Sunday, June 01, 2008

"A girl came from outside India to join the Missionaries of Charity. We have a rule that the very next day new arrivals must go to the Home for the Dying. So I told this girl: "You saw Father during Holy Mass, with what love and care he touched Jesus in the Host. Do the same when you go to the Home for the Dying, because it is the same Jesus you will find there in the broken bodies of the poor." And they went. After three hours the newcomer came back and said to me with a big smile - I have never seen a smile quite like that -- "Mother, I have been touching the body of Christ for three hours." And I said to her: "How -- what did you do?" She replied: "When we arrived there, they brought a man who had fallen into a drain, and been there for some time.
He was covered with wounds and dirt and maggots, and I cleaned him and I knew I was touching the body of Christ."

"Some months back a man who had been beaten up was picked up from the streets of Melbourne. He was and alcoholic who had been for years in that state, and the Sisters took him to their Home of Compassion. From the way they touched him, the way they took care of him, suddenly it was clear to him: "God loves me!" He left the home and never touched alcohol again, and went back to his family, to his children, to his job. Later, when he got his first salary, he came to the Sisters and gave them the money, saying: "I want you to be for others the love of God, as you have been to me."

I love this picture of Mother Teresa because I see in her face a stern determination that this child, which I imagine she sees as hers now, will be taken care of and all of heaven will see that it is so.




2 comments:

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Mother Teresa did unbelievable things in her life time. She was called a LIVING SAINT, SAINT OF THE GUTTER etc. It is unthinkable that a frail little lady can do so much work except with the divine assistance of THE ALMIGHTY.
With prayers and best wishes.

FCB said...

Thanks for the comment Joseph.
I agree, it is unthinkable this little woman was so devoted. I'm sure she had more than a double dose of Christ's love and power.
What a role model.
Fred