Ancient Wisdom—Modern Prophet: Mother Teresa 9-21-14

God, at the core of our being, we want to know you.  Show us the beauty of our journey as we seek to walk more and more in awareness of your presence.  Amen

            Throughout this series, we have been looking at the ways contemporary Christians bring the ancient wisdom of Christianity to life.  Today, I have chosen one of the most famous Christians of all time.  I would imagine if I asked you to list the most important Christians throughout history in terms of impact on the world, Mother Teresa would easily make it onto 80-90% of those lists.  The modern world was and remains fascinated with Mother Teresa; perhaps because she demonstrated the love of Jesus Christ in this world in ways that no one else ever has.  Mother Teresa shows us the meaning of embodiment—the embodiment of the spirit of God here on earth.  It is as if she was a walking example of the reign of God’s justice among us.  She believed that if a person came into our life it was because God intended for us to interact with that person— “The very fact that God has placed a certain soul in our way is a sign that God wants us to do something for him or her. It is not chance; it has been planned by God. We are bound by conscience to help him or her.”   This sermon was neither easy for me to write or speak, given the events of the last few weeks.  But Mother Teresa has much to say to us, things which God refuses to allow me to ignore. 

            Many of you know the biography of Mother Teresa, so I will be brief.  Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in Yugoslavia in 1910.  Her father died when she was eight years old and she became especially close to her pious Catholic mother.  Although, it would have seemed a likely call for Gonxha to pursue, she says that she never thought of being a nun until she turned 18.  At that age, she chose to become a novice in the Loreto Sisters of Dublin, educators of young girls.  In 1928 she travelled to Ireland; and, never saw her mother again.  After her years in the convent were completed, she was sent to Calcutta to teach in a high school for girls.  She enjoyed this position for the next 15 or so years. 
            Paul reminds us that love “doesn’t fly off the handle and doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,” and Mother Teresa challenges us, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”   Again, Paul’s description of love, “doesn’t revel when others grovel”; and Mother Teresa explains, “Love is not patronizing and charity isn't about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same -- with charity you give love, so don't just give money but reach out your hand instead.” Her insistence on love in the act of charity is important for us to grapple with.
And, as he is closing, Paul says that love “trusts God always and always looks for the best”. She speaks of this as well.  “There is thing you can do but I cannot and there is thing I can but you cannot; so let us together make something beautiful for God.”  Finally, Paul concludes that love “never looks back, but keeps going to the end”.   She tells us and challenges us here at Open Circle, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
            My final prayer for you this day comes directly from Mother Teresa.  “May today be peace within. May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be... May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you... May you be content knowing you are a child of God... Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and every one of you.”   Amen and amen and Namaste. 

            In 1946, Sister Teresa was on a train bound for a retreat when she heard her ‘second call’ what she considered a “call within a call”.  This call—to give up all and follow Christ into the slums to be of service among the poorest of the poor—was different from her call to teach.  Because she had taken a vow of obedience, she could not do this without permission from her order.  While seeking permission to form a new order, she gave up wearing the nun’s habit she had grown used to and began wearing a white Indian sari and sandals.  She and the order she founded would wear those for life.  Within a year of receiving permission to begin her work, she had taken a course in nursing, and followers began to flood in.  These volunteers later became the core of her Missionaries of Charity.  She worked side by side with these sisters until her death in 1997.  She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and has amassed a long list of awards and recognitions.  While, Mother Teresa has not been named a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, many people believe that she will be one day.  The beatification of Mother Teresa was conducted Oct. 19, 2003 by Pope John Paul II; and her beatification is the latest step in that path to sainthood.

            For our first reading today, I chose 1 Corinthians 13 written by Paul to the early Christians in Corinth.  Because this is often heard in the context of a wedding; we rarely hear it elsewhere.  But Mother Teresa’s work calls us to look at the qualifications of love in the broader context of life.  Our reading on love begins, “If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.”  Mother Teresa tells us, “At the hour of death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into the doing.”  She places love above the importance of works, even though her travails with the poor required much work indeed.  But, the love that was to shine through such works for her was imperative.

            Paul reinforces this notion when he next says, “So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love”.   Again, Mother Teresa speaks to us of the end of our lives:  “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.  We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”   Paul continues, “Love never gives up”.  Mother Teresa guides us in knowing how not to give up.  She says, “When you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over again.” 

            Paul challenges us:  “Love cares more for others than for self”.  Mother Teresa clarifies Paul’s assertion for us.  “I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.”   In other words, the love behind the caring must be true love—a love that doesn’t stop giving until we feel the pain of sacrifice.  To do works, without true love will eventually bring injustice to the very people we believed we were helping.  Paul continues in his description and suggests, “Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.  Again, Mother Teresa exhorts us, “Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”

            And now, Paul gives us a series of short descriptions of love and for each, Mother Teresa pushes us to think harder and deeper.  Paul’s words:  “Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head.”  Mother Teresa elaborates:  “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.”  Mother Teresa, known for her humility, shows us a greater truth about humility.  Think about it—she tells us that humility brings us a true knowledge of who we are; and, therefore, nothing, neither praise nor disgrace, is able to move us away from who we know ourselves to be.   Again, from Paul, love “doesn’t force itself on others”; and from her, “When you know how much God is in love with you then you can only live your life radiating that love.”   Paul continues, “Isn’t always ‘me first’”.  And Mother Teresa responds, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” 

            Paul explores this with us—love “takes pleasure in the flowering of truth”.  Mother Teresa identifies the nature of the truth.  “Jesus wants me to tell you again...how much is the love He has for each one of you-beyond all what you can imagine...Not only He loves you, even more--He longs for you. He misses you when you don't come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don't feel worthy...”  Love, says Paul, “puts up with anything”.  And Mother Teresa agrees.  “There is a light in this world”, she says, “a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways.”