UVOD

Uvod

Če bi celotno življenje in sporočilo matere Terezije morali povzeti v dveh besedah, bi nedvomno izbrali: Bog in ljubezen. Bog je bil središče njenega bivanja, njeno resnično življenje in ljubezen. Njeno geslo je bilo: za Boga in za bližnjega. Če bi pa moral uporabiti samo eno besedo, bi beseda ljubezen izrazila vse, kajti »ljubezen je Božja in kdor ljubi, je od Boga in Boga pozna ... Bog je ljubezen« (1 Jn 4,7.8). Preprosta trditev matere Terezije, »Kjer je ljubezen, tam je Bog«, izbrana za naslov te knjige, odseva to globoko resnico.

Bog uporablja človeka kot orodje za uresničevanje svojih ciljev in je tako srce in roke matere Terezije uporabil za izražanje Svoje ljubezni v današnjem svetu. S svojim življenjem, z besedami in delom je razglašala, da je Bog resničen, da je z nami in da »ljubi svet preko vas in preko mene«. Poklicana za Misijonarko ljubezni – prinašalko Njegove ljubezni najbolj ubogim med ubogimi, pravzaprav vsaki osebi, s katero je prišla v stik – nikoli ni mislila, da je to poslanstvo namenjeno izključno njej. Verjela je, da je lahko vsaka oseba »misijonar ljubezni«, prinašalec Njegove ljubezni, ne glede na to, kaj je. Prizadevala si je, da bi se drugi zavedali tega temeljnega klica in jih je spodbujala, da bi se ponižno odzvali.

Gorečnost matere Terezije pri zavzetem opravljanju svojega poslanstva, je bila tudi v poslednjih letih zavidanja vredna. Kaj je bil vir njene energije in odločenosti? Vera v Boga. Ta je izoblikovala njeno osebnost, z njo so bili zapolnjeni vsi vidiki njenega življenja. O Bogu in Božjem je govorila praktično v vsakem pogovoru, saj »usta govorijo, česar je srce polno« (Lk 6,45). To je počela naravno in spontano. Njena pobožnost ni bila narejena in ni imela namena narediti vtis na druge, niti se ni podrejala človeški obzirnosti, ko je izražala svojo vero in prepričanje. Preprosto in iskreno je izražala tisto, v kar je verjela, z edinim namenom ugajati Bogu in delati dobro za duše.

Vzgoja in okolje, v katerem je rasla, sta materi Tereziji pomagali, da je zrasla v veri in da je razvila zaupen odnos z Bogom že v zgodnji dobi življenja. Pri osemnajstih letih je sprejela odločitev, da bo sledila življenju popolne predanosti Bogu in se je odzvala Njegovemu klicu, naj postane misijonarka v Indiji. Med potovanjem z vlakom v Darjeeling na letne duhovne vaje, je po dvajsetih letih življenja kot sestra v Loretu, prejela »klic znotraj klica«, kakor se je sama izrazila. Bog jo je poklical, da bi postala Misijonarka ljubezni, prinašalka Njegove ljubezni vsem tistim, ki se počutijo odrinjeni, nezaželeni, neljubljeni, tistim, ki pogosto težko verjamejo v Njegovo ljubezen zaradi okoliščin, v katerih so se znašli. Čeprav je to močno vplivalo na njeno življenje, se je voljno oklenila tega novega poslanstva.

Navdih, ki ga je mati Terezija prejela na vlaku, ji je omogočil globoko spoznanje Božje ljubezni. Razumela je, kot še nikoli dotlej, kako je Bog željan, potrpežljiv in »žejen« ljubiti in biti ljubljen. Žejen je bil njene ljubezni in ljubezni vseh, ki jih je ustvaril, posebej po ljubezni tistih, najbolj pomoči potrebnih. Jezusove besede, ki jih je izgovoril na križu: »Žejen sem,« je razumela kot izraz te močne ljubezni in so jo vedno opominjale na klic, ki ga je prejela – klic, naj pogasi Njegovo žejo. Potešitev Jezusove žeje po ljubezni in dušah je v njej prebudila še večjo pripravljenost prizadevati si za Njegovo bližino. V njej se je prebudila tudi pripravljenost, da bi bila kanal, po katerem se ne glede na ceno, sporočilo o Božji ljubezni lahko prenaša Njegovim otrokom. Ta klic je dal materi Tereziji občutek odgovornosti in nujnosti njenega poslanstva. Če bi ji Božja previdnost postavila na pot osebo, ki bi jo ovirala, bi storila vse, da bi tej osebi pomagala spoznati Boga in bi tako prišla v Njegovo bližino.

Kljub oviram, na katere je naletela pri odzivanju na njen novi klic, je mati Tereza v tednih, ki so sledili navdihu, uživala ogromno uteho. Vendar je že na začetku svojega poslanstva v služenju ubogim, bila potisnjena v temno resničnost obupa, katerega so občutili tisti, katerim je služila; občutek, da Bog ni več prisoten, da je ne ljubi in da se zanjo ne briga več. Vseeno je ostala v iskreni in globoki vezi z Bogom, čeprav so ji občutki narekovali nasprotno. Z Jezusom je v Njegovem smrtnem boju postala eno, kot je postala eno z najbolj ubogim med ubogimi v njegovem trpljenju, ko je podoživljala njegovo bolečino ob pomanjkanju ljubezni, nezaželenosti in zanemarjenosti. S tem, ko je delila njihovo trpljenje, je pravzaprav vzela nase del bolečine tistih, ki jih je ljubila.

Skoraj pol stoletja, ki ga je mati Terezija preživela v duhovni puščavi, ni oviralo njene sposobnosti spoznavanja Božje roke pri običajnih življenjskih okoliščinah, kakor tudi pri okoliščinah, ki pomenijo izziv. Odgovarjala Mu je z ljubeznijo. Mogočen dokaz tega je bila njena sposobnost, da je pri tegobah, ki so jemale pogum, ohranila srčnost in ni omagala zaradi trpljenja, ki mu je bila priča vsak dan. Globoko je verovala, da Bog v svoji ljubezni do nas, lahko prinese dobro tudi iz navideznega ali resničnega zla. Sredi njenih lastnih duhovnih temin je bila njena neomajna predanost poslanstvu in nasmeh, s katerim je prikrivala bolečino, izpričana z globoko vero, da je Bog, kateremu se ni več čutila blizu, še vedno tisti, ki je „odgovoren“. Ta trdna vera jo je vodila skozi življenje. Ne glede na to, kako zahtevno je bilo to zanjo, je ostajala vedra, celo srečna. Pravzaprav, temnejša kot je bila temina, bolj nepopustljiva je bila njena vera.

Medtem, ko je njeno notranje trpljenje raslo, je njeno poslanstvo med ubogimi cvetelo. Širitev je bila hitra in globalna. V prvih 25 letih obstoja so Misijonarke ljubezni naštele 704 sestre v 87 ustanovah, ki so skrbele za tisoče najbolj ubogih med ubogimi: umirajočih, sirot, gobavih, telesno in duševno prikrajšanimi, tistih, ki so se znašli na obrobju družbe. Leta 1963 je mati Terezija ustanovila tudi vejo reda, namenjeno bratom. L. 1976 je bil ustanovljen kontemplativni red sester, l. 1977 mu je sledil kontemplativni red bratov. Leta 1983 je nastala veja za brate-duhovnike. Ob času njene smrti je delovalo 3842 sester Misijonark ljubezni znotraj 594 ustanov, v 120 državah, 363 bratov Misijonark ljubezni v 68 ustanovah v 19 državah in 13 duhovnikov Misijonark ljubezni v štirih ustanovah v treh državah. Njena verska družina vključuje tudi škofijske duhovnike in laične družabnike, ki želijo deliti njeno poslanstvo ljubezni.

Vsem članom njene verske družine in ostalim, ki so želeli na nek način deliti karizmo Misijonark ljubezni je mati Terezija često namenjala navodila in besede podpore, včasih pa tudi graje. Poleg javnih govorov in odprtih pisem so te spodbude glavni vir pričujočega izbora navedkov. Čeprav so naslovljeni na posebne skupine, so lekcije matere Terezije uporabne za vse. Človekova narava kot taka, je postavljena pred iste izzive, ne glede na poklic ali delo, ki ga oseba opravlja.

Navedki so sestavljeni po skupinah glede na pet osrednjih tematik, od katerih ima vsaka širok izbor pod-tematik. 1. del proučuje, kaj je Bog pomenil materi Tereziji, 2. del njen odnos do Jezusa, 3. del pa ponuja praktične primere mnogih ovir, s katerimi se sooča. Zadnja dva dela vsebujeta učenje matere Terezije o tem, kako udejanjiti našo vero s pomočjo ljubezni (4. del) in kako z življenjem v ljubezni prinašati srečo drugim (5. del). Pred vsakim delom je pregled tematik, ki so predstavljene v posameznem delu.

Introduction

If Mother Teresa's entire life and message were to be summarized and

described in only two words, without question those words would be

God and love. In truth, God was the center of her existence, her very

life, and love - for God and neighbor - her message. But if pressed to

use just one word, love would express it all, "for love is of God, and

he who loves is born of God and knows God ... God is love" (l John

4:7,8). Mother Teresa's simple statement, "Where there is Love, there

is God," chosen for the title of this book, reflects this profound truth.

     God uses human instruments for His purposes and He used Mother

Teresa's hands and heart to manifest His love in today's world. By

her life, words, and work, she proclaimed that God is real, that He is

with us and that He "still loves the world through you and through

me." Specifically called to be a Missionary of Charity - a carrier of

His love to the poorest of the poor, indeed to each person she met –

she did not think that this was a vocation uniquely hers. Every person,

she believed, is to be "a missionary of charity," a carrier of God's love

in whatever their state of life. She strove to make others aware of this

fundamental call and invited them to respond generously.

     Mother Teresa's zeal in assiduously carrying out her mission was

striking, even in her advanced years. What was the source of her

dynamism and determination? Faith in God. This is what shaped her

personality and permeated every aspect of her life. She spoke of God

or of the things of God in virtually every conversation, "for out of the

abundance of the heart, [the] mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45) and she did

so spontaneously and naturally. Hers was not an artificial piety, aimed

at impressing others. Neither did she cater to human respect, fearful

of expressing her faith and convictions. She expressed simply and sincerely

what she believed, with the sole aim of pleasing God and doing

good to souls.

     Mother Teresa's upbringing and environment were conducive to

growth in the Faith, and she developed an intimate relationship with

God early in life. At the age of eighteen, she took the decisive step to

pursue a life of total dedication to God, answering His call to become

a missionary in India. After living as a Loreto nun for nearly twenty

years, she received what she would term "a call within a call," while

traveling by train to Darjeeling for her annual retreat. God was asking

her to be a Missionary of Charity, a carrier of His love to those who

felt most unloved, unwanted, uncared for, those who often find it difficult

to believe in His love because of their circumstances. Though it

would entail a radical change in her life, she willingly embraced this

new mandate.

     The inspiration Mother Teresa received on the train gave her profound

insight into God's love. She understood as never before how

much God desired, longed, "thirsted" to love and be loved: He thirsted

for her love and for the love of each person He created, especially those

most in need. Jesus' words from the Cross, "I thirst," were for her the

expression of this intense love and, were always to remind her of the

call she had received, a call to satiate His thirst. Satiating Jesus' thirst

for love and for souls implied a willingness to strive for ever greater

intimacy with Him. It also implied a readiness to be a channel, heedless

of the cost to self, through which God's love could be communicated

to His children. This call gave Mother Teresa a sense of responsibility

and urgency toward her mission. If Divine Providence placed someone

in her path, she would do all she could to help that person come

to know God better and so enter into a closer relationship with Him.

     Despite the obstacles she faced in responding to her new call,

Mother Teresa enjoyed an abundance of consolations in the months

following the inspiration. Yet, as she started her mission to the poor

she was plunged into the dark reality of desolation that those whom

she served experience: the feeling that God was no longer present, that

He no longer loved her or cared for her. Nevertheless, she remained

truly and profoundly united to God, even though her feelings suggested

the opposite. She became one with Jesus in His agony and one

with the poorest of the poor in their sufferings by experiencing their

pain at being unloved, unwanted, uncared for. In sharing their sufferings,

she was indeed taking upon herself something of the pain of

those she loved.

     Nearly half a century lived in spiritual aridity did not hinder Mother

Teresa's ability to perceive the hand of God in the ordinary as well as

the challenging circumstances of life, and to respond to Him in love.

An impressive manifestation of this was her ability not to get disheartened

by the daunting hardships nor overcome by the sufferings or the

evil that she witnessed daily. She deeply believed that God in His love

could bring about a greater good even from apparent or real evil. In

the midst of her own spiritual darkness, her unfaltering commitment

to her mission and the constant smile that hid her pain attested to her

deep faith that God, whom she no longer felt to be close, was still

"in charge." This unshakable faith carried her through life. No matter

how demanding it was, she remained serene, and even joyful. In fact,

the darker the darkness, the more tenacious was her faith.

While her interior suffering mounted, her mission among the poor

flourished. The expansion was rapid and global: In the first 25 years of

their existence, the Missionaries of Charity had 704 sisters in 87 foundations,

caring for thousands of the poorest of the poor - the dying,

the orphans, the leprosy suffers, the physically and mentally challenged,

those who found themselves at the margins of society. In 1963

Mother Teresa had also founded a branch for brothers. In 1976, the

contemplative sisters were founded and 1977 saw the establishment

of a branch of contemplative brothers. A branch for priests came into

existence in 1983. At the time of her death there were 3842 MC Sisters

in 594 foundations in 120 counties; 363 MC brothers in 68 foundations

in 19 countries, 14 MC Contemplative Brothers in 4 foundations

in 3 countries and 13 MC Priests in 4 foundations in 3 countries. Her

religious family also included diocesan priests and lay associates who

desired to share in her mission of love.

     To all the members of her religious family and to those who desired

to share in some way in the MC charism, Mother Teresa frequently

addressed words of instruction and encouragement and, at times, of

admonition as well. These exhortations are the primary source of

this collection of quotes. Other sources are her public speeches and

open letters. Though addressed to a particular group, Mother Teresa's

teachings are applicable to all. Human nature, being what it is, presents

the same challenges regardless of vocation or occupation.

     The quotes have been grouped according to five central themes,

each having a broad range of sub-themes. Part 1 examines who God

was for Mother Teresa, Part 2 her relationship with Jesus, and Part 3

gives practical examples of the many obstacles we encounter within

ourselves that prevent us from loving. The two final sections contain

Mother Teresa's teaching on how to put our faith into action by loving

(Part 4) and how to be a cause of joy to one another by living lives

of love (Part 5). Each part is preceded by an overview of the themes

presented in the particular section.