Dignity of birth and Dignity of death: MOTHER TERESA'S VALUE

Whether titled 'Goddess of kindness' or 'Splendid woman of the gutter', "Saint on Earth", "Saint of Gutters","Angel of Mercy", "Living Saint of Calcutta", she was well known in the world as she was among the poor. She had many other names too, including some malicious ones like, "Hell's angel", "Hell's puppet", the "Popes' emissary" etc...But who does not get names good and bad especially when doing good and going against the current?

Even Jesus had a variety of names as 'Glutton", "Samaritan","possessed", "Beelzebul", and "out of mind","impostor","a friend of publicans and sinners" and similar ones. Such was the fury of those who opposed his message and his ways that they could not call him by anything kinder name than what we cited above. Granted that Mother Teresa used in her title, "Missionary" and spoke against abortion and too often spoke about Jesus, it is great wonder that the attack against her was not really very big and she was never subject to violence. She went against the unethical and immoral trends of the present age and still was the darling of the media and of celebrities and rulers all over the world. People rushed to see her as though for absolution for their sins and to re-invent themselves and make a comeback to respectability. Consider the thousands of volunteers who put up with the unbearable conditions of Calcutta to do what they could not do in the West, that is, to serve the poorest of the poor. In the same process, some even set their conscience right and do amends for the past life, as they take part in the recollection and prayer programmes at the Mother House to.

As to her legacy, the media may say what it likes but for the honest on-looker it is impossible to explain how the frail- looking nuns are able to endure the extreme    hot situations in Calcutta and sleep without even fans that many of the poor today have.The giant leap of the diminutive Saint of Calcutta is unbelievable  in terms of thousands of followers they have, with hundreds of centers in their care and lacks of volunteers visiting them and extending their service to them and to the many thousands of the sick and dying. It is estimated that some 80 thousand sick people who were picked up in a dying  condition have been able  to die with dignity and in peace in the homes of Mother Teresa. Only those who have some faith in a peaceful and happy death to gain eternal life and its bliss can understand this.

Another phenomenal achievement is the dignified life given to thousands of  unwanted babies who have been either given in adoption or settled in life, something that Teresa the "Mother of the Living" from heaven  will be now taking delight in. Even if the media has given wide coverage to Mother Teresa at the most important moments of her life, death and after-death glorification, yet we should  say that there is a lot that still remains unnoticed. Take,for example the homes for babies, mentally challenged women and HIV patients that are located at        Tangra and is known by the name Shantidan (the gift of peace)- these works which along with the HIV centre run by the male counter parts under the direction of of the MC Brothers have grown into a mini township. Now it is quite well known that may of the HIV patients from these centres are able to return to normal life after two or three years in these centres. There has been reported the case of a man who was paralyzed due to HIV and TB and the family too had stopped visiting him after admitting him in the centre of Deepshika run of the MC  WBrothers of Tangra. He is now able to walk and looks cheerful.

To their credit, it must be said  that the Sisters and Brothers are selfless and do not run any institution for the sake of money - something rare among many private charitable institutions, and they are not discriminatory: They care for all irrespective of caste, religion or colour. So it makes sense to say that Mother Teresa and her works have a universal character, except for that blue stripe sari that is typically Indian and even the foreigners wrap it round joyfully.

Mother Teresa has not only done much terms of charitable works but has taught us a great deal. There is no one whether abroad or in India who would forget to insert a qoute from Mother Teresa in their talk or writing.Let us take, therefore, a qoute from this Saint of the slums,
The poor give us much more than we give them. They're such strong people,living day to day with no food. And they never curse, never complain.We don't have to give them pity and sympathy. We have so much to learn from them.


     A birth centenary tribute to Mother Teresa
     From the STREAMS

God's New Word Order

Mary's hymn is also a Prophetic song. It contains what God intends to do His people. Mary prophesied in that song the new word order that God would establish - about a world where the real Christian ideals reign.
William Barcley describes it this way: "A Christian society is a society where no man dares to have too much while others have too little,where every man must get only to give away."  Mary spoke against the prevailing world  order where lack of justice and equality was commonplace.

Christians must aspire to become prophets, like Mary, who can dare to speak against the evils of the world and act to eliminate them.Today's world needs prophets who can protest against humanity's inclination  to acquire and possess; against all the hunger in the world brought about by man's own doing or lack of it; against man's insensitivity to the plight of the poor.

We also need prophets who can instill fear- the " fear of being driven away empty- handed" because of their evil appetite for that which belongs to others. We need to speak against man's desire for money and things, power and recognition.

We need prophets who can speak of the beauty and grandeur of God's reign and invite   people to participate in it. We need prophets who can speak against humanity's foolishness of satiating their human   desires with the ephemeral things rather than  with God provides. We need prophets who can speak against humanity's own folly of thinking  that we are self - made man and woman and that we can still move  on with our lives without the help of God.

Becoming Like Mary

We look now at Mary and marvel at her remarkable works. We say that as we as direct our eyes on her with reverence, we also entertain the desire of becoming like her. Can we be like her in putting our trust in God? Can we become virgins and cooperate with God in giving birth to something holy? Can we humble ourselves before Him and before our fellow human beings that we may compose our own lives ' Magnificat?

There is so much in her that we need   to acquire. But foremost should be her discipleship. As we make own processions in life, may we all complete our journey and end up there together with all the saints enjoying the beatific vision of our heavenly Father.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The Mountain, a natural symbol

The mountain in the Old Testament The Bible introduces mountains in its literature as visiting places of God, already in Genesis in the time of Abraham. God had ordered him to sacrifice his son Isaac in the land of Moriah. On reaching there, Isaac had asked his father, "We have brought here the firewood needed but where is the goat to be sacrificed". Then Abraham had replied, "God will see to it". Just when he was about to slay his son in sacrifice, an angel halted him and pointed out a ram caught in a bush close to a mountain nearby. Abraham after taking the goat and sacrificing it in the place of his son, named the mountain, "Yahweh-yireh; hence people now say, 'On the mountain the LORD will see'" (Gen. 22:14). Mountains continued to play a role in the lives of the Semitic people ever since Abraham had his special experience of God's providence, as we have reported above. Next we see Jacob and Laban having an oath near a mountain and after that Jacob and his kinsmen slept in the mountain, "He then offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmen to share in the meal. When they had eaten, they passed the night on the mountain" (Gen. 31"54). Moses' most intense experience of God takes place at two important mountains, Horeb and Sinai, Horeb is called the mountain of God, in Exudos, "Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God"(Ex.3:1) It was there that Moses hears the voice of God from the burning bush (Ex.3:4-15). Later during the journey through the desert,God commands Moses from Horeb to strike a rock to get a water, "I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink'. This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel" (Ex. 17:6). Sinai is the most spectacular of all the mountains where Moses and the people of God and also received the Ten Commandments: "Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently"(Ex,19:18). "The glory of the Lord settled upon Mount Sinai. the cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud"(Ex.24:16). "When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,he gave him the two tablets of the commandments, the stone tablets inscribed by God's own finger"(Ex.31:18). There were a series of spiritual events that took place on sacred mountains according to the bible. Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to assemble in Mount Carmel and bring down rain by the Power of the gods each one believed in:He told King Ahab, "Now summon all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, as well as the four hundred and fifty prophets of Asherah who eat st Jesebel's table" (Kings 18:19). After the contest and the slaying of the false prophets, Elijah went on his way and after receiving food from heaven on the way, he went to Mount Horeb, "He got up, and ate and drunk;then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the Mountain of God, Horeb" (1Kings 19:8). It was there he got a vision of God that gave him strength and a new commission, There are many more stories of prophets and kings who find God on mountains. This is in contrast to the Gentile nations seeking strength from their gods and goddesses on mountains and high places through idolatry and immoral practices. These practices are condemned by the prophets quite often. We have a classical one from Ezekiel who condemns Israel and its mountains for evil practices, "Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys: See, I am bringing a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places" (Ezek.6:3).

God' Holy Mountain, a prophetic theme

* Zion, though it is only a small hill finally becomes the perfection of all mountains because on it was the dwelling place of God. This thought is a recurring theme that is quite frequent in the psalms and prophecies in the Bible. Every prophet makes a reference to God's Holy Mountain (Jerusalem, Zion) and calls people to find hope on God's holy mountain. The following are few of the examples that could be cited: * Ps. 48:1- "Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain". * Is. 11:9- "They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of knowledge of Yahweh". * Is. 27:13- "It will happen in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and those who were outcasts in the land of Egypt, shall come; and they will worship Yahweh in the holy mountain in Jerusalem". * Is. 65:25- "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,"says Yahweh". * Ez. 20:40- "For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel,says the Lord Yahweh, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings,and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things". * Ez. 28:14- "You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire". * Ez. 43:12- "This is the law of the house: on the top of the mountain the whole limit around it shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house". * Zech.8:3-"Thus says Yahweh: 'I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called 'The City of Truth;' and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, 'The Holy Mountain." *Rev. 21:10-11- "He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having glory of God".

Mountain in the Gospels

Departing from the past tradition when Jerusalem was the mount where God could be worshipped, Jesus did not attach importance either to Jerusalem or any other mountain as a place of prayer or Divine experience. In fact, while talking to the Samaritan woman he said that neither the temple of the Jews nor the sacred Mountain of the Samaritans mattered for prayer but emphasized the importance of praying in spirit and truth CJn. 4:23-24). In the Gospel according to Matthew quite symbolically he is seen teaching the disciples from a mountain. But he tells them that they should pray in secret to the Father from the privacy of the room with the doors closed,"But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you" )Mt.6:6) However mountains do have prominence in the Gospels and great events are related to mountains. Beginning with the Sermon on the Mount, there are a number of instances when the mountain is chosen as an important location for significant events in the Gospels.Jesus was transfigured on a mountain that traditionally is believed to be Mount Tabor.Next we hear of the Mount of Olives as the place where Jesus prayed after the Last Supper," Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives" (Mt.26:30). He had often spent nights on that mountain,"During the day,Jesus was teaching in the temple area, but at night he would leave and stay at the place called the Mount of Olives"(Lk. 21:37). His death took place on Calvary a little mount covered with skulls, made holy by the blood of the Redeemer.The ascension too is believed to have taken place from a mountain in Galilee, according to Matthew, though he does not describe the scene,"The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them" (Mt.28:16). According to Luke the ascension takes from a mountain called Olivet that was near Jerusalem,"Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet,which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away" (Acts: 1:12). Later in the early Christian Church the meaning of Mount Zion changes into a heavenly site, "No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering" (Heb.12:22). John's visions are focused quite vividly on the heavenly Jerusalem, "Then I looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads" (Rev.14:1). He sees it coming down from heaven to earth which means the formation of a holy mountain on the earth,that is the center where the Christians are to experience God, "He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God"(Rev:21:10). Conclusion: We human beings search for God through signs and symbols that are quite common. God fulfills these aspirations through his marvelous interventions through Christ.In Christ he has made everything new. This too was prophesied many centuries ago, especially through Isaiah."Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind"(Is.65:17). At the center of this new creation, there had to be God's dwelling place on the holy mountain.And too Isaiah had prophesied long ago,"On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy,rich food and pure, choice wines" (Is. 25:6). We are all the beneficiaries of the new heavens and the new earth where the mountain of the Lord is our Church, where God dwells. It is really marvelous that every natural symbolism searching for God has been fulfilled in Christ.