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.

PREDGOVOR

Predgovor

BRIAN KOLODIEJCHUK, M.C.

Kjer je ljubezen, tam je Bog je na neki način nadaljevanje knjige matere Terezije: Pridi, bodi moja luč. Slednja predstavlja življenje matere Terezije z vidika njenega odnosa z Bogom in njene predanosti tistim, za katere jo je Bog poklical, da jim služi – najbolj ubogim od ubogih. Poslani, da olajša trpljenje ubogih, je bilo namenjeno, da se poistoveti z njimi in v globini svoje duše izkusi njihovo bolečino in boj. Vztrajno in intenzivno trpljenje je sprejela z junaškim pogumom in zvestobo, kar priča o njeni nadnaravni veri v Boga in izročitvi Njegovi volji. Za mnoge je bilo opogumljajoče razkritje teh skritih vidikov življenja matere Terezije. To je vodilo do ideje, da bi naredili dostopnejši vpogled v njeno notranjost, ki nas lahko nauči, kako ravnati z našimi boji in trpljenji.

Ta objava ni izčrpna antologija učenja matere Terezije. Kjer je Bog, tam je ljubezen poskuša izčrpno predati to, v kar je verjela in kar je učila, v zvezi z nekaterimi temeljnimi vprašanji človeškega življenja, še posebno pomembnimi v današnjem času. Če upoštevamo njen neprenehni stik z ljudmi različnih kultur in okolij, ugotovimo, da ji ni bila nobena življenjska situacija tuja in da je imela veliko priložnosti, da je v različnih tematikah izražala svoje mnenje. Neutrudno je podajala svoje prepričanje, kje najti pravi mir in pravo srečo. Sodobnike je navdihovala z iskrenostjo svojih besed in pristnostjo svojega življenja.

Medtem ko je v knjigi Pridi, bodi moja luč mati Terezija predstavljena bolj kot zgled, ima v tej knjigi v prvi vrsti vlogo učiteljice in vodnice. S praktičnimi in času primernimi nasveti nas mati Terezija usmerja na pot tesnejše povezanosti z Bogom in večje ljubezni do naših bratov in sester. Izbor iz bogastva njenega notranjega življenja je na naslednjih straneh zbran z namenom, da bi nam zgled njene ljubezni in modre besede pomagale, da bi v naš svet prinašali več ljubezni in ga tako naredili za prijetnejši kraj bivanja.

Preface

BRIAN KOLODIEJCHUK, M.C.

Where There Is Love, There Is God is in some ways a sequel to Mother

Teresa: Come Be My Light. The latter presents Mother Teresa's life

from the perspective of her relationship with God and her commitment

to those He called her to serve - the poorest of the poor. Sent to

alleviate the sufferings of the poor, she was to be identified with them,

experiencing, in the depths of her soul, their struggle and pain. She

embraced these persistent and intense sufferings with heroic courage

and fidelity, giving evidence of her extraordinary faith in God and

surrender to His will. The encouragement that the disclosure of this

hidden aspect of Mother Teresa's life has been to many led to the idea

of making more of her insights available as they can teach us much in

dealing with our own struggles and sufferings.

     This publication is not an exhaustive anthology of Mother Teresa's

teaching. Where There Is Love, There Is God attempts, rather, to impart

succinctly what she believed and taught about some of the fundamental

issues of human life, particularly relevant in our times. Given her

constant interaction with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds,

no life situation was foreign to her, and she had many opportunities

to pronounce her views on a wide range of subjects. She unflaggingly

communicated her convictions as to where true peace and happiness

are to be found, inspiring her contemporaries by the sincerity of her

words, and even more by the authenticity of her life.

While she is more of an example and model for us in Mother Teresa:

Come Be My Light, here her role is primarily one of teacher and guide.

Through the practical and timely advice she offers, Mother Teresa sets

us on the path to closer union with God and greater love for our brothers

and sisters. Selections from her wealth of insight are compiled in

the pages that follow with the hope that her example of love and her

words of wisdom will help us to bring more love into our world and

make it a little better place in which to live.

PLATNICE KNJIGE

KJER JE LJUBEZEN, TAM JE BOG

POT DO ZDRUŽITVE Z BOGOM IN DO VEČJE LJUBEZNI DO DRUGIH

Najlepša stvar na

svetu je ljubiti bližnjega,

kakor Bog ljubi vsakega od

nas. S tem namenom smo

tudi na svetu.

Odnos matere Terezije do Boga in njena zavezanost tistim, katerim je služila – najbolj ubogim med ubogimi – je v tem delu izražena v vsej moči njenih lastnih besed. Prva izdaja dela Kjer je ljubezen, tam je Bog, ki izvira v glavnem iz njenih zasebnih predavanj sestram, razkriva njeno izredno vero in predanost Božji volji. Ta knjiga je na nek način nadaljevanje knjige matere Terezije: Pridi, bodi moja luč, v kateri opisuje svoje osebne duhovne boje. Poslana, da bi lajšala trpljenja ubogim, je doživljala njihove boje in trpljenje do globin svojega srca. Tako kot je pomemben ta vidik njenega življenja, pa to neverjetno pričevanje o njenem življenju in njenih besedah ustvari potrebo in željo po boljšem spoznavanju njenih misli. Veliko je tega, kar nas lahko nauči, ko se dnevno soočamo z borbo ali s trpljenjem, ki sta lahko zelo ostra. Čeprav delo Kjer je ljubezen, tam je Bog, ni izčrpna antologija njenih predavanj, nam kljub temu odkrije, v kaj je mati Terezija verjela in kaj je učila o pomembnih izzivih, s katerimi se soočajo vsi ljudje. Ker je bila v neprekinjenih odnosih z ljudmi različnega stanu, ji ni bila tuja nobena življenjska situacija. V tej knjigi je predstavljena predvsem njena vloga voditeljice in učiteljice.

Ljubezen je morda beseda, ki najbolje opiše življenje in sporočilo matere Terezije. Naslov je odsev tega, kar je razglašala skozi svoje življenje: Bog živi in je prisoten ter »ljubi svet preko tebe in preko mene«. Mati Terezija je želela biti podaljšek Božjega srca in njegovih rok v današnjem svetu. Bila je poklicana za misijonarko usmiljenja, za nosilko Božje ljubezni vsakemu človeku, ki ga je srečala, še posebej pa tistim, ki so to najbolj potrebovali. Vseeno pa ni mislila, da je to poslanstvo samo njeno; čutila je, da je vsaka oseba na nek način poklicana za prinašalca Božje ljubezni. S primernimi in praktičnimi nasveti, ki jih nudi, nas mati Terezija popelje na pot bližnje združitve z Bogom in večje ljubezni do naših bratov in sester.

MATI TEREZIJA (1910-1997) Je bila rojena v Skopju (današnja Makedonija) in se je v Dublinu leta 1928 pridružila loretskim sestram. Ta red je zapustila leta 1948, ko je ustanovila Misijonarke ljubezni v Kalkuti. Služba najbolj ubogim med ubogimi je postalo njeno življenjsko delo. Leta 1979 je prejela Nobelovo nagrado za mir in bila proglašena za blaženo leta 2003.

Izdajatelj knjige Mati Terezija: Pridi, bodi moja luč, OČE BRIAN KOLODIEJCHUK, M.C., PH.D., je 20 let delal skupaj z materjo Terezijo in je sedaj direktor Središča matere Terezija, z izpostavami v Kaliforniji, Mehiki, Indiji in Italiji. 

A PATH TO CLOSER UNION

with GOD AND GREATER LOVE FOR OTHERS

The most beautiful thing

in the world is to love one another

as God loves each one of us. And

it is for this purpose that we are in

this world.

Mother Teresa's relationship with God and her commitment

to those she served - the poorest of the poor - is here

powerfully explored in her own words. Taken largely

from her private lessons to her sisters, published here for

the first time, Where There Is Love, There Is God unveils her

extraordinary faith in and surrender to God's will. This

book is in some ways a sequel to Mother Teresa: Come Be My

Light, in which her own very private spiritual struggles

were explained. Sent to alleviate the sufferings of the

poor, she assumed their struggles and pain in the depths

of her heart. As important as this aspect of her life is,

that remarkable testimony of her life and her words

intensifies the need and desire to know more of her

thoughts. There is much she can teach us as we face

our daily struggles or sufferings, which can at times

be unusually severe. Where There Is Love, There Is

God, though not an exhaustive anthology of Mother

Teresa's teachings, nonetheless shows what she believed

and taught about important issues that confront all

people. Due to her constant interaction with people of

diverse backgrounds, no life situation was foreign to

her, and in this book her role is primarily one of teacher

and guide.

     Love is perhaps the word that best summarizes

Mother Teresa's life and message. The title reflects what

she proclaimed during her entire life: God is alive and present,

and "still loves the world through you and through

me." Mother Teresa sought to be an extension of God's

heart and hands in the world of today. She was called to

be a missionary of charity, a carrier of God's love to each

person she met, especially those most in need. Yet she

did not think that this was a vocation uniquely hers; she

felt that each person is in some way called to be a carrier

of God's love. Through the practical and timely advice

she offers, Mother Teresa sets us on a path to closer union

with God and greater love for our brothers and sisters.

MOTHER TERESA (1910-1997) was born in

Skopje (present day Macedonia), and joined the Sisters

of Loreto in Dublin in 1928. She left the Loreto order in

1948 to begin the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.

Her service to the poorest of the poor became her life's

work. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979

and was beatified in 2003.

Editor of Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, FATHER

BRIAN KOLODIEJCHUK, M.C., PH.D., was

associated with Mother Teresa for twenty years and is

now director of the Mother Teresa Center, which has

offices in California, Mexico, India, and Italy.