Private letters written by Mother Teresa (1910-1997) have recently been made public, ten years after her death. Because she was both a public figure (e.g. winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979) and because her work among the poor was religiously motivated, her private thoughts are interesting to the religious and the non-religious alike.
Many of us who admired the work of Mother Teresa are not the least surprised by the difficulties, sadness and especially the doubt that she privately expressed. A few, on the other hand, are using this as a time to say I told you so, or to poke fun (I decided not to post the link here).
Mother Teresa led an on-going ministry in a tremendously difficult situation, working in conditions of hopelessness, dying, and endless need. Do her confessions of a cold heart and lack of faith mean she was just a sham? Truly God is the final judge of that, but I think we can safely say that just because you give your life to Christian service, doesn’t mean you are perfect either inside or outside or that you never have doubts. Is it hypocrisy to serve when you don’t feel like it? Or is it obedience?
We should not be surprised that Mother Teresa had doubts. She was, after all, a human sinner like the rest of us. Of course we have doubts at times. We can’t make sense of everything and we aren’t fully redeemed on this side of death. We can’t know everything. That’s why they call us believers.
The Roman Catholic Church is in the process of declaring Mother Teresa a saint. I am not a Roman Catholic and therefore I don’t give much thought to those who are sainted by their church. But if she were to be called a saint, perhaps she would become the Patron Saint of Those Who Don’t Give Up When Things Get Hard.
AMEN! She was NOT a hypocrite…she was a brilliant human who wressled with life’s most difficult trials and she did NOT GIVE UP!!
She will always be a SAINT…
Wonderful message. I think you got it right. Many may want her to be declared a hypocrite. Of the many who have been declared saints, spiritual desolation was part of their mystical experience. Jesus asked “My Lord my Lord why have you abandoned me” that sounds like a cry of anguish. Despite all these, he went on with his mission. Mother went on with her mission of mercy and love and in her mission she continued to draw strength to the point that she is now for us a role model an image of true Christian living.
Blessed as she is, indeed she teaches even now and this is a moment for all to look to our own doubt and how we respond. Do we let go or embrace God even in moments of doubt.
She was not a hypocrit. You cannot do the work she did and seeing the hopelessness and death all around you without wondering “how can a loving God do this.” The bible says we will always have the poor with us. It’s up to the church to minister to those needs as Christ did and to walk in his footsteps as Mother Teresa did. I believe had Mother Teresa not had the burinig call on her life as she did it would have been humanely impossible to witness the conditions she did and still proclaim hope to a dieing world unless she herself had experienced Jesus himself.You simply cannot do the work she did without believing in the goodness and grace of God. It was by God’s grace the world had Mother Teresa for a short time showing us his great love and mercy.
THe Bible States, “You shall know them by their fruit.” Nothing else needs to be said. Look at her life and call her a hypocrit then if you dare.
I think it is important to note that there are serious questions and concerns that have been raised regarding the ministry of Mother Teresa. I recommend reading this well written investigative article:
http://macintyre.com/content/view/533/105/
Two things, Sadie. One, a subjective report from some investigative reporter from the comforts of the U.S. has to be taken with a grain of salt. After all, one man’s abuse is another man’s limited time and resources per child. Two, consider the alternative. Instead of in an orphanage, those kids would have been on the street or dead. Were there “abuses”? Probably, as there always are in that type of environment. However, how many kids were at least temporarily saved from the ABUSE of the streets?
Like Darius, I’m a bit skeptical of an undercover reporter because their whole point is to get a scandalous story–otherwise, why go undercover? So it is hard to think he would have a neutral attitude at the start. That being said, I don’t doubt that he witnessed deplorable conditions and subpar medical care from overworked and untrained caregivers. But I also know that the depth of need in the streets of Calcutta is almost unspeakable.
To me the saddest part of Macintyre’s story was the “Apart from shrines and salutations to “Our Great Mother”, the white walls were bare.” Giving honor to the wrong person is a complaint I have with the Roman Catholic church in general.
“endurance is more important than truth.”
^^ I don’t think I have ever seen a statement I disagree with more.
I’m not sure what sonny is saying. Do the quote marks mean he is quoting someone famous? Is he being sarcastic? In any case, Truth is the most important for without it we have no reason to endure.
According to Google, sonny is quoting Charles Bukowski. The complete quotation is: “Anybody can be a non-drunk. It takes a special talent to be a drunk. It takes endurance. Endurance is more important than truth.” I’m not sure what the relevance is. Maybe sonny is implying that Mother Teresa was a drunk?
I’m confused.
It’s most disturbing to see how each and every time the Catholic church glorifies spiritual, mental and physical self induced suffering. They promote people to glorify and even worship suffering. Wounds, blood, brutalization and mental anguish are glorified and considered as a gateway to God. Why did God create a beautiful world with beautiful men and women? So that women like mohter Theresa can hide and rot in their covenants and be called saints for it? The real saints are all these women at their homes caring for their families and loving their husbands with their bodies and spirits! Let medievel distorted views of what a woman should be stop for once and for all! Let’s talk about real women. The woman next door is more of a woman than that disturbed mother Theresa!!
I’m not so sure Mother Teresa hid in a convent. If real women (and men) took care of their families, in both body and spirit, there wouldn’t be children rotting in the streets of Calcutta who need someone else’s care.
Admiring her work in no way minimizes the role of the wife and mother next door; both can be ways to honor Christ.