Friday, August 24, 2007

My favorite Catholic just moved up a notch

I have admired Mother Theresa ever since I watched a PBS show about her that explained how she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today I read that she sometimes had doubts.

I mentioned this to Cliff, who has also admired Mother Theresa.

"So," he said, "you think she watched all those starving, dying people in India, and said, 'What kind of God would allow this to happen?'"

Please keep in mind that Cliff watched a baby sister die a miserable death before she was even three years old, and has asked this question ever since.

"Possibly," I answered.

Then we got into a discussion about the fact that Mother Theresa may become a saint.

"What does that mean?"  Cliff asked.  "People pray to her?"

"As I understand it, Catholics don't actually pray to saints; they simply ask saints to pray for them, because the saints are close to God and can do it well."

I probably have that wrong, but it's how I see it.  I'm not Catholic, so what do I know?

Anyhow, I like Mother Theresa even more for admitting that she had doubts.

So sue me.

Maria my buddy, am I off the mark?
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That does raise her in my book too!  
Traci

Anonymous said...

Yup, you got the gist. It's called an intercession. We ask our favorite patron saint (or a saint who specializes in a particular problem...and we have a saint for EVERY issue, believe me...) to intercede on our behalf with the Almighty. The theory goes that the saint is like a go-between and champions our causes and gets our prayers heard. Like being bumped to the front of the line in the prayer queue waiting for God's ear. ;-)

Mother T has always had a special place in my heart. It saddens me that someone so good and selfless was plagued by doubt. She, of all people, should have had some sign that God was in her corner.

Anonymous said...

Oh...and you might want to send up a prayer to St. Jude about your connectivity issues. He's the patron saint of lost causes. ;-)

Anonymous said...

One thing about it Donna......she has NO doubts now!

I think in our 'humanness' (is that a word? lol) we all have doubts. But that's when we have to reach for that FAITH thing, and grab hold and hang on to get us through!

Anonymous said...

Mother Thersa was only human like the rest of us for sure.  The rest of us however have not had the opportunity or the will to do the good for the world that she did.  We are all saints in the making.  Each of us has the chance to help others each day of our lives.  The church recognizes these special people with the title Saint so that we have models to live by.  I believe they can intercede for us, just as we can also intercede for others needs in prayer.  'On Ya' - ma

Anonymous said...

I read that story also!!  It really intrigued me.  I guess we all have our doubts at one time or another.  God is good to keep any of us around.  LOL.  Hugs,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

DEAR MOSIE I HAVE TO SAY THIS YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE SIANTS AND AS FAR AS MOTHER THERESA SHWAS OF THE FLESH AND VERY HUMAN SO I WOULD SAY YES SHE HAD HER DOUBTS IT WAS IN OUR PAPER ALSO TODAY SO YOU SEE WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND THAT IS JUST HOW THE LORD WANTED US TO BE EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS A SAINT DOES NOT MEAN SHE COULD NOT DOUBT AT TIMES :O)                                                     GOD BLESS           MARIA

Anonymous said...

This whole "saint" thing has gotten out of control.  They totally neglect the time limits before canonization (Pope John Paul II for example) and they have to have three CONFIRMED miracles in order to ordain a saint.  It all seems a bit contrived to me.  
Not that she wasn't a wonderful woman and a great humanitarian, just dealing with the poverty and human misery in India alone makes her a saint in my eyes.  

Anonymous said...

You are not off the mark by any stretch, only I think that while 'we' believe saints are closer to God and pray better, the truth is, I have MY doubts about that.  I think I am as close to God as I can be and I pray mighty fine.  But, yes, that's what 'we' believe.  Saints pray for us ...

I too was glad to know that Mother Theresa had doubts.  How could you be human if you didn't?