NOT GETTING ANY Where? persevere!
Hello Saints,
I was thinking recently about how many times the letters in the New Testament are about perseverance. Many of these encouragements are because of the persecution the church was experiencing. However, there are also times that the churches are feeling discouraged. There are many reasons this might have been happening. Some might have thought Jesus was going to be coming back in their lifetime. Others might have just found a lifetime of social rejection hard to live with. Whatever the reasons, if we are in ministry long enough there are bound to be times where we feel like we aren't getting anywhere, or even worse, going backwards. I'm sure much of the early church had times like this.
So it was a nice little bit of divine coincidence that the saint being celebrated today in the Daily Lectionary is Mother Teresa. If there was anyone in recent history we know was enabled to stay steadfast in difficult and discouraging ministry, it was certainly her! Below is the article about her from www.dailyoffice2019.com.
Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, was a beacon of God's love and compassion in the 20th century. Raised in a devout Catholic family, she felt called to religious life at a young age. At 18, she left her home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, where she took the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In December 1928, Sister Teresa departed for India, arriving in Calcutta on January 6, 1929. She made her First Profession of Vows in May 1931 and was assigned to teach at St. Mary's School for girls in Calcutta. On May 24, 1937, she made her Final Profession of Vows, becoming "the spouse of Jesus" for eternity, and from then on was known as Mother Teresa. She continued teaching at St. Mary's, eventually becoming the school's principal in 1944. Mother Teresa's life took a profound turn on September 10, 1946, during a train ride from Calcutta to the Himalayan foothills. She experienced what she described as a "call within a call," where Christ spoke to her and told her to abandon teaching to work in the slums of Calcutta, aiding the city's poorest and sickest people. After nearly a year and a half of lobbying, she received approval to pursue this new calling in January 1948. On December 21, 1948, Mother Teresa ventured into the slums of Calcutta for the first time. She visited families, washed children's sores, cared for a sick elderly man on the road, and nursed a woman dying of hunger and tuberculosis. Her compassionate work quickly expanded, and in 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation dedicated to serving "the poorest of the poor". Under Mother Teresa's leadership, the Missionaries of Charity grew rapidly, establishing hospices, homes for orphaned children, and clinics for people with leprosy and HIV/AIDS. By 2012, the congregation operated in over 133 countries, with more than 4,500 nuns managing various charitable institutions. Mother Teresa's work extended beyond material assistance; she recognized that true poverty encompassed loneliness, abandonment, and spiritual emptiness. She sought not only to alleviate suffering but also to offer solace and companionship through her presence. Throughout her life, Mother Teresa received numerous honors for her humanitarian work, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Despite facing criticism and periods of spiritual darkness, she remained steadfast in her mission to serve the poor and marginalized. Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and selfless service. Her life and work continue to inspire people worldwide to extend love and care to those in need. On September 4, 2016, Mother Teresa was canonized by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, recognizing her lifetime of devotion to the poor and her exemplary Christian witness.
Yours in Christ,
Jamey +
Movie Recommendation: Here's one of my favorite recent Christian movies. It's also about a ministry that persevered. I know some of you watched it for movie night a few months back. It's definitely worth a watch, maybe even a second one.
Prayer:
Hebrews 10: 23-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the h
