PHILIPPINES
all will be well Saintly Companions in Times of Suffering Text © 2015 by Daniel Grippo Illustrations © 2007 by Saint Meinrad Archabbey Published by Abbey Press Publications St. Meinrad, Indiana, 47577, USA The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Publisher and Exclusive Distributor in the Philippines: Paulines Publishing House Daughters of St. Paul 2650 F.B. Harrison Street 1302 Pasay City, Philippines E-mail: edpph@paulines.ph Website: www.paulines.ph Cover design: Ann Marie Nemenzo, FSP Photo credits: Jonathan Demetillo 1st Printing 2017 ISBN 978-971-590-835-1 Areas of Distribution: Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore Papua New Guinea, Thailand
at the service of the Gospel and culture
Introduction The word companion comes from Latin roots that taken together mean “the person who shares bread with us.” Sharing a meal is an intimate act involving trust, friendship, and shared conversation about our lives. In that spirit, this collection of Caring Mentors offers help, healing, and hope during difficult times in the form of five friends and guides who come to visit and to nourish us with their wisdom. Within these pages you’ll find wisdom distilled from the life and lessons of five saintly people who came before us: Mary of Nazareth, Julian of Norwich, Thérèse of Lisieux, Thomas Merton, and Mother Teresa. Each of these great faith-filled heroes lived, as we do, with struggles and disappointments, pain and illness, fear and uncertainty, separation and loss. They shared our common humanity, and the wisdom
they gained during their lives was earned through pain and struggles similar to our own. So, we welcome them to the table of companionship, knowing they understand what we are going through. God takes our limitations and losses and helps us transform them into healing and wholeness, indeed into the very path of our salvation. May you find hope, insight, encouragement, and light for the path forward in the simple lives and hard-earned wisdom of our five companÂions for the journey as they share their nourishment with us in this book. — Silas S. Henderson
Contents
I. Mary of Nazareth: Trusting God in Difficult Times
1
II. Julian of Norwich: “All Will Be Well” Despite Our Suffering
11
III. Thérèse of Lisieux: A “Little Way” Through Suffering
21
IV. Thomas Merton: Dealing With Spiritual Struggles and Doubts
31
V. Mother Teresa: Responding to Suffering — In and Around Us
41
Chapter V
Mother Teresa
Responding to Suffering — In and Around Us
W
e’ve all heard of Mother Teresa, and probably admire her great dedication to serving the poorest of the poor. But we may not believe that we, too, can make a difference in the world. Perhaps we feel we have problems enough of our own, with little time or energy left to help others. You might be surprised to learn that at times even Mother Teresa questioned her faith and felt abandoned by God. In fact, we can learn a great deal about how to respond to suffering — both around us and within us — from her words and her example. 41
A Life Well Lived
Teresa was named Agnes when she was born to Albanian parents in Skopje, the capital of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in 1910. Agnes had a wonderful role model for a life of service — her mother, Drana, who opened her family’s home to the poor. Drana told her children to welcome their guests warmly, with love: “Never eat a single mouth ful unless you are sharing it with others.” Agnes joined the Sisters of Loreto when she was 18, wanting to be a missionary. She took the name Teresa and was sent to Calcutta, India, to teach geometry in a high school. Here are some things Teresa’s life and words can teach us about responding to suffering around and within us.
We all need a role model. Drana received a letter from her daughter in which Teresa described the fineness of the school where she was teaching, how everyone liked her, and how she had become head of the school. “Do not forget,” Drana wrote back, “that you went to India for the sake of the poor.” She reminded Teresa of an abandoned woman they used to care for. “She was covered in sores, but what 42
caused her far more suffering was the knowledge that she was all alone in the world.”
Teresa was inspired by her mother’s words to re-examine her priorities. While on a train ride to make a retreat, Teresa became aware of a deeper calling: to dedicate herself to the poor and live among them. “It was on that train that I heard the call to give up all and follow Him into the slums,” Mother Teresa later wrote, “to serve him in the poorest of the poor. I knew it was His will and that I had to follow Him. There was no doubt that it was to be His work. The message was quite clear. It was an order.” Teresa’s mother had helped her find her way. Is there someone in your own life who you can look to for inspiration and motivation? 43
“Today, the poor are hungry for bread and rice– and for love and the living word of God; the poor are thirsty– for water and for peace, truth and justice; the poor are naked– for clothes, for human dignity and compassion for the naked sinner.” – Mother Teresa