Mothering Sunday

Brother,

Here is the reading from the New Testament for next Sunday (Mothering Sunday)

Ephesians 2.1-10
1You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.



On Mothering Sunday this year I focus on Mother Theresa. According to many people, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was perhaps the greatest Christian in the 20th century. Mother Teresa captured the hearts of all of us. Her integrity, her humility, her total giving of herself to the poor of India. Mother Teresa captured the hearts of the world like nobody else on earth in our time.

She was to our century what St. Francis was to his century. Her name will be etched into the 20th century like St. Francis’ name was etched into his century. The world remembers the prayer of St. Francis and the world will remember the wonderful life of Mother Teresa. Many people will proudly say, “I lived in the time of Mother Teresa.” I already think that. “I lived when Mother Theresa lived.”

When she was given the Nobel Peace Prize, it was well deserved. She received it with such humility, saying, “I am unworthy. I am unworthy to receive this. This award is a recognition of the poor of India.” Mother Teresa was the greatest saint of our time. The year was 1950. Mother Teresa had founded the Missionaries of Charity. She then trained young women and then sent her sisters to the poorest of the poor in all parts of the world. Those sisters listened to her words when she said, “Let there be no pride. There should be no vanity in this work. For this is not your work but God’s work. These are not your poor but God’s poor.”

She and her fellow sisters went off to carry the bodies of the poor off the streets of Calcutta. What amazes me, is that even though she was a Nobel Laureate, one of the most famous people in the world, she would still pull the poor people out of the gutters and help them to die with dignity. Though famous, she would do what others would call the dirty work. She still cared for the lepers, the homeless, and the dying bags of bones, even after becoming famous. How many of our football stars or politicians would do that?

In America, Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity were busy. They began their work in St. Louis, Missouri, and her work then spread out all across that nation. I discovered today that she said once, and I love this quotation: “I am interested in persons, not programs. Programs are for a purpose; but Christian love is for a person, and I am committed to helping Christian persons.” The centre of her life was not to organise programs; the centre of her life was to care for individual people. Mother Teresa said that the biggest disease today is not leprosy, nor tuberculosis, not Aids, nor cancer. Rather, the biggest disease in the world today is the “feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, and deserted by everyone.” Her words are profound and still stir us inside.

Mother Teresa? Hers is a life of total poverty. Mother Teresa? Hers is a life of total submission to the will of God. If anyone deserves eternal life, Mother Teresa does. If anybody deserves to get through the pearly gates, Mother Teresa does. If anyone deserves to live in the eternal heavenly Jerusalem with streets paved with gold, Mother Teresa does. And yet, wonder of wonders, we are rescued by faith alone - Mother Theresa and you, me, are equals - because of Jesus and the free gift which Faith brings.

Mark