From Patricia O. , Message #1636.1 The Religion Forum - Mother Teresa Lost Faith?
According to a new book by CBS correspondent Mark Phillips, based on a compilation of letters she wrote, Mother Teresa lost her faith early in her work in Calcutta, and never really regained it.
"Where is my faith?" she wrote. "Even deep down… there is nothing but emptiness and darkness... If there be God — please forgive me."
The priest who is pushing for her beatification says that these letters make her work even more impressive. I'm not sure I agree.
Join the discussion at the Religion Forum. Here is my response:
Thanks for addressing this, Patricia.
I have been reading the TIME article and some of the quotes. I need to read the whole book to be fair. However, I am not getting the impression that Mother Teresa lost her faith, but that she struggled with profound issues of faith.
Compassion is a word that comes to my mind when I think of her. Compassion means "to suffer with." I think this is part of the burden of compassion she took upon herself.
There are also symptoms of classic burnout and depression.
All humans are vulnerable to these conditions - even Christians and especially Christians who immerse themselves in the plight of the poor and pour out their own lives for others. If people in helping professions are among the most susceptible, how much more so one who embodies Christ in the heart of the most blatant pockets of poverty in the world and becomes as poor among the poor.
Teresa bared her soul to these confessors. it was raw and honest and
God-directed. These were not just her conversations with friends and
counselors, but with God Himself. When she had dount, she did what
might have seemed counterintuitive and contradictory. She took them to
the One she doubted with intimate honesty and brutal self examination.
Then she continued to act in and live by faith.
Spirituality is paradoxical and Christianity teaches a dual nature within believers in Romans 7.
Then, there was the man who came to Jesus and said, "I believe, help thou my unbelief."
Esther took on a mission, rallied her friends to fast for her and yet declared, "If i perish, I perish."
Jesus said, "My God,my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
This glimpse into the personal, deep, spiritual struggle within Mother Teresa makes me love and appreciate her more because she moved beyond the superficial religiosity of one who never asks and struggles with hard questions. She not only wrestled with the doubts and questions, but like Jacob, she wrestled with God himself.
For her, it always came back to an embrace of her calling and devotion to God.
I don't think she lost faith; I think she took it deeper.
Good question.
- Tom
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