Word: teresa
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Thank you for the insightful and inspirational article describing Mother Teresa's so-called crisis of faith [Sept. 3]. As a moderate Christian, I appreciated the evocation of several tenets of Christianity as well as the references to those of agnosticism and atheism. I stand by the belief that Mother Teresa was as close to God as humanly possible. I agree with writer David Van Biema that a parallel exists between Christ's final moments on the Cross and Teresa's final 50 years, during which she didn't feel the presence of God. In both cases, the acts...
...faith to explain away the horrors and inequities of the human experience. Believing that everything is part of God's master plan affords them the complacency of accepting the most terrible of tragedies. It is with the deepest respect that I read about the struggle of the real Mother Teresa, who, it now appears, had no such crutch. This was a person who soldiered on because she was a good and caring human helping her fellow man endure senseless suffering. If there is a God, Teresa is sitting at his side in heaven. Diane Brennan, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ...
...believe Mother Teresa's letters were printed. Imagine having your prayers publicized for the world to judge whether you are worthy of Christ. The book of Teresa's letters may be considered an amazing look into her heart and mind, but I see it as nothing more than a travesty. Deneen Frye, Philadelphia...
...volunteered with the missionaries of Charity for a month in the summer of 2001. Mother Teresa's letters reveal not a "darkness" but a vulnerability. I can only imagine the mental and spiritual fortitude that a lifelong commitment to oppressed people would demand. Each letter Teresa wrote was an attempt to sustain her spirit as she battled the effects of extreme poverty. Zachary Davis, Modesto, California...
...Great saints have great struggles: that is what makes them great. Mother Teresa and those like her do not run on adrenaline, they run on obedience to God. Our modern pagan society searches continually for personal meaning, which usually translates to emotional significance. The Way of the Cross is to renounce emotions for actions. We judge ourselves on our feelings. God judges us on our actions. The marvel is not that Teresa understood herself (whatever that may mean) but that she kept going when all the ordinary human blandishments and self-deceptions were removed. Jim Douglas, Sydney...