rhetoricfemme Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 If this post belongs elsewhere, I apologize, but it seemed logical here... I'd like to read [url="http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Teresa-Come-Be-Light/dp/0385520379"][i]Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light[/i][/url], which came out last September, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. Knowing that much of the content was between Mother Teresa and her confessors, some of the material being lifted out of private letters she had written and requested be destroyed, a part of me feels that it's not fair to read these personal things of hers. On the other hand, the reason these letters were not destroyed was because the Church requested they not be (according to the Time article I read; correct me if I'm wrong). And now this book has been published. Clearly, there are things to be learned from this wonderful woman and this book. And I feel like if she knew that these writings and this book could inspire people and persevere them toward Christ, I don't think she would mind as much. Still, I feel like it might be an invasion of her privacy to read it... What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madame Vengier Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Actually, I wondered about that too. I don't have an answer. I started reading it but to be honest I couldn't get into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I bought it and it is on the shelf with another 80 books, waiting its turn. My sis read it and said it was wonderful. I don't know if they should have published things she did not want in it but then again, she was very loyal and obedient to the Church and if they deemed them usefull to build up the body of the church, I guess I would have to go with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Its an amazing book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I would think it would be awesome to read such truth and humanity from such a godly woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouisvilleFan Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I'm under the impression that several saints have works published they wanted to be destroyed after they died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 [quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1538193' date='May 23 2008, 12:33 AM']I'm under the impression that several saints have works published they wanted to be destroyed after they died.[/quote] Why don't we do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deus te Amat Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I read it and it was absolutely phenomenal. It states several times in it that she requested the writings to be destroyed, but the orders of the Church did not allow the priests to do so. I think that it is okay to read it it because she requested them to be destroyed out of humility. She did not want anyone to think her a Saint. However, she IS a saint, and one that can greatly relate to a lot of people. The Church saw this and was trying to preserve these writings to better be able to lead people to Him through her experiences. She did not want to be thought a Saint, but that was a matter out of her control. She placed the writings in the hands of the Church, and it was then theirs to do with as they wished, as she was under a vow of Obedience. It is part of being a religious sister or brother,... nothing actually belongs to you, including your words. Just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 [quote name='Deus_te_Amat' post='1538206' date='May 23 2008, 12:41 AM']I read it and it was absolutely phenomenal. It states several times in it that she requested the writings to be destroyed, but the orders of the Church did not allow the priests to do so. I think that it is okay to read it it because she requested them to be destroyed out of humility. She did not want anyone to think her a Saint. However, she IS a saint, and one that can greatly relate to a lot of people. The Church saw this and was trying to preserve these writings to better be able to lead people to Him through her experiences. She did not want to be thought a Saint, but that was a matter out of her control. She placed the writings in the hands of the Church, and it was then theirs to do with as they wished, as she was under a vow of Obedience. It is part of being a religious sister or brother,... nothing actually belongs to you, including your words. Just my .02[/quote] I wonder if my library has it. I'm broke as crud but I would like to read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deus te Amat Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I'd lend mine to you, but someone else already has it... If nothing else, your priest might. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathoholic_anonymous Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I think that Mother Teresa asked for her writings to be destroyed not because she thought they were of tremendous spiritual value and didn't want to be considered a saint (that would have been false modesty rather than humility, and it also doesn't square with what's actually in the letters) but because, like all human beings, she had had her deeply lonely and intense struggles in prayer. She had her silent times alone with God. She had had very private moments of joy and hurt that she kept hidden. She communicated about these things with those friends and advisors whom she knew the best and trusted the most. No human being, no matter how holy, could enjoy the thought of hordes of people pawing through such private things. Especially a woman who had so little privacy for her life of prayer and ministry to the poor. Now she is with God, however, I doubt that she would mind us benefiting from her wisdom. She sees Him face to face, and through reading about her journey we will be encouraged to reach that place as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotusTuusMaria Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 (edited) [quote name='rhetoricfemme' post='1538108' date='May 22 2008, 10:15 PM']Clearly, there are things to be learned from this wonderful woman and this book. And I feel like if she knew that these writings and this book could inspire people and persevere them toward Christ, I don't think she would mind as much. Still, I feel like it might be an invasion of her privacy to read it... What do you think?[/quote] I think you are very right, that she would not mind at all. I do not believe, while Mother Teresa is experiencing the bliss of Paradise, that she feels in the least bit betrayed. I have gained so much spiritually from this book. She wanted only to give glory to God. She wanted only to love Him and save souls. She repeats over and over again that she felt her vocation was to "satiate the thirst of Christ" by bringing to Him souls. It would have been a grave injustice and a true shame for them to have hidden these letters or, far worse, to have destroyed them because souls would have been lost. She has and will continue, through these letters, to satiate the thirst of Christ by bringing to him souls. The letters do draw one closer to God and inspire one to live only for Him. In the book it says Mother Teresa wished her letters to remain hidden so that all glory would be given to God when it came to the work of the Missionaries of Charity. She states that she felt like if people were to read the letters they would think that it was all her, when in fact the work was all God's. It was in humility that she requested those things. I believe Catholic Anonymous touches on something when it comes to the more personal letters she wrote mostly about her own self. Mother Teresa always trusted the Church and her superiors. Anything they asked of her, she did, believing it to be the will of God. These same superiors, acting as God's instruments in proclaiming His will, decided to keep these letters and not to destroy them. We should trust that this was the will of God as Mother Teresa trusted. In one of the letters Mother Teresa says she would leave Loretto, suffer the insults and reactions of the religious, suffer mentally, physically, and spiritually if she could just save one child. These letters will save more souls then just that of one child and ironincally will cause her no suffering as she is in Heaven. I cannot imagine her opposing to their being published and read. The only being who would ever want these letters to remain hidden would be the Devil because he will lose souls through these letters. They published them, in the true spirit of Mother Teresa, to save souls and bring souls closer to Christ. Edited May 23, 2008 by TotusTuusMaria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prose Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I read it. It changed my life in unexpected ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 [quote name='kujo' post='1538178' date='May 22 2008, 11:24 PM']I would think it would be awesome to read such truth and humanity from such a godly woman.[/quote] Check also if there is a church near you that has a lending library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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