42. Poem 8: The Mystery of Faith

If you judge people,
you have no time to love them.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

One of the most amazing people of our generation would be Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She spent most of her life caring for the poor and marginalized. She was formally recognized as a Saint of the Church in 2016. This title is usually reserved for those who have lived and died an exemplary and holy life. Yet Mother Teresa spent long periods of her life doubting the presence of God. Such an experience is not unusual in our journey of faith. It is traditionally referred to as a 'Dark Night of the Soul'. We read in the Gospels how Jesus faced his own Dark Night at the end of his life. Even he pulled back from entering the darkness as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me' (Matthew 26:39). Nor was he spared the spiritual suffering from loss:'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46). Or the pain of having to let go as he uttered, 'It is finished' (John 19:30). Then, finally, he gave in to the ultimate self-surrender. 'Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit' (Luke 23:46). However, Jesus was not left alone in the grave of his dark night. It gave birth to the promise of resurrection joy, 'Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.' (Matthew 10:39).

In this regard, as we reflect on the mystery of faith, both Jesus and Mother Teresa practised what is called 'faith of the body'. This is compared to 'faith of the mind' or believing what they had been taught. They both “Acted as though they had faith, and faith was given to them”.

Poem 8
The Mystery of Faith

 

Once, two people went to church to pray,
one was very religious and the other, a common lout.
The religious person
stood up at the front, and said out loud:
'Oh, Love,
I thank you that I am not like other people
who are greedy, dishonest, impure,
and especially like that lout over there.
I am so spiritual!
I even give away a tenth of all my income!'

But the other person
stood alone in a distant corner
and didn't even dare to look up,
but with a gesture of despair muttered,
'O Love, free me from all my faults.'

I tell you, this one went home with Love in his heart,
rather than the other.
So when you pray to Love, be quick to say:
'Forgive me, Love, as I forgive others'. (1)

If two people
can make peace with each other,
they will say to the mountain which faces them,
'Move from here!' It will be moved. (2)

Salt is good;
but if salt has lost its flavour,
how can you renew it?
It is no longer good for anything but is thrown away.
Be flavoured, then, with Love's salt,
and be at peace with one another.(3)

 To close this series of reflections on 'Love Songs of a Jewish Carpenter, I leave you with a saying of Mahatma Gandhi which echoes the ethos of Jesus:

Love never claims, it ever gives;
Love never suffers, never resents;
never revenges itself.
Where there is love there is life.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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1. Luke 18:10-14; Matthew 6:12
2. Thomas 48
3. Mark 9:50; Matthew 5:13