Subject: 2014 CFCUSA – Lent: The Most ACTION-packed
Time of the Year
Aka Operation Easter Blessings (ROH#6)
Dear CFC Family:
From the most PONDER-full to the most
ACTION-packed time of the year!
This for us is Lent, the CFC way! Our
Mission: Operation Easter Blessings (more on this later)!
As we continue our Lenten journey with
fervent prayer through quiet meditation, Scripture readings, the Holy Rosary,
Eucharistic Adoration and daily Mass; as well as through acts of penance or
fasting - of the eyes, tongue, palate and most importantly turning away from
sin, now is the time to put into concrete action the fruit of these Lenten
observances- ALMSGIVING.
This
Lent, God is giving us the opportunity to do something beautiful for
Him….through CFC, through ANCOP…by Building the Church of the Poor.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was able to
accomplish her calling of serving the poor because she knew her identity. She
stated:
“By blood and origin, I am Albanian. My
citizenship is Indian. I am a Catholic Nun. As to my calling, I belong to the
whole world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”
She added, “Your
vocation is not to work for the poor. Your vocation is to belong to Jesus. The
work for the poor is only your love for Christ in action … That is the
completion of your vocation, of your belonging to Christ.”
Why ANCOP? There are lots of “the Poor”,
the poor of Haiti, the poor of Ethiopia, the poor supported by the various
Catholic groups like Food for the Poor or Gawad Kalinga. But right now, God has
gifted us with our beautiful community of CFC and He has given us our own poor
to love, our own children to educate, our own homeless to provide shelter, our
own sick to heal….God gave us ANCOP.
How have we (CFC USA) responded last
year (2013) as a community of believers in giving life opportunity to the poor
through education with our Child Sponsorship Program (CSP)? God gave us a goal
of 1,600 students in need. We responded with 543 students. That’s 34% of the goal. That’s less than 10% of our CFC USA members
who availed of this wonderful opportunity to give back to God. God deserves much,
much more from us.
What is our plan to achieve or even
surpass our 2014 goal of 2,450 (from 1,600) CSP students and 200 Community
Development Program (CDP) homes?
Operation
Easter Blessings!
Let us all pray that each CFC couple, each
Handmaid of the Lord, each Servant of the Lord and each Single for Christ adopt
and sponsor (or pledge to adopt/sponsor)
at least one child for the ANCOP Child Sponsorship program by
the end of the Easter season culminating in the birthday of our Church –
Pentecost Sunday (June 8, 2014)!
Let us
all pray that each CFC-Y youth and KFC kid will share his/her allowance and
savings so that each CFCY and KFC Chapter
can adopt/sponsor at least one child each by the end of the Easter season
culminating in the birthday of our Church – Pentecost Sunday (June 8, 2014)!
In addition, let us pray that each CFC, HOLD,
SOLD, CFCY, KFC Chapter enthusiastically and prayerfully discern, plan and implement at least one major
activity to raise awareness and funds for the ANCOP Community Development
Program (CDP) by the end of 2014.
The key to the success of Operation Easter Blessings is instant obedience. It may hurt for
some but God is asking- Do you TRUST me? I urge you brothers and sisters to act on it
NOW by clicking on or typing http://www.ancopusa.org/sponsor
By the end of the Easter season, we can
all be a great blessing to thousands of poor children and hundreds of in-need
families, and knowing how we can never outdo the generosity of God, I am
positive that God will shower us with a deluge of blessings in this life and
for all eternity! May Our Blessed
Mother’s “Yes” be our “Yes!”
In Christ through Mary,
Bro. Toffee Jeturian
P.S. This and all previous Reflections of the
Heart letters are available at our CFC USA website at http://www.couplesforchristusa.org/index.php/resources/reflections-of-the-heart
Pastoral Formation Materials: April 2014
Theme/Topic of the Month:
Lent: It’s the most “ACTION-packed” time of the year!
Aka Operation Easter Blessings
Scripture Passages of
the Month:
Matthew 25:40 “Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you do to the least of your
brethren, you do unto me.”
Teaching of the Month:
Lent to the Max: ALMSGIVING and Building the Church of the Poor
(Part 3 of a 3-part series) (See attachment)
Discussion Questions of the Month:
What emotions does the
existence of poverty in the world stir up in your heart? What might need to
change in your heart in order to respond to the cry of the poor?
Song of the Month:
Fearless composed by Bimbo Yerro (CFC)
(Beautiful song composed by our very own CFC Bimbo Yerro. Suggest you listen to and meditate on the
song before going through the teaching; see attachment for song lyrics) Click
on the link below.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Paragraphs of the Month:
Love for the Poor CCC 2544-2547
(See attachment)
Saint-to-be of the Month:
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, now
of Heaven
(See attachment)
Prayer of the month:
Lenten Prayer (See attachment)
Media (TV/CD/Book/Movie) of the Month:
Passion of the Christ (by Mel Gibson)
(Note: Watch this movie ALONE preferably during Holy Week. Make this your one-on-one with Jesus)
iPhone/Smartphone App of the
month:
iBreviary (FREE App)
(See attachment)
“Faith without Action is Dead”
Application of the month:
Operation Easter Blessings
Theme/Topic of the Month:
Lent: It’s the Most “ACTION-packed” time of the Year!
Teaching of the Month:
Lent to the Max: ALMSGIVING and Building the Church of the Poor
(Part 3 of a 3-part series)
(Please start by reading the cover letter
(ROH#6))
In last month’s
teaching, we outlined how to live out a fruitful Lent through an intense and
fervent prayer life followed by the practice of fasting/penance which gives
power to ones’ prayer life--- prayer that can move mountains and conquer
victories as in the example of Jesus and his band of disciples, King David and
his strong and mighty army, Moses and Aaron and the Israelites, etc..
ALMSGIVING is
the last part in our Trilogy of living our Lent. Another name for
“Almsgiving” is the practice of charity. Charity has two dimensions: the
vertical pointing to our relationship with God and the horizontal, our
relationship with our neighbor. St John reminds us: “How can we say that we love God who we do not see if we hate our
neighbor who we do see!” (1John 4:20) Of course, this Biblical passage
reminds us of the clear and objective reality that God can be found in many
places but primarily in our neighbor.
Jesus put it bluntly: “Whatsoever
you do to the least of my brethren, you have done unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).
At
his first audience on March 16, 2013, Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) told
journalists that he had chosen the name in honor of Saint
Francis of Assisi, and had done so because he was especially concerned for
the well-being
of the poor. He explained
that, as it was becoming clear during the conclave voting that he would be
elected the new bishop of Rome, the Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio
Hummes had embraced him and whispered, "Don't
forget the poor", which had made Bergoglio think of the saint. Bergoglio had previously expressed his
admiration for St. Francis, explaining that “He
brought to Christianity an idea of poverty against the luxury, pride, vanity of
the civil and ecclesiastical powers of the time. He changed history."
Pope Benedict XVI
constantly called to mind the importance of love, charity, and respect for our
neighbor as well as almsgiving. Three of
the writings of Pope Benedict specifically addressed the topic of charity---
another name for supernatural love.
First was the Pope’s 1st
encyclical that carries the title “God is
love” (coincidentally, our CLP talk # 1 is about God’s Love). The Holy
Father wrote and published on the importance of love. Incidentally, this is the
most purchased encyclical in the history of the Church. The Holy Father, as universal teacher to the
world, highlighted the essence of who God is--- God is love. We were created due to the overflowing love
of God; we are created to be loved; we are created to respond by giving love
and loving others; finally we are called to die in love and live loving God for
all eternity in Heaven where love is total and supreme!
Second, Pope Benedict
XVI also promulgated an Apostolic Exhortation with the title “The Sacrament of Charity”. This masterpiece offers us the means by
which we can truly live out the Gospel of love and it is through receiving the
love of Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Holy Communion. By carrying
out this most sublime action of Holy Communion, then by receiving the love of
Jesus in Holy Communion (we actually receive the most Sacred Heart of Jesus in
the Sacred Host), we are made capable of loving with the same love with which
God loved us!
Finally, Pope Benedict
XVI also stressed on the importance of ALMSGIVING--- the third practice that
Jesus suggests in the Gospel for Ash Wednesday. The Holy Father reminds us of
the poor widow who gave her minimal monetary offering to the temple as an icon
or model for the whole world. The message!
Jesus does not so much fix His attention on the enormity of the economic
contribution but on the purity of heart, purity of intention and the mere
willingness to give. A famous preacher (Adrian Rogers) summarized on this
point: “God chooses small people with small things, but with great hearts to
work marvelous miracles through them.
With this ecclesial
and Biblical introduction on charity related to almsgiving, as is our style,
let us plunge into the depths of God’s love by offering five concrete
suggestions on how to give alms, how to give until it hurts, how to live out
the “Gospel of love!”
1.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.
There is a powerful Spanish proverb: “Candil
en la calle, oscuridad en la casa.” Translation:
“A burning candle outside in the street, but darkness in the home!” The meaning?
Someone can be the kindest and most charitable individual in town, with
his friends and co-workers, with CFC brethren and fellow parishioners, but at
home he is the opposite. In other words,
he is ready to help everybody and at any time, except his own family.
Proposal for Lent: Try to be kind,
loving, meek and soft-spoken starting with the members in your own family!
Remember the proverb: “Charity begins at
home!”
2.
GIVE YOUR TIME TO YOUR LOVED ONES! Another non-material way to give alms is
simply to give generously your time to your loved-ones, family members, CFC
members under your care, or somebody who has a lonely and broken heart. The art of listening is a precious art, but
few are experts at it! As parents to our children and CFC servant leaders to
members under our care, we must always be ready to give our time, attention,
and charity to those God has given to us to love, shepherd and care for,
especially those who are lonely, abandoned, and broken-hearted. How often, in
dealing in tense pastoral situations with the depressed and lonely, to simply
lend a listening ear can pull the individual (your teen in the verge of deep
depression) or CFC couple (in the process of divorce proceedings) out of the
pit of despair so as to shine in their hearts the rays of God’s hope!
Proposal for Lent: Parents and CFC Servant leaders, be faithful to
our one on ones with our spouse, children, CFC members under your care. Let us
stop being just “functional” parents to our children or “administrative”
leaders to our CFC brethren (i.e. you missed 3 assemblies, 2 teachings and 4
and a half household meetings last year…), instead, be pastoral leaders to
those God has given to us to love and nurture. Sometimes, if there is a major
issue with our children or CFC members, we are usually the last to know and by
the time we know it, from someone else, it is too late to do anything.
Dear CFC members, make
time for your CFC Servant Leaders and do not make excuses and when one on ones
are schedule, and be open to them as they have been anointed by God to be
“Christ” to you.
Let us all put those
one on ones (or two on twos) in our calendars NOW and push through with it. We
will all be glad we did it … and so will our God!
3. KIND
WORDS! The enemy loves to sow
discouragement — but we have a tool much more powerful — encouragement! How important a kind, loving, charitable,
humble and uplifting word. Words can
tear us down or they can build us up. In the words of St Bonaventure, “We should speak in three occasions: to praise God, accuse ourselves, and to edify
(that is to lift up our neighbor)”. St.
Francis de Sales stated: “One can attract
more flies with a teaspoon of honey than a barrel of vinegar.” God himself was most encouraging with His own
Son. And a voice came from the heavens,
saying, "This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17).
Proposal
for Lent: Speak uplifting words especially into the lives
of those who desperately need to hear it: to our spouse who may feel
unappreciated, to our children who may feel misunderstood, to our household
members who may be having marital problems, to the CLP Team leader who may feel
alone in the harvest field; to the disillusioned newlywed young couple; to the
forgotten servants of God who labor in an obscure and difficult ministry; to
the orphans and the widows; to all those who need to hear a word in due season!
We have the power in our lips to rekindle a discouraged soul. One troubled
teenager wrote: “Maybe one person in a
thousand years dies of too much praise, but every minute, a kid dies inside
from lack of it.”
4.
CORPORAL WORKS OF
MERCY. Read the Gospel of Matthew,
chapter 25:31-45. In this you will find
the “Corporal Works of Mercy”. Feeding
the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the
homeless, visiting the sick or prisoner--- all are the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Some months ago, during my quiet time with God, I pondered on
how I can “visit the imprisoned” if I did not know anyone personally who was in
jail. Prisoners are
often “invisible” to us. But Pope Francis called our attention to the plight of
prisoners on Holy Thursday last year, when he washed the feet of twelve young
detainees at the Casa del Marmo detention center in Rome. “Washing your feet means I am at your service,” he said to them. “Help one another. This is what Jesus
teaches us.” Pope Francis vividly demonstrated God’s love for prisoners and
challenges us to do likewise. I then became a Word Among Us Ministry for
Prisoners Partner. The Word Among Us is a monthly Catholic publication that I
have personally subscribed for many, many years now and have helped me in my
walk with God. Prisoners need our love and support. They ache to do simple
things: visit their parents, shop for school supplies and new clothes, shoot
hoops with their son, braid their daughter’s hair, hug their child goodbye on
the first day of school and welcome them home again. But they can’t.
Incarceration devastates families. Many prisoners have suffered broken
relationships because of their bad choices and the distance created by
imprisonment. Some wait years for reconciliation that never comes. And yet, these men and women have amazing
faith. Some have served many, many years and still have joy and hope in the
Lord! Lives have been healed and transformed by the love of God through prayer,
Scripture, and reading The Word Among Us. What a blessing! You
may wonder, “How is The Word Among Us used behind bars?” A lot of them
start their day by reading it. Many use it as a Bible study. Many more share
what they are learning with other prisoners and their families. Over 11,000 partners
are touching the lives of 57,000 prisoners every day made possible by the love
for prisoners and continued financial support of this ministry. Just one way of
fulfilling Jesus’ words, “I was in
prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:36).
Proposal for Lent: As with last month’s
Pastoral Formation Materials, continue to pray over the Corporal Works of Mercy
and beg the Holy Spirit to discover which of these God is calling you to live
out in this Lent!
“Speak O Lord for your
servant is listening!”
You can visit The Word
Among Us at www.wau.org
5.
ALMSGIVING: MATERIAL GOODS!
Pope Francis stated: “The times talk to us of so much poverty in the world and
this is a scandal. Poverty in the world is a scandal. In a world where there is
so much wealth, so many resources to feed everyone, it is unfathomable that
there are so many hungry children, that there are so many children without an
education, so many poor persons. Poverty today is a cry.”
If you can give alms,
monetarily to the church, the poor or some charitable institution (ANCOP), then
give with generosity and trust in Divine Providence. The key to giving is the
keen realization that the giving is really being done to Jesus Himself. Indeed
Jesus is truly present in the poor, the sick, the hungry and thirsty, and the
sick and incarcerated. “Whatsoever you do
to the least of my brethren, you do unto me.”
Giving to the poor is more than giving money to a cause, but more
importantly placing trust in a loving, caring and a Providential God, who said:
“Look at the birds of the air and the
lilies of the field….and, Seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you
beside…” (Sermon on the Mount Mt.
6:25-34). If we generously and with limitless trust give to God in the poor He
will give and provide abundantly for all of our needs! TRUST! TRUST!! TRUST!!!
Proposal for Lent: Accomplish Operation Easter Blessings.
Let us all pray that
each CFC couple, each Handmaid of the Lord, each Servant of the Lord and each
Single for Christ adopt and sponsor (or pledge to adopt/sponsor) at
least one child for the ANCOP Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) by the
end of the Easter season culminating in the birthday of our Church – Pentecost
Sunday (June 8, 2014)!
Let us all pray that each CFC-Y youth and KFC
kid will share his/her allowance and savings so that each CFCY and KFC Chapter can adopt/sponsor at
least one child each by the end of the Easter season culminating in the
birthday of our Church – Pentecost Sunday (June 8, 2014)!
In addition, let us
pray that each CFC, HOLD, SOLD, CFCY, KFC Chapter enthusiastically plan and
implement at least one major activity to raise awareness and funds for
the ANCOP Community Development Program (CDP) by the end of 2014.
God is giving us this opportunity to do something beautiful for
Him. How can we say “No”?
The key to the success of Operation Easter Blessings is instant obedience. It may hurt for
some but God is asking- Do you TRUST me? I urge you brothers and sisters to act on it
NOW by clicking on or typing this
website link: http://www.ancopusa.org/sponsor
Another important Lenten proposal is to make
sure we avail of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation to sincerely repent of the times when we failed to show love
to our God and to our neighbor.
In conclusion, to
rejoice in the Risen Lord Jesus on Easter Sunday and during the Easter week
(the Octave) and in the fifty days of the Easter Season, culminating in
Pentecost Sunday, we must live fervently, generously, and with total trust this
Lent. Therefore, let us pray with all
our hearts, sacrifice to the point of “giving until it hurts” and loving with
the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the poor, our own poor of ANCOP. God will shower
you with a deluge of blessings in this life and for all eternity! May our Blessed
Mother’s “Yes” be our “Yes!”
Special thanks to Fr. Ed Broom OVM
Song of the
Month: Fearless by Bimbo Yerro (CFC)
(Beautiful song composed by our very own CFC Bimbo Yerro. Suggest you listen to and meditate on the
song before going through the teaching; see attachment for song lyrics) Click
on the link below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X1pP6mOEsg
Let Your hope arise
And be the light into the eyes of the hopeless
Back In Your arms, in Your love unfailing
Faith and joy collide
And overwhelm what I desire
That I will want, nothing more.
For You are everything
Pre-Chorus:
For God is all enough
And in Him I will remain
Chorus:
Lord You are fearless
You died to save my soul
A heart so selfless
My sins You conquered all
God in Your grace now
Oh I will do the same
To be as fearless
To stand and to proclaim
Bridge:
In your name, we trust
In the hope of rising again
Into love, your will be done
And be the light into the eyes of the hopeless
Back In Your arms, in Your love unfailing
Faith and joy collide
And overwhelm what I desire
That I will want, nothing more.
For You are everything
Pre-Chorus:
For God is all enough
And in Him I will remain
Chorus:
Lord You are fearless
You died to save my soul
A heart so selfless
My sins You conquered all
God in Your grace now
Oh I will do the same
To be as fearless
To stand and to proclaim
Bridge:
In your name, we trust
In the hope of rising again
Into love, your will be done
Catechism of the Catholic
Church Paragraphs of the month: CCC 2544-2547
VI. Love for
the Poor
2443
God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn
away from them: “Give to him who begs from you, do not refuse him who would
borrow from you”; “you received without pay, give without pay.” It is by what
they have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones.233 When “the poor have the good news preached to
them,” it is the sign of Christ’s presence.
2444
“The Church’s love for the poor... is a part of her constant tradition.” This
love is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes, of the poverty of Jesus, and
of his concern for the poor.235 Love for the poor is even one of the motives
for the duty of working so as to “be able to give to those in need.” It extends
not only to material poverty but also to the many forms of cultural and
religious poverty.
2445
Love for the poor is incompatible with immoderate love of riches or their
selfish use: Come now, you rich, weep
and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and
your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust
will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid
up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your
fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in
luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.
2446
St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this: “Not to enable the poor to share
in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we
possess are not ours, but theirs.” “The demands of justice must be satisfied
first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a
gift of charity”: When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them
what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a
debt of justice.
2447
The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of
our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising,
consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and
bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in
feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the
sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.243 Among all these, giving alms to the poor is
one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice
pleasing to God: He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and
he who has food must do likewise. But give for alms those things which are
within; and behold, everything is clean for you. If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack
of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and
filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it
profit?
2448
“In its various forms—material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and
psychological illness and death—human misery is the obvious sign of the
inherited condition of frailty and need for salvation in which man finds
himself as a consequence of original sin. This misery elicited the compassion
of Christ the Savior, who willingly took it upon himself and identified himself
with the least of his brethren. Hence, those who are oppressed by poverty are
the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her
origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to
work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of
charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere.”
2449
Beginning with the Old Testament, all kinds of juridical measures (the jubilee
year of forgiveness of debts, prohibition of loans at interest and the keeping
of collateral, the obligation to tithe, the daily payment of the day-laborer,
the right to glean vines and fields) answer the exhortation of Deuteronomy:
“For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, ‘You
shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in the
land.’” Jesus makes these words his own: “The poor you always have with you,
but you do not always have me.” In so doing he does not soften the vehemence of
former oracles against “buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of
sandals... ,” but invites us to recognize his own presence in the poor who are
his brethren: When her mother reproached her for caring for the poor and the
sick at home, St. Rose of Lima said to her: “When we serve the poor and the
sick, we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we
serve Jesus
Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church
Saint-to-be of the month:
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
The remarkable woman
who would be known as Mother Theresa began life named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu.
Born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, she was the youngest child born to Nikola
and Drane Bojaxhiu, Receiving her First Communion at the age of five, she was
confirmed in November 1916. Her father died while she was only eight years old
leaving her family in financial straits.
Gonxha's religious
formation was assisted by the vibrant Jesuit parish of the Sacred Heart in
which she was very involved as a youth.
Subsequently moved
to pursue missionary work, Gonxha left her home in September 1928 at the age of
18 to join the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Sisters of
Loreto, in Ireland. She received the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese
of Lisieux. In December of 1929, she departed for her first trip to India,
arriving in Calcutta. After making her First Profession of Vows in May 1931,
Sister Teresa was assigned to the Loreto Entally community in Calcutta and
taught at St. Mary's School for girls.
Sister Teresa made
her Final Profession of Vows, on May 24, 1937, becoming, as she said, the
"spouse of Jesus" for "all eternity." From that time on she
was called Mother Teresa.
She continued
teaching at St. Mary's and in 1944 became the school's principal. Mother
Teresa's twenty years in Loreto were filled with profound happiness. Noted for
her charity, unselfishness and courage, her capacity for hard work and a
natural talent for organization, she lived out her consecration to Jesus, in
the midst of her companions, with fidelity and joy.
It was on September
10, 1946 during a train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat,
Mother Teresa received her "inspiration, her call within a call." On
that day, in a way she would never explain, Jesus' thirst for love and for
souls took hold of her heart and the desire to satiate His thirst became the
driving force of her life.
By means of interior
locutions and visions, Jesus revealed to her the desire of His heart for
"victims of love" who would "radiate His love on souls."
"Come be My light,'"He begged her. "I cannot go alone."
Jesus revealed His pain at the neglect of the poor, His sorrow at their ignorance of Him and His longing for their love. He asked Mother Teresa to establish a religious community, Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor.
Nearly two years of
testing and discernment passed before Mother Teresa received permission to
begin. On August 17, 1948, she dressed for the first time in a white,
blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved Loreto convent
to enter the world of the poor.
After a short course
with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta
and found temporary lodging with the Little Sisters of the Poor. On December
21, she went for the first time to the slums. She visited families, washed the
sores of some children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed
a woman dying of hunger and tuberculosis. She started each day with communion
then went out, rosary in her hand, to find and serve Him amongst "the
unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for." After some months, she was
joined, one by one, by her former students.
On October 7, 1950
the new congregation of the Missionaries of Charity was officially established
in the Archdiocese of Calcutta. By the early 1960s, Mother Teresa began to send
her Sisters to other parts of India. The Decree of Praise granted to the
Congregation by Pope Paul VI in February 1965 encouraged her to open a house in
Venezuela. It was soon followed by foundations in Rome and Tanzania and,
eventually, on every continent. Starting in 1980 and continuing through the
1990s, Mother Teresa opened houses in almost all of the communist countries,
including the former Soviet Union, Albania and Cuba.
In order to respond
better to both the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, Mother Teresa
founded the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1963, in 1976 the contemplative
branch of the Sisters, in 1979 the Contemplative Brothers, and in 1984 the
Missionaries of Charity Fathers.
Mother Theresa's
inspiration was not limited to those with religious vocations. She formed the
Co-Workers of Mother Teresa and the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, people of
many faiths and nationalities with who she shared her spirit of prayer,
simplicity, sacrifice and her apostolate of humble works of love.
This spirit later
inspired the Lay Missionaries of Charity. In answer to the requests of many
priests, in 1981 Mother Teresa also began the Corpus Christi Movement for
Priests as a "little way of holiness" for those who desire to share
in her charisma and spirit.
During the years of
rapid growth the world began to turn its eyes towards Mother Teresa and the
work she had started. Numerous awards, beginning with the Indian Padmashri
Award in 1962 and notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, honored her work,
while an increasingly interested media began to follow her activities. She
received both prizes and attention 'for the glory of God and in the name of the
poor."
There was a heroic
side of this great woman that was revealed only after her death. Hidden from
all eyes, even from those closest to her, was her interior life marked by an
experience of a deep, painful and abiding feeling of being separated from God,
even rejected by Him, along with an ever increasing longing for His love. She
called her inner experience, the darkness. The "painful night" of her
soul, which began around the time she started her work for the poor and
continued to the end of her life, led Mother Teresa to an ever more profound
union with God. Through the darkness she mystically participated in the thirst
of Jesus, in His painful and burning longing for love, and she shared in the
interior desolation of the poor.
In spite of
increasingly severe health problems towards the end of her life, Mother Teresa
continued to govern her Society and respond to the needs of the poor and the
Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa's Sisters numbered nearly 4,000 members and were
established in 610 foundations in 123 countries of the world. In March 1997 she
blessed her newly-elected successor as Superior General of the Missionaries of
Charity and then made one more trip abroad. After meeting Pope John Paul II for
the last time, she returned to Calcutta and spent her final weeks receiving
visitors and instructing her Sisters.
On September 5,
Mother Teresa's earthly life came to an end. She was given the honor of a state
funeral by the Government of India and her body was buried in the Mother House
of the Missionaries of Charity. Her tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage
and prayer for people of all faiths, rich and poor alike.
Mother Teresa left a
testament of unshakable faith, invincible hope and extraordinary charity. Her
response to Jesus' plea, "Come be My light," made her a Missionary of
Charity, a "mother to the poor," a symbol of compassion to the world,
and a living witness to the thirsting love of God. As a testament to her most
remarkable life, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of
Canonization. On December 20, 2002 he approved the decrees of her heroic
virtues and miracles
Lord, open my eyes and my heart to those who are
poor. Let me see you in those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, alone, hurt,
and afraid. I know you can be hiding
behind the unattractive disguise of my poor neighbor, and the many lonely
people I encounter. Do not allow mw to disgrace your loving gift to me by
giving way to selfishness, coldness, unkindness or indifference. Make me do for
others what I do for you. Show me how to help and serve them in your name. Like
Blessed Teresa, help me see you in the least of my brethren and show love, more
love and much more love. Amen.
Media
(TV/CD/Book/Movie) of the month:
Passion of the Christ (by Mel Gibson)
(Note: Watch this movie ALONE preferably during Holy Week. Make this your intimate one-on-one with
Jesus)
iPhone/Smartphone Catholic App of the month:
iBreviary (FREE App)
The iBreviary is
your portable breviary. You can use it to pray with the full texts of the
Liturgy of the Hours in just five languages. Simply launch the application and
all the texts of the day will appear before you. The texts of the Liturgy of
the Hours are formatted just as they appear in the printed version. Thus the
iPad version, thanks to the generous screen, gives one the feeling of holding a
book with all the functionality and convenience of an Apple application.
The iBreviary
also offers you the complete daily missal to follow the Mass or, if you're a
priest, even to celebrate it. It is similar to the missalettes and worship aids
found in your church.
The Missal of the
iBreviary contains the Ordinary of the Mass, the Eucharistic Prayers, Masses
for the Saints, daily Mass readings, Prefaces, Prayers of the Faithful, Solemn
Blessings, rites for various celebrations and other liturgical texts.
The iBreviary
also offers all the major Catholic prayers and more!
The iBreviary
also offers the complete texts of the rites for the celebration of all the
sacraments: the Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, Marriage (including the
readings), the funeral rites, Communion of the Sick, and many other rites
useful for meditation, prayer and pastoral ministry
