Heaven Gained a New Saint Named Teresa

Dear friends,

This past week and a half my husband and I have been quietly mourning the loss of our dear friends’ beautiful and precious sixteen year old daughter, who passed away unexpectedly. Despite their grief, our friends have unwaveringly continued to trust in the Lord. Their faith has been a source of consolation for their family and friends — it certainly has been for us.  

The post below is something I wrote on November 4, 2011.  As I re-read it, it made me think so much of our friends. Their daughter, Reese, was named after St. Teresa of Calcutta, about whom the post was written. This post is dedicated to our dear friends and dearest Reese.  Today is Reese’s funeral and also a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, which is so appropriate since our friends are committed pro-lifers.   

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As I was praying and kneeling on the pew with my husband this morning after receiving Holy Communion, an interesting thought came to mind. It was simply the word peace. In my prayer this morning I was asking God to give me a task. Whether He would give me a task or not I would still be thankful to Him. The word peace came to my mind. It could have been through the Holy Spirit (God answering my prayer) or through the prayers of St. Charles Borromeo since it is his feast day today. Anyway, it was a curious thought as I am still contemplating the word after almost twelve hours.

I listened to a talk by Father Larry Richards a few years back. He talks about a time when he and a friend went to visit some of Mother Teresa's nuns. He mentions how spiritually conscious and aware they were in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He says that once the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, all of the nuns immediately bowed down and touched their heads to the ground to worship. Fr. Richards then continued about a sign at the entrance of their chapel.

"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."

These words were once said by Mother Teresa. After adoring the Blessed Sacrament, one of the nuns offered Fr. Richards and his friend to eat with them. At first they declined but the nuns insisted that they join them. At the table, after they said grace, the nuns constantly passed food for their guests, hosting them and making them feel at home. They offered simple food but they shared what they had. After recalling the story, Fr. Richards said that those nuns exemplified Mother Teresa's words. They understood peace because of prayer, through silent prayer they understood faith, through faith love, through love service. Those nuns were stewards of service and ultimately of peace.

Mother Teresa was peace. Fr. Robert Barron in the film series Catholicism names her the most influential person in the twentieth century. Though he has great admiration for Pope John Paul II, he believes that Mother Teresa was more influential.  Mother Teresa is a saint who during her life on earth worked tirelessly for the poor, the unwanted, the pro-life cause and peace.

That same spirit of service can evoke a world of peace. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and Saint Charles Borromeo, please pray for us and for peace on earth.

Nine Suggestions To Help Strengthen Your Faith

1. Attend daily Mass. There is no better way to start the day than going to church and being in the presence of Christ. The Eucharist is the central teaching of the Catholic faith. Going to Mass allows us to be transformed. We are brought closer to God. Our faith and love grow stronger.

2. Receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. Going to Confession lifts the heavy burdens of sin. I like to say my Confession face-to-face with the priest but you have the option of saying an anonymous confession. After Confession all sins are forgiven. Through God's Divine Mercy, He gives us a clean slate.

3. Pray the Rosary every day. In my lowest moments, I have prayed the Rosary. The Rosary is simple and calming. It has given me hope and strength in times of despair. When we pray the Rosary we address Mary and ask for her intercession and prayers. In turn she gives our requests to Our Lord.

4. Serve others. At the end of Mass, the priest says to the congregation, "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." When we serve others, we serve Christ. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus says, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." When we give our time to help others, we are humbled. We are given an indescribable joy.

5. Find a spiritual director. Fr. Larry Richards recommended this in one of his CDs. He said that you can ask a priest or nun to be your spiritual director. The reason for a spiritual director is to keep us in the path of holiness. We are to grow in holiness. We are to live holy lives and become saints. Our goal in life is to get to Heaven. A spiritual director can assist in this. I also like to think of Catholic TV and radio personalities as my own spiritual directors. I follow Fr. Richards, Mother Angelica and Fr. Mitch Pacwa on EWTN. They help me stay the path.

6. Listen to Catholic Radio. There are a number of sources such as the Catholic Channel on XM Radio, Ave Maria Radio, EWTN Global Catholic Radio, Relevant Radio and many others. I have access to XM Radio so I enjoy listening to daily Mass, Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Gus Lloyd with Seize the Day. Many Catholic questions can be answered by listening to Catholic Radio.

7. Listen to Christian music. When I do not have access to Catholic Radio, I enjoy listening to Christian music. Throughout the nation, there are Christian, family-friendly radio stations. The music keeps me in a good mood throughout the day. Many times you will hear inspirational stories, too.

8. Forgive others. To forgive is a difficult act to do but Jesus calls us to. Mother Teresa had love and compassion in her heart for the poor and unwanted. She once recalled a story. She found an abandoned woman in a garbage dump very feverish and left there to die. The woman told her, "My son did this to me." Mother pleaded with her and told her that she must forgive her son. She continued, "In a moment of madness, when he was not himself, he did a thing he regrets. Be a mother to him, forgive him." After a long while, the dying woman conceded to say that she forgave her son. Right before she died in Mother's arms, she was able to say it with a real genuine forgiveness.

9. Spread the Good News. This is part of the New Evangelization that Blessed Pope John Paul II initiated. We can do our part in the New Evangelization by spreading the Good News through social media. Facebook, Twitter and e-mail are great starting places. There are a number of church group ministries that you can join. There is power in numbers. The wonderful thing is with the Catholic Church no one is alone. We Catholics belong to a community. As a community we can grow our faith. Consider giving Catholic gifts (books, CDs) as Christmas or birthday presents.

Other Resources

1. EWTN is the Eternal Word Television Network. It is on 24/7 and on the website you can watch live streaming. EWTN has a broad array of wonderful Catholic programs and movies. EWTN's website has a wealth of Catholic information such as devotions and prayers. It is normally my go to site for all things Catholic.

2. Catholics Come Home is a fantastic website that guides people to the Catholic faith. Whether one is a non-practicing Catholic contemplating returning to the church, a non-Catholic interested in learning more, or a Catholic who would like help in growing in the faith, the website welcomes everyone.

3. The Reason For Our Hope Foundation was started by Fr. Larry Richards. I enjoy listening to Fr. Richards' homilies which can be found on the website. He also has a great guide to Confession on his website. Fr. Richards will no doubt capture your attention. He speaks the truth about the faith in an inspirational way. Read more about the foundation and Fr. Richards on his website.

4. Rome Sweet Home is a book by Dr. Scott Hahn. It is about Dr. Hahn's and his wife's journey to the Catholic faith. It is a well-loved book by many. I especially recommend it to those who are away from the faith or are looking for answers.

5. Word On Fire by Fr. Robert Barron is right now promoting the Catholicism series and is showing on EWTN. This series is the first of its kind and has been well received by Public Television and many Catholic leaders. Fr. Barron took some amazing pilgrimages around the world to showcase the beauty of the Catholic faith. Its intent is to evangelize and glorify God. This is a must see for everyone wishing to seek God. Check out the Word On Fire and Catholicism Series websites.

6. No Turning Back is Fr. Donald Calloway's miraculous story of once being spiritually dead but finding peace in Holy Mother Church and the priesthood. It really is a story of God's Divine Mercy and how anyone who is open to the Holy Spirit can change his or her life for Christ. You can learn more on Fr. Calloway's website.

7. Bella is a beautiful movie about life. After watching it, I immediately became involved in the pro-life movement. I signed up to be a volunteer at a local pregnancy center as a counselor. I also participated in the March for Life in Washington, DC for the very first time. Both were unforgettable experiences.

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Heaven gained a new saint named Teresa and we are sure she is with her namesake St. Teresa of Calcutta, Our Blessed Mother and Our Loving Lord Jesus Christ.  

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

Dearest Reese, pray for us!

In His faithful and loving service,

Elaine and Martin Javier