Letters Reveal Mother Teresa's Secret

Though I am not a Catholic, it is the recent news about Mother Theresa and her letters that have sparked this blog.  And to be even more precise, the comments by several AOL users in response to the AOL article "Letters Reveal Mother Teresa's Secret" sparked this blog.  

It would appear from the article that during Mother Theresa's life she wrote letters which revealed her feelings of doubt, weak faith, and pain.  

In one letter she writes, "Where is my faith?" she writes. "Even deep down ... there is nothing but emptiness and darkness. ... If there be God - please forgive me."  

The pain of this loss of faith does not return. . . even after eight years it persists as she writes, "Such deep longing for God," she writes. "... repulsed, empty, no faith, no love, no zeal."   The more famous, the more acclaimed, the more notoriety she received the more she questioned, "What do I labor for?" she asks. "If there be no God, there can be no soul. If there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true."  

Her letters, against her request for them to be destroyed upon her death, have been compiled in a book by Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk.  It is also Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk who spearheads the move for Mother Theresa to receive Sainthood.  

OK, so here we are with a religious woman of the catholic faith who received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in the slums of Calcutta, a woman admired by hundreds of thousands if not millions, and a woman who at times felt herself to be a hypocrite for smiling behind what she herself called a mask.   Many have commented that it is precisely her weakness that makes her more worthy of being a Saint or modern day hero. Still others comment about her stupidity for any initial belief in "God" or her finally waking to the truth that God does not exist. . .  

Here are some of the comments I picked from AOL.:  

The best and most industrious thing Mother T did was raise money for her sect. The Vatican used to be embarrassed by her until they realized how much dough she was raking in.
She may have provided a place for the dying to die, but she had no medical facilities there, no pain killers or even an air conditioner to ease the suffering. She had plenty of money. She was merely a fund raiser. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
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It's amazing to see how jades some people are. Because they have dropped faith when they 'went out and lived life' doesn't mean that is the correct way nor does it mean that most people do it. Keeping faith is a life long process and much of the process is a true and horrifying struggle. A struggle that people who neither wish to deal with or mock it will never understand. The words of those who think they are so much higher than everyone else either because of their faith or lack there of is simply childish ignorance about the meaning of life and about the reason for faith. The dirt of human corruption is found in all institutions an to believe the truth of an organization is shown by its dirt is only ignorance. The nature of life will FORCE you to question faith because it is in questioning that we truly understand and it is in that questioning that we have the chance to say 'yes!'. God Bless this woman who should be an example to us all.

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Every person of faith has times when they question the concept of a Supreme Being. To say otherwise would be hypocritical. However most reconcile their human doubts and develop a deeper faith in their God. Her writings reflect her self-examination and honesty.

Any non-believer who says he never has any doubts is deceiving himself.

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I AM PART OF GOD. I CREATED ME TO ENJOY LIFE ON THIS WORTHLESS PLANET WITH ALL OF YOU WORTHLESS MORONS. TRY TO BE NICE.

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It's funny how "christians" like to throw a bunch of mysticism in your face when backed up to wall when legitimate questions are asked.

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I think that the lost of her faith may have been a test from God. We are all tested and what we do during these times is what grant us salvation. To keep doing the right thing, to keep doing good, even when we think there is not going to any reward is what makes a good person

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A biblical fairy tale in no way adds to the good work the woman did, she stands on HER feet, and by HER actions. She clearly did not need Jesus.

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Whether the bible is true or not, doesn't make a difference at all. The bible gives people hope of a better life. Science and Religion are like apples and oranges, you can't compare the two. I know many people who read the bible consistantly, and their life has changed for the better. I myself, don't read the bible, but I do believe in a higher power. Not because somebody told me that there was a God, but because God showed himself true during times in my life where I was ready to die. There will always be this ongoing discussion about religion and spirituality, but the truth is, we are all humans, and the main purpose of the bible is to teach people to treat others with respect. The problem is, we are all so busy pointing our fingers at eachother and judging eachother, that we can't see our own flaws. Remember, when you point your finger at someone, there are always 3 fingers pointing right back at you!

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Jesus faced temptation in the desert, He cried out on the cross, "Father, why have you forsaken me." In our human frailty we face strength and weakness, the point of the matter is to press on toward the goal. Always seeking to know the truth as it has been provided in the Bible. I am not Catholic but I admire Mother Teresa for the strength she faced in life and the love she poured out on the world. This is not the place to debate differences in religion, but to remember she lived the most greatest commandment, "Love they neighbor as thyself." Without love all works are void. It is this example that I admire most. The quotation above, "What do I labor for?" she asks. "If there be no God, there can be no soul. If there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true." This is food for thought for all of us, not an admission of faithlessness. THINK ABOUT ETERNITY, DON'T PUT IT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW. Who could face the pain and suffering she saw on a daily basis, she lived among conditions that

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Religion is a SHAM. I was brought up as a Christian until I was old enough to think for myself and be rid of the deceit that is organized religion. I feel sorry for people who are still being controlled by the fear and hatred the Church preaches.

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As an aethiest who respects the views of others so long as they don't try and impose them on me, I fail to see why it is so important to some people whether or not good people are religious. If I am wrong and there is some supreme being, I am sure that it would not be so vain as to demand that people worship it. Instead, I would hope that it would be more concerned with the deeds that the people did in their lives.
Mother Teresa was an amazing human being, regardless of whether she was religious or not. I hope for her sake that there is some afterlife, so she can be rewarded for her humanity.
As for those of you who claim that the only path to salvation is Jesus Christ, or any other religious figure, I ask you to consider what good you have done for humanity and our planet. Wouldn't your prophets prefer you spreading messages of acceptance, rather than criticizing people for not having the same beliefs as you?

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Hey my Pepsi turned to Water!! oh wait the ice just melted...false miracle..i mean typical miracle

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Are we all missing the point? Where was God in all of this? Did he sit this one out? If I was as good as Mother Theresa, I would be pretty pissed off at the silence of God...

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So as you can see. . . the types of comments range from the insightful to the sarcastic comedy. 
There were several I went back to look for but could not find. . . many comments about the nonexistence of God. 
But anyway, I do not need them to continue.

Where am I in all of this? Personally, I find that people are angry with organized religion and the pain it has inflicted over the years.  Many people are atheists because they refuse to believe in "The God" that is portrayed by many a pulpit preaching person. There is more hatred taught and preached about than there is love.

There is more condemnation and rejection than there is acceptance and brother and sisterhood. Look at people like Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. He is known for preaching with slogans and banners denoting phrases such as "Thank God for 9/11", "God hates fags," "AIDS cures fags," and "Fags die, God laughs (or mocks)," and claims that God will punish homosexuals as well as people such as Bill O'Reilly, Coretta Scott King, Ronald Reagan, and Howard Dean, whom his church considers "fag-enablers".

Who would want to worship the God this man claims he is a representative of??  

OK so here we have Mother Theresa questioning her faith.  Yet, despite her questioning she continued to help those in need. . .when she could have given up and moved on.

One of the comments above mentioned God's silence. . .
I do not believe God is EVER silent. 
I believe there are times when we are to busy or hurt to see the hand of God in the green of the trees, the blue of the sky, the browns and tans of our fellow human beings.
I believe there are times when we are to busy or to hurt to hear the pure joy of heaven in the laughter of a child, to hear the exhilaration brought on by a beautiful piece of music, the chorus of nature in the sound of rushing water, the beat of the human heart, the sound of the simple sentence, "I love you!"  

When we take the time to open our eyes, open our ears, open our hearts. . . then it is impossible not to see, hear, feel and know God is here.  

Yes, she doubted and at times we all question our reason for being, our purpose, our life and mission.  Asking the questions and even feeling the emptiness are not inherently evil or bad things.  As someone once said you are not a quitter until you quit! Though she may have questioned, she continued to serve Though she doubted, she continued to comfort Though she was in pain, she continued to love  
I cannot nor can any of us presuppose to know what she truly felt.  even in reading her letters, we are reading them based upon our own perceptions and awareness... that is not an accurate indication of her heart and soul.  
She did more, in spite of her doubt than many of us do while proclaiming to have great faith!  

This blog entry was not to condemn the commentaries by people on AOL but to shed light on our own internal commentaries. . .
What am I doing to serve?
What do I believe in?
What do I doubt?  

And my all important question ..."Why?"  

As I said, I am not a Catholic but I am a human and the piece of God that manifested as Mother Theresa, my sister in the universe's family is a role model for what she was able to do - In service and in love!  

What are you doing to make the world a better place?

How are you being the change that Gandhi spoke of?  

Just a thought. . . .