Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.”

Mother Teresa

Today…

Today is a special day. It’s the anniversary of when St. Teresa of Calcutta (whom I still refer to as Mother Teresa), received what she referred to as her “Call within a call” to start her religious order the Missionaries of Charity. I thought I’d tell you about it by using a couple of excerpts from my books.

From my book Advent with Our Lady of Fatima, I’ll share first about Mother Mary and Mother Teresa and then tell you how Mother Teresa’s journey to found the Missionaries of Charity began:

Mother Teresa Stands with Mary at the Foot of the Cross

Mother Teresa was madly in love with Jesus and His holy Mother. She chose the Immaculate Heart of Mary as her special patroness and established that special feast day as the titular feast for her congregation. We know that the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a big part of Our Lady of Fatima’s message. Mary’s Im- maculate Heart is full of love for all her children. But it is even more than that.

I will share something rather contradictory. I just said that Mary’s heart was full, and it is full of love and grace, but some- one else — a credible source — says it is empty. In his book Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady, Father Joseph Lang- ford, MC, cofounder with Mother Teresa of her community of priests, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, writes, “The Im-maculate Heart of Mary refers not only to Our Lady’s love and virtues, but also to her interior emptiness of self in imitation of Christ who ‘emptied himself’ to save the human race.” He continues, “Our Lady’s heart is the emptiest of all human hearts, the emptiest of self and the emptiest of pride, and therefore the most ready to give a heart’s welcome and shelter to those who are shelterless.” Fr. Langford knows that Mother Teresa understood the mystery of Mary’s Immaculate Heart: “Mother Teresa saw this as the condition both for receiving and giving God to the full.”

Those dusty train tracks…

Let’s step back to those dusty, often unreliable train tracks, and that rickety steam train running slowly down them in 1946. It was nearing autumn, and the thirty-six-year-old Sister Teresa left Calcutta to head to West Bengal, where she departed in Siliguri to board the small train to Darjeeling on the last leg of her journey. As I mentioned earlier, she had received her “call within a call” on September 10, 1946, while sitting on that hot, crowded train en route to her annual retreat. As the train made its way on the tracks, amid the sometimes-deafening noise, the humble nun distinctively heard Jesus speaking to her heart. She became profoundly aware of her great and holy work ahead: taking care of the poor and the salvation of souls. After that very eventful train ride, Mother Teresa received countless extraordinary revelations from Jesus, informing her of the mission entrusted to her and reiterating what He wanted. This went on for over a year. Then, at the end of 1947, Jesus revealed a series of three visions to Mother Teresa. She was shown a crowd of the poor in each of the visions. In the first vision, she saw the reality and painful poverty of the poor, and their inner poverty. She saw herself in the scene and the poor were reaching out to her. In the second scene, the Blessed Mother was amid the poor with Mother Teresa kneeling at her side. Our Lady spoke to her:

Take care of them—they are mine. Bring them to Jesus — carry Jesus to them. Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary, the family Rosary, and all will be well. Fear not — Jesus and I will be with you and your children.

The Blessed Mother is intimately linked to God’s call to Mother Teresa. In the third vision, the distressed crowd is in darkness, seemingly unaware of the presence of Jesus in their midst, hanging from the Cross. Our Lady and Mother Teresa are there, too. But, this time Mother Teresa saw herself as a little child. The Blessed Mother was supporting Mother Teresa, one hand on her shoulder and the other on Mother’s outstretched arm. Our Lady was providing the strength that Mother Teresa needed in that moment. Mother Teresa’s right arm was out- stretched toward Jesus on the Cross. Jesus spoke to Mother Teresa.

“I have asked you. They have asked you. And she, my Mother, has asked you. Will you refuse to do this for me — to take care of them, to bring them to me?”

With God’s grace, and Mother Mary’s incredible help, Mother Teresa was able courageously to give her fiat of accep- tance for such an arduous and beautiful mission. Mother Mary was always nearby to support her as Mother Teresa carried out the work of striving to satiate the thirst of Jesus for the salvation of souls and to bring the poor to Jesus and Jesus to the poor. As well, the petite nun had the huge responsibility of managing her newly founded religious congregation and forming all her Sisters, and later, the brothers, priests, coworkers, and lay Missionaries of Charity who would follow. Again, Our Lady assisted Mother Teresa every step of the way.

Father Langford, who wrote about Mother Teresa and the Blessed Mother, spoke about the two in an interview. “As it was Our Lady who brought St. John, alone among the Twelve, to stand faithfully at Calvary,” Fr. Langford explained, “so it was Our Lady who brought Mother Teresa through the sea of suffer- ing opened before her, that she might shine the light of God’s love on the poor.”

Although the “two-way communication” that I mentioned earlier ceased when Mother Teresa endured the Dark Night, she continued to trust God and moved forward with love to accomplish God’s holy mission entrusted to her. Mother Mary never left Mother Teresa’s side.

Reflect

Has God redirected your life in some radical way? Do you think He can? Will you allow it? We cannot all be Mother Teresas, but we are all, without a doubt, called to a life of holiness. Mother Teresa often said that holiness is not a luxury of the few but a simple duty for all. Take time to ponder how Mother Teresa was devoted to Mother Mary and relied upon her for powerful help. As we read in the passage beginning today’s reflection, Mother Teresa reminds us, “With great love and trust stand with Our Lady near the Cross.”

Pray

Dear Jesus and Our Lady of Fatima, please help me to remember to turn to you often during this Advent, especially when I am suffering in some way. St. Teresa of Calcutta, please pray for me. Immaculate Heart of Mary, please pray for me. Help me to become a saint to bring glory to God!

From my book “Small Things with Great Love”

In one of her letters to me, Mother Teresa asked me to “Be the one.” She was referring to the verse above, beginning this day of our novena: “I looked for compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found none” (Psalm 69). She told me that Jesus said he looked for one to comfort him but found none. She reminded me that he experienced deep loneliness in the Garden and on the Cross. 

Mother Teresa encourages us all to “be the one.” More likely than not, we won’t be pulling maggots out of anyone anytime soon. But, what about the love we can show in our gentle smile at someone who is mean to us, or in the time we give to someone who needs to vent, or in being present to our family members, our neighbors, our co-workers when we are exhausted, and in showing love to a complete stranger when it is difficult to do so. Opportunities unfold for us to love sacrificially every day. Take time to ponder your own life and how God might be calling you to love more sacrificially. Strive to “be the one” to comfort Jesus through your prayers and good works.

Novena Prayer

This is the novena prayer I wrote for my book Small Things with Great Love: A 9-Day Novena to Mother Teresa the Saint of the Gutters:

St. Teresa of Calcutta, please hear my prayer. 

You are a faithful and devoted servant of our Lord and of his poor—those you called, “The poorest of the poor,” those in the greatest need, and those for whom our Lord instructs us to serve, saying, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers you do to me.” Through your life of holy service, you demonstrated the joy of loving and taught us the greatness and dignity of every human being, from conception to natural death. Your continual walk in faith to serve those in need even as you were stricken with hardship and darkness floods my soul with great hope. Please, dear Saint of the Gutters, help me in my present need by presenting my prayer petition before the throne of God. [Here, mention your request.] 

Please also intercede for me so that I may have the strength and courage to give my own personal “yes” each day and so that I will come closer to our divine Lord Jesus Christ, ultimately joining you one day in praising him forever in heaven. 

Amen.

Be the One

I mentioned this earlier in my excerpt, however, I’ll mention it again–Take time to ponder your own life and how God might be calling you to love more sacrificially. Strive to “be the one” to comfort Jesus through your prayers and good works.