Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Calcutta (Agenzia Fides) - Mother Teresa "will continue to be an inspiration and model of love for God and for the poor; a beacon of light and hope; a friend and intercessor to all; and, as she always was, a caring Mother". This is what Cardinal Fernando Filoni said during the Mass he presided in Calcutta yesterday, 15 September, at the tomb of Blessed Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, on the last day of his pastoral visit in India.
In the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples recalled that "Mary’s sorrow was profound" and "was lived with the same faith by which she accepted her divine maternity". At the foot of the Cross "Mary once again became the mother of a newborn infant, the Church. In this sense Mary’s sorrow, as labor pains, was not without hope. In the Resurrection of Christ she came to understand what Christian hope truly is".
After stressing that "the Blessed Virgin Mary is our mother and like every good mother, she teaches us, she is an example for us, and she walks with us throughout our life", Cardinal Filoni continued: "Today we gather together at the tomb of another “mother,” who, when confronted with pain and sorrow, sought to do something about it. Blessed Mother Teresa restored dignity to the suffering, the abandoned, indeed, to the “poorest of the poor”... She alleviated the pain that human beings can inflict upon one another through injustice. She led by example; she evangelized through her “simple love” put into deeds and actions".
Then the Prefect of the Congregation highlighted that "her maternal example towards the underprivileged managed to captivate a great number of young people... she inspired many to imitate her in answering God’s call. Perhaps this was the most captivating aspect of her human and Christian endeavor. This extraordinary fascination continues to captivate a great multitude of people in India, of all creeds and religions, as well as millions of others throughout the world, including all of the members of the Religious family she founded, the Missionaries of Charity". He then concluded by encouraging the brothers and sisters present to continue "the precious work that Blessed Mother Teresa initiated for the good of the Church and the world". (SL) (Agenzia Fides 16/09/2015)
