The Saint of the Gutters…

 

“Love begins at home, right inside our community,” Mother Teresa, the saint of the gutters. She exhorts each one of us to go home and love our mother, father, brothers and sisters at home. For, we cannot love others unless we really love our brothers and sisters within our home, family and community. Therefore, we can assume the meaning behind the novel words “Maathru dhevo bhava and pithru dhevo bhave…” Thus it is possible to see God in our neighbour first and then serve Him in our immediate neighbours. Likewise, we love God while living one another, just as God first loved us as the apple of His eye. Mother Teresa was not merely ideal but was practical and pragmatic in her approach to love God in the dying destitute. She stands tall in the service of love and care to the other without any pre or post-considerations. She not only loved them but also prayed for them.  

Mother Teresa, despite problems and challenges she was optimistic about her mission. With optimism and faith in God, she transformed herself as a powerful instrument of God to heal the sick, shelter the orphan and console the lonely. Thus she became a mother and a friend to those who lacked love and acceptance. She embraced those who were rejected by the society with wide open arms expecting nothing from them and instead gave them everything that she had. She chose to spread the fragrance of love and the joy of love while healing the wounds of the lepers, feed the hungry and shelter the lonely. She faced difficulties with firm and profundity. She was daring and at the same time caring. That is how she always prayed while working and worked while praying for all.   

We may wonder from where she drew energy to work. Well, she in her moments of prayer surrendered her will to God and spent hours listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. She also spent hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament listening to the Lord. Thus she drew energy and enthusiasm to work for the destitute only from the Eucharistic Lord. Therefore, it was not money or name that made her to work rather her love for Jesus in those most unfortunate people. She was hungry for food; not for herself, but for the poor. She was thirsty for water; not for herself, but for the destitute. Her humble beginning of service today spread to every nook and corner of the world as a mighty MC congregation of nuns and priests.

Mother Teresa dreamt that no one should be left rejected. Therefore, she committed herself to love particularly to love them and make them feel loved and accepted. It was this work that brought her more close to God. She dedicated her entire life for them. She loved them with her whole heart. She served them with her own hands. She was like an angel for those dying destitute who died in her presence with a smile on the face. One day, she picked up a man from the street. He was almost eaten up alive by the worms. The only part of his body that was clean was his face. At once, she took him to home. The man said to her “I have lived like animal in the street; but now I am going to die like an angel.” It took her three hours to clean his body and to remove everything from his body. The man said, “Sister I am going to God’s abode” and he died. Thus he died with a beautiful smile on his face. Later, Mother says that she never saw such an arresting smile before. There was peace and joy on his face because Mother Teresa loved him and wanted him to feel as the child of God with dignity. She taught us how to love and care for the poor in an extraordinary way. Thus she became an icon of love to all irrespective of class and community. She says therefore, “helping hands are far better than praying lips.”

                           The fruit of silence is prayer,

                           The fruit of prayer is faith,

                           The fruit of faith is love,                                             

                           The fruit of love is service,

                           The fruit of service is peace...                                     

Peter Singh, sdb