Catholic Fire

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway. ~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas gave a beautiful and inspirational keynote address at the Gospel of Life Conference in Denver earlier this Fall. Stating that he'd rather be a disciple of Jesus Christ than of Pontius Pilate, Archbishop Naumann addressed the life issues squarely in Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good . Here is an excerpt from that talk, but I recommend you read it in its entirety - it is truth and he was unquestionably inspired by the Holy Spirit when he gave this talk. Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor, said on more than one occasion that the greatest poverty in the world was not on the streets of Calcutta but here in the United States and Western Europe. She would say: “What a terrible poverty that says: I cannot feed one more child. I cannot clothe one more child. I cannot shelter one more child. I cannot care for one more child. I cannot love one more child.” This is the great poverty that has enveloped our nati...

In all the recent hullabaloo over Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the "dark night" of her soul, little focus has been aimed at extraordinary visions as well as locutions that spurred her vocation. In her first vision, the nun found herself in a crowd of "very poor and children" with the people crying, "Come, come, save us -- bring us to Jesus." The locutions, or supernatural words, began September 10, 1946, when Blessed Teresa heard the Lord while on a train -- summoning her to the slums of India. He addressed her as "My own spouse" or "My own little one" -- similar to the way current seers claim they are addressed by Him (or by Our Lady as "dear children"). The messages continued through the middle of the next year. Mother Teresa always referred to Him as "The Voice" but had no doubt Who it was. "Come, come, carry Me into the holes of the poor," the Lord pleaded with the young nun and future saint. "Com...

A Guest Post by Lisa Mladinich Is it possible that Jesus Christ would approve of Christopher Hitchens’ new article in Newsweek (entitled, “The Dogmatic Doubter,” September 10, 2007)? Our Lord did say, after all, that He despised the lukewarm, “neither hot nor cold,” and Hitchens certainly does not give the appearance of being lukewarm. But what is he in such a red-hot passion about? Poverty? Indifference? Materialism? Why no! The plump provocateur is mad as hell at the cause for sainthood of a little Albanian nun who rose before dawn for over fifty years to pick up and tenderly care for human beings nobody else had the guts to touch. In Hitchens’ scathing indictment of Mother Teresa and what he claims to be a self-serving, hysterical obsession with working off her psychological pathologies he actually calls her “… a confused old lady [who had] for all practical purposes ceased to believe...” For all practical purposes? For all practical purposes, the Saint of the Gutters got her small,...

Some of my favorite posts on the feast of Blessed Mother Teresa today include the following: Leticia - The Time I Saw Blessed Mother Teresa Donna - Blessed Teresa's Feast Day Tom - The "Mother" of Anniversaries? My Memories of Mother Teresa Fr. Daren - In Honor of the Day Sarah - Mother Teresa: Ten Years in Heaven Esther - Feast Day of Blessed Mother Teresa Aeturnus - A Short List from Mother

Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time Today's Mass Readings On This Day in Catholic History: 1997 - Blessed Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize winner, who devoted her life to helping the sick and the poor, died in Calcutta, India, at age 87. Birthdays: 1568 - Tommaso Campanella , Italian theologian, philosopher, and poet (d. 1639) 1735 - Johann Christian Bach , German composer, son of Johann Sebastian Bach, Catholic convert (d. 1782) 1929 - Bob Newhart , American actor and comedian 1933 - Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa , Chilian Catholic Archbishop 1950 - Cathy Guisewite , American cartoonist (Cathy) 1977 - Rosevelt Colvin , American football player 1991 - Skandar Keynes , English actor (The Chronicles of Narnia)

“If I ever become a Saint—I will surely be one of 'darkness.' I will continually be absent from Heaven—to light the light of those in darkness on earth .” "Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are -- in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. ... You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society -- completely forgotten, completely left alone." "If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive." “People ask me what advice I have for a married couple struggling in their relationship. I always answer: pray and forgive. And to young people from violent homes, I say pray and forgive. And again even to the single mother with no family support: pray and forgive.” "You see, in the final analysis, it is between you...

Mother Teresa cradling baby girl at her order's orphanage in Calcutta, India, 1978 Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II Mary E. Mark - Mother Teresa laughing (1980) "It was on a train in 1946 to India's mountains, where she hoped the fresh air would cure her suspected tuberculosis, that Mother Teresa suddenly experienced an overwhelming inspiration to change her life's work. Her new mission would be 'to serve the poorest of the poor,' she later recalled. For the next half-century, until her death at 87, the saintly nun aided the world's outcasts and unfortunates, once saying she would forsake the gates of Heaven to work in hells on earth. " Mother Teresa of Calcutta's official site for the cause of cannonization

The book "Come Be My Light" presents Mother Teresa’s inspiration and “darkness” in the context of Catholic mysticism as explained by St John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. "Come Be My Light" reveals that Mother Teresa can be compared to other great mystics before her, such as St. Paul of the Cross and St. Jeanne de Chantal, who both struggled for more than 40 years with the apparent absence of God. St. Catherine of Siena, St.Vincent de Paul, St. John Vianney, and St. Therese of Lisieux also had similar experiences. Another aspect of Mother Teresa’s experience revealed in the book is her identification with and dedication to the poorest of the poor she served. She came to understand that the “darkness” was the “spiritual side of her work.” She was sharing in their sense of being “unloved, unwanted and uncared for,” which she described as the greatest poverty in the world of today”. The people neglected by our materialistic and self-centered society, include ou...

She became poor to serve the materially poor — did she similarly share the sufferings of the spiritually poor? Find the story in the National Catholic Register here written by FATHER RANIERO CANTALAMESSA, Ofm Cap, the preacher to the papal household.

Time Magazine: Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith

"Bless those who persecute you: never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow. Treat everyone with equal kindness; never be condescending but make real friends with the poor." Romans 12:14 - 16 "If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive." “People ask me what advice I have for a married couple struggling in their relationship. I always answer: pray and forgive. And to young people from violent homes, I say pray and forgive. And again even to the single mother with no family support: pray and forgive.” "You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It never was between you and them anyway." "People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway....

"That special power of loving that belongs to a woman is seen most clearly when she becomes a mother. Motherhood is the gift of God to women...Yet we can destroy this gift of motherhood, especially by the evil of abortion .... No job, no plans, no possessions, no idea of 'freedom' can take the place of love." ~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

In her most recent campaign video Hillary ("abortion rights") Clinton is pictured standing right next to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The Catholic - based organization Fidelis is calling for the removal of Mother Teresa's image. Fidelis President Joseph Cella commented, “It is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing that Hillary Clinton is using an image of Blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their radically different views on abortion. Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports abortion on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including partial birth abortion and taxpayer funding of abortion. Out of respect to Mother Teresa, and the Missionaries of Charity strict guidelines for the use of Mother’s image, we call on the Hillary Clinton campaign to immediately remove her image from their campaign video.” For a look at the video, click here. At approximately 2:29, you wi...

Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the heart of Jesus ...(the finances for a Catholic Women's Crisis Pregnancy Center). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and Love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me. Tuesday, April 24 ~ Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me Thought for the day: “Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.” Ask for the grace to become a saint. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may...

Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the heart of Jesus ...(the finances for a Catholic Women's Crisis Pregnancy Center). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and Love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me. Monday, April 23 ~ Eighth Day – Jesus Made Himself the Bread of Life and the Hungry One Thought for the day: “Believe that He, Jesus, is in the appearance of Bread and that He, Jesus, is in the hungry, naked, sick, lonely, unloved, homeless, helpless and hopeless.” Ask for the grace of a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Je...

Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the heart of Jesus ...(the finances for a Catholic Women's Crisis Pregnancy Center). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and Love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me. Sunday, April 22 ~ Seventh Day – God Loves a Cheerful Giver Thought for the day: “Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.” Ask for the grace to find joy in loving and to share this joy with all you meet. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Teach me to...

Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the heart of Jesus ...(the finances for a Catholic Women's Crisis Pregnancy Center). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and Love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me. Saturday, April 21 ~ Sixth Day - True Love is Surrender Thought for the day: “Allow God to use you without consulting you.” Ask for the grace to surrender your whole life to God. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His li...

Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the heart of Jesus ...(the finances for a Catholic Women's Crisis Pregnancy Center). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and Love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me. Friday, April 20 ~ Fifth Day – Trust Jesus Blindly Thought for the day: “Confidence in God can do all things. It is our emptiness and lowliness that God needs and not our plenitude.” Ask for the grace to have an unshakeable trust in the God’s power and love for you and for all. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Teach me to all...

Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the heart of Jesus ...(the finances for a Catholic Women's Crisis Pregnancy Center). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and Love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me. Thursday, April 19 ~ Fourth Day – Our Lady Will Help You Thought for the day: “How close we must keep to Our Lady who understood what depth of Divine Love was being revealed as she stood at the foot of the Cross and heard Jesus cry out: ‘I thirst.’ ” Ask for the grace to learn from Our Lady to quench Jesus’ thirst as she did. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so bec...