ABEL'S SACRIFICE OF SELF

Not even when Abel and Cain were making the first sacrifice – not even then did God pay attention to their gifts. He looked into their hearts, and the gift that was acceptable was the one offered by the one who was acceptable in his heart. Abel, peaceable and righteous in sacrificing in innocence to God, taught the rest of us that when we bring our gift to the altar we should come, like him, with the fear of God, with a heart free of deceit, with the law of righteousness, with the peace of concord. He sacrificed in such a way, and so he was worthy to become, afterwards, himself a sacrifice to God: he who bore witness through the first martyrdom, who initiated the Lord’s passion by the glory of his blood, had both the Lord’s righteousness and the Lord’s peace. Such are those who are crowned by the Lord at the end; such are those who will sit and judge with him on the day of judgement.

--St Cyprian's treatise on the Lord's Prayer

(Letter of Fr Van Exem to Mother Teresa, when the latter was critically ill.)

Dear Mother,

Tomorrow morning I shall say Holy Mass
1. that you may have no operation
2. that you may be in China by the 7th October 93
3. that the Lord may take me and not you if that is His Will. His will, not mine.

I am with you and the Sisters, all of them.

There is a Calvary for every Christian. For you the way to Calvary is long, but Mary has met you on the road. You did not go up the hill, this is for later.

I adore the Blessed Sacrament which, I am sure, you have in your room.

Pray for me and all my companions, especially the companions of Jesus with whom I am.

Yours sincerely in our Lord,

C Van Exem, SJ

(Four days later, Father Van Exem died.)

(Come Be My Light, pp 322-323)

Dear Co-worker of Christ,

You had said "Yes" to Jesus--and He has taken you at your word.--The Word of God became Man--Poor.--Your word to God--became Jesus--poor and so this terrible emptiness you experience. God cannot fill what is full.--He can fill only emptiness--deep poverty--and your "Yes" is the beginning of being or becoming empty. It is not how much we really "have" to give--but how empty we are--so that we can receive fully in our life and let Him live His life in us.

In you today--He wants to relive His complete submission to His Father--allow Him to do so. Does not matter what you feel--as long as He feels alright in you. Take away your eyes from your self and rejoice that you have nothing--that you are nothing--that you can do nothing. Give Jesus a big smile--each time your nothingness frightens you.

This is the poverty of Jesus. You and I must let Him live in us and through us in the world.

Cling to Our Lady--for she too--before she could become full of grace--full of Jesus--had to go through that darkness. "How could this be done?--" But the moment she said "Yes," she had need to go in haste and give Jesus to John and his family..

Keep giving Jesus to your people not by words but by your example--by your being in love with Jesus--by radiating His holiness and spreading His fragrance of love everywhere you go.

Just keep the joy of Jesus as your strength.--Be happy and at peace.--Accept whatever He gives--and give whatever He takes with a big smile.--You belong to Him--tell Him I am Yours and if you cut me to pieces every single piece will be only all Yours.

Let Jesus be the victim and the priest in you.

I have started going round our houses in India--so I have beautiful time alone with Jesus in the train.

Pray for me as I do for you.

Yours in Jesus,

M. Teresa, MC

(Blessed Mother Teresa, Letter to a priest, Come Be My Light, pp 275-276)

(A journalist asked Mother Teresa if she was ever in doubt. After all, the journalist said, Christ himself had moments of doubt in Gethsemane.)

No. There was no doubt. It was only for a moment that He felt unsure. That was as a human being. That was natural. The moment you accept, the moment you surrender yourself, that's the conviction. But it may mean death to you, eh? The conviction comes the moment you surrender yourself. Then there is no doubt. The moment Jesus said, "Father, I am at your disposal, Thy will be done," He had accepted. That was His agony. He felt all the things you and I would feel as human beings. That's why He was like unto us in all things, except sin."

[If uncertainty remains] that's the time to go on your knees, eh? .... In that prayer, God cannot deceive you because that prayer comes from within you. That is the time you want Him most. Once you have got God within you, that's for life. There is no doubt. You can have other doubts, eh? But that particular one will never come again. No, I have never had doubt.... But I am convinced that it is He and not I. That it is His work, and not my work. I am only at His disposal. Without Him I can do nothing. But even God could do nothing for someone already full. You have to be completely empty to let Him in to do what He will. That's the most beautiful part of God, eh? Being almighty, and yet not forcing Himself on anyone.

(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, pp 259-260)

Many a soul has been brought back to God. Many a dying person has been sent to God, many a child has been taught to love God, many a sick person has been comforted and taught to suffer for love of God, and above all the generous and self-sacrificing lives of our young Sisters must have given much reparation to the Sacred Heart.--And for all these, I beg you to thank God with me.

(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, p 154)