Expert: Charlie B - 10/29/2008

Question
Hi, I am doing a research paper on Mother Teresa. I am suppose to interview an expert! In just a few sentences could you tell me your thoughts on her? Also, I've read some things that said she questioned her faith towards the end of her life, do you think that's true? Thank you so much! God Bless!


Answer
Elizabeth,
Mother Teresa is Agnes Bohaxhiu grew up in Albania and was surrounded by wealth and prosperity.  Despite their wealth, their parents were the model of virtue.

Sister Teresa spent twenty years in a noble profession:  teaching. In 1937, she made her permanent vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.  By 1947, India was torn by war and famine.  Mahatma Gandhi's great success in freeing India from British Rule had become tainted by civil war between Muslims and Hindus (sound familiar?).  

in 1950, Mother Teresa found the Sisters of Charity living among the poorest of the poor.  Over the next five decades, Mother Teresa emerged as an icon of modern holiness.   Dedicated to a life of simplicity (message here for everyone), she gave herself to society's most marginalized victims.

You could feel her love.  Her love for people was tangible.  You could see the love; you could reach out and touch it.  She said:

"I believe in person-to-person contact.  Every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, the person that I am meeting is the one person in the world at that moment."  Asked to speak about religion, she said:

"Religion is not something that you or I can touch.  Religion is the worship of God -- therefore a matter of conscience.  I alone must decide for myself and you for yourself, what we choose.  For me, the religion that I live and use to worship God is the Catholic religion.  For me, this is my very life, my joy, and the greatest gift of God in his love for me.  He could have given me no greater gift."  :-)

To get the rest of the story, I'd encourage you to go to http://www.matthewkellyfoundation.org and get the book, Rediscovering Catholicism.

Thanks for your question, Elizabeth.
God bless,
Charlie