Saint Ignatius of Antioch (?-c.110), Bishop and martyr
Letter to the Romans, 5-7 (trans. J.H. Srawley)
"'Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace.'
"Now I begin to be a disciple. May nothing of things visible or invisible seek to impede me that I may attain to Jesus Christ... Even if the most cruel tortures afflict me, may they only aid me in attaining to Jesus Christ. The furthest bounds of the universe, and the kingdoms of this world shall profit me nothing. It is better for me to die for the sake of Jesus Christ than to reign over the boundaries of the earth. Him I seek Who died for us. Him I desire, Who rose [for our sakes].
"My travail-pains are upon me... Suffer me to receive pure light. When I reach there then shall I be a man indeed. Suffer me to be an imitator of the passion of my God... My Love has been crucified, and there is not within me any fire of earthly desire, but only water that lives and speaks in me, and says from within me, 'Come hither to the Father.' I have no pleasure in the food of corruption nor in the pleasures of this material life. I desire God's bread, which is the flesh of Christ, Who is of the seed of David, and for drink I desire His blood, which is love incorruptible."
--http://www.dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=commentary&localdate=20101229
"Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace"
Does vocation still mean anything today?
We all know that today the faith is still contested, is indeed again being contested, with the aim of attacking and overcoming us, so that we ask: Isn't it all in vain? How is the wretched power of the faith to survive among the gigantic powers of this world? Must it not simply be crushed between the world powers of atheism, must it not simply give in before technology and science and all their potential and discoveries? Must it not simply capitulate before egoism and the covetousness that have become overpowerful and can no longer be restrained?' And we might ask: 'Does it still make any sense today to become a priest, a sower of the word? Are there not for a young man more promising, more profitable and more successful occupations in which he can better develop his gifts?
Isn't the whole thing then a hopelessly outdated cause? Isn't the time past when the faithful hastened to church? Do you not see, we hear people say, how everything is slowly but surely crumbling away? How [can you fight] a losing battle?
In fact God is still continually moving incognito through history. He is still continually veiling his power in the garb of powerlessness. And still continually the true values, the divine values, truth, love, faith, justice, are the forgotten and powerless things in this world. And yet--this parable says: 'Be comforted!' God's harvest is growing: however much there are also fellow-travelers who run away as soon as this seems advisable; however much is done in vain, somewhere the word is ripening. Even today. Even today it is still not in vain that there are people who venture to proclaim the word and to be there for the sake of the word; who venture to resist the flood of selfishness, of covetousness, of unscrupulousness, and to build a dam against it. Somewhere in silence their seed is ripening. Nothing is in vain.
--Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI), Ministers of Your Joy, pp 15-16
"Authority" … "obedience". To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a "stumbling stone" for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ -- "the way and the truth and the life" -- we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In his will is our peace".
(Benedict XVI, Homily, Mass at Yankee's Stadium, New York, 20 April 2008)
(Dialogue between Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, as recounted by Mother Teresa herself.)
After Holy Father gave a big speech to the people, I said, "Holy Father, I want to see you five minutes." He sat there; I sat there at his feet. He had his arms crossed with his head in his arms like this looking down at me. He said, "You got problems."
I said, "Holy Father, I am finding it very difficult. I have so many Sisters, 342 at the Mother House now in India, they need me and I need them, and now this continual calling. It is your will, I know, whatever you say I will do, but what do you want me to do?"
He said, "Continue doing what you are doing. Do not refuse Jesus. You have never refused Him before, do not refuse Him now. I will pray for you and give you the answer the next time I see you."
Just like that, simply like a child. Holy Father's words to me, "Do not refuse Jesus."
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, pp 298-299)
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)
(Letter to the sisters.)
Daily we pray "let them look up and see only Jesus," but how often we look in and see only Jesus in us? Do we see Him in using our eyes, mind, and heart, as His own? Are we so given to Him--that we find His eyes look through ours, His tongue speaking, His Hands working, His feet walking, His Heart loving? Do we really see Jesus in us?
You have to be in the world and yet not of the world. The light you give must be so pure, the love you love with must be so burning--the faith you believe with must be so convincing--that in seeing you they really see only Jesus. Your apostolate is so beautiful to give to Jesus. You can give Him, only if you have surrendered yourselves totally to Him.--Often, very often, I pray for you--that you may be the fruit of Christ's love in the world--that you may grow in holiness--so that in you Christ's joy may be fulfilled.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, p 232)
I feel sometimes afraid, for I have nothing, no brains, no learning, no qualities required for such a work, and yet I tell Him that my heart is free from everything and so it belongs completely to Him, and Him alone. He can use me just as it will please Him best. To please Him only is the joy I seek.
(Blessed Mother Teresa's letter to Archbishop Périer, The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta")
Why must we give ourselves fully to God? Because God has given Himself to us. If God who owes nothing to us is ready to impart to us no less than Himself, shall we answer with just a fraction of ourselves? To give ourselves fully to God is a means of receiving God Himself. I for God and God for me. I live for God and give up my own self, and in this way induce God to live for me. Therefore to possess God we must allow Him to possess our soul.
(Blessed Mother Teresa, The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta")