the article about Mother Theresa. the quality of the images are quite good so it is possible to zoom in to read the words, i think. if by any chance it’s unreadable, email me and i’ll send the images.
September 6, 2007
Time Magazine – Mother Theresa article – 1st week of September Issue
Posted by Mr. Rockstar under Magazine Article, Reader Discretion Advised[6] Comments
September 7, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Dear People:
The public response to the “revelation” that Mother Theresa was subject to doubts and long periods of spiritual dryness says more about the spiritual state of our culture than it does about her. People nowadays can’t understand why she would remain a Catholic if she wasn’t “getting off” on it. Where’s the euphoria? Where’s the payoff? If Catholicism was such a “downer” for her, why didn’t she just move on? The idea of suffering for one’s Beloved (human or Divine!) as being a high privilege is meaningless to such people.
(Remember Don Novello’s character of Guido Sarducci, gossip columnist for La O’sservatore Romano on Saturday Night Live? In one of his sketches he talked about a plan to remove the cross from Catholic churches because “the logo is a downer.” I’m not sure people could understand the humor of that today.)
It may be that God was calling Mother Theresa, who in “natural” terms was a “cataphatic” contemplative, subject to visions and auditions and sensible consolations, to a different vocation: that of the apophatic contemplative, who encounters God in the barrenness, mortification and dark night of all the faculties of the soul — until he or she learns that the feeling of God’s absence is the very SIGN of His presence. And she may not have fully understood everything that such a call might entail.
We mustn’t forget that Christ felt abandoned by God too: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Clearly he never doubted God’s existence; atheists never feel “abandoned by God.” And I’m sure that Mother Theresa never doubted His existence either; she simply mourned His felt absence, like John of the Cross, and Rumi, and so many other mystics always have. So what else is new? What else is new is that people are clueless nowadays about the fundamentals of the spiritual life.
Sincerely,
Charles Upton
cupton@qx.net
September 14, 2007 at 3:10 am
Uh…religion is all made up stories and it about time that we throw away the silliness of it.
Die for Jesus, Die for Allah, Die for whatever God ya made up that is what religion is good for..DEATH!
Is was about time the good old broad figured it out..good for her.
March 1, 2008 at 3:33 pm
please send me a copy of the article titled “The secret life of mother Theresa” published in Times magzine’s first week of September 2007 issue. Thanks.
April 18, 2008 at 9:01 am
Would you please send me a clearer copy of the article ? I am very interested in reading of her struggles; In terms of an atheistic perspective , one may relate it to anyone struggling to maintain a positive attitude in continuing constructive actions in this violent world. Thanks, Tom
April 25, 2008 at 11:44 pm
All I can say is that that little lady is the biggest hero I have. Just looking at this old, frail, and continuously smiling remarkable example of a human being can bring tears to my eyes. No one else can do that (and I’m not emotional at all). I think she just radiates God so perfectly. She’s a masterpiece!!!
April 27, 2008 at 12:19 am
http://media.libsyn.com/media/rockstar/motherteresaarticle.zip