of her commitment to the Lord, a commitment she sustained over a lifetime.  Next Sunday she will be canonized as the new saint of our Church.

The following prayer reflects the spirit of the life and mission of Mother Teresa and has been attributed to her:

PEOPLE ARE OFTEN UNREASONABLE, IRRATIONAL, AND SELF-CENTERED.  

   FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY.

IF YOU ARE KIND, PEOPLE MAY ACCUSE YOU OF SELFISH, ULTERIOR MOTIVES.  

   BE KIND ANYWAY.

IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, YOU WILL WIN SOME UNFAITHFUL FRIENDS AND SOME GENUINE ENEMIES.  

   SUCCEED ANYWAY.

IF YOU ARE HONEST AND SINCERE PEOPLE MAY DECEIVE YOU.  

   BE HONEST AND SINCERE ANYWAY.

WHAT YOU SPEND YEARS CREATING, OTHERS COULD DESTROY OVERNIGHT.  

   CREATE ANYWAY.

IF YOU FIND SERENITY AND HAPPINESS, SOME MAY BE JEALOUS.  

   BE HAPPY ANYWAY.

THE GOOD YOU DO TODAY WILL OFTEN BE FORGOTTEN.  

   DO GOOD ANYWAY.

GIVE THE BEST YOU HAVE, AND IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH.  

   GIVE YOUR BEST ANYWAY.

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.  

   IT WAS NEVER BETWEEN YOU AND THEM ANYWAY.

 

Gratefully Yours in Christ,