Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta

Inspiring Insight!

This insight into the soul of Mother Teresa strengthens faith, offers hope to those suffering from spiritual dryness and aridity, and demonstrates how to persevere in love even through one's darkest hours.

The Saint of Calcutta used an outward smile to mask her interior struggles with her own faith, and offers a path of love through inner darkness to Divine Light. She dispels the notion that Faith is only present if one is on a constant "high," while admitting the difficulty of maintaining outward serenity. Her strength of will can truly inspire all those who feel ignored or abandoned by God.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Mother Teresa - Our Example of True Humility

As someone who was once a Postulant in one of Mother Teresa's male branches - the Missionaries of Charity Fathers - the book struck a very deep chord with me. Mother's life, correspondence and her intimate relationship with Jesus, regardless of the cost, is so inspiring. Her life and selfless example 'hold up a mirror' that reminds us of our own imperfections and faults and how God tests us. It was an easy choice in those early days when the MC Fathers were starting out to simply say 'I'm not feeling it here' and run out the doors and then 20 years later read the example of Mother who hadn't 'felt it' for the bulk of her vocation. Incredible! How weak and spiritually immature we can be. I am blessed to have read this book and to be reminded that, even today, God calls us to be His own - no matter what our stage in life. These days, as an entertainment professional in both Hollywood and New York I understand the opportunity to keep my own light kindled so that in the midst of that darkness (and believe me it is dark), I can try my best to be a light to others. Producers, directors, actors and studio people all want to know about Mother. When her name comes up from my past, silence enters the room and everyone listens. The world is hungry for love and as much as they want to deny it, they are hungry for people like Mother. Congratulations to the author for one of the most well put together books I have ever read. I miss my MC family and rarely does a day go by that I do not think about my time as an MC. United in spirit, may we always remain committed to serving Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor - whether it is the slums of Haiti or the studios of Hollywood. Mother Teresa was God's gift to us. One thing Mother says often in her writings when talking about what she gives God is 'I send this to God with love from India.' I think God is saying to the world, 'I send Mother to you with love from heaven.'

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Real...

We all have doubts and struggles. It is encouraging to hear the story of someone who appears to have it all together, yet actually struggles with her relationship with God and feeling distant. Mother Teresa is an inspiration of a woman who lived her life 100% for Jesus!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

great book

great book and awesome story!! Mother Teresa's story will you bring you to tears of joy!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Don't Miss It

This book would be worth it just for the notes from Mother Teresa's spiritual retreat, which are appended at the back of the book. The totality is an excellent example of "we walk by faith, and not by sight" or feelings (2 Corinthians 5:7).

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Out of the darkness into the Light

The aim of the book is to plumb the ¿depth of Mother Teresa¿s interior life,¿ it is not a ¿theological study¿ (p. 2). The first letter dates June 28, 1928, it is about her desire to join the Sisters of Our Lady of Loretto (pp. 14-15). The last letter dates May 15, 1995, it is to her Sisters (p. 332). Most of the letters date in the 1940¿s-1970¿s. In each chapter of the book there are many subchapters. The title for each subchapter is taken from a quote of Mother Teresa¿s in that subchapter. The editor then adds a helpful commentary to the text quoted in the title. Mother Teresa wanted the letters destroyed. But her spiritual advisers were reluctant to carry out her request. Then, Mother Teresa undermined her request with her new status as an international icon and a possible candidate for canonization. Her correspondence being the only prime source materials that future generations would have to judge if she is truly canonizable. Privacy is a right in American law, it is not a right in the Catholic monastery. Some reviews allege the release of the letters broke the seal of the confessional. Fr. Kolodiejchuk addresses that objection in the Introduction (p. 11). Such attention has been paid to the spiritual affliction recorded in Mother Teresa¿s letters (chapters 8-12) that it seems the first half of the book is being ignored. For example, in chapter one, she talks about when she felt called to the convent (p. 14). The letter to the Mother Superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loretto for admission is also in chapter one (pp. 14-15). There are many other gems in chapter one and two of her time with the Sisters of Our Lady of Loretto. Chapters three through five records her desire to leave the Sisters of Our Lady of Loretto. In chapter six, Mother Teresa receives permission from Rome to leave the Sisters of Our Lady of Loretto for a trial period of a year. In chapter seven, Mother Teresa prays to suffer to please the Lord (p. 124) and she receives the suffering of her mission. The book is not all doom and gloom after chapter seven. In chapter nine, there is some discussion of her work and the work of the community. In chapter ten, Mother Teresa, after eleven years, comes to love her suffering. She believed she was sharing in Jesus¿ passion. She reveals the foundation for her theology of her missionary work in chapter twelve. In the same chapter, she speaks of how abortion is ¿the greatest destroyer of peace today¿ (p. 292). And Fr. Van der Peet asks her how she copes with her ¿movie star¿ treatment (p. 293). Chapter thirteen records Mother Teresa¿s letter to President George H. W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. Those wanting to avoid the dark letters of Mother Teresa will need to read chapters eight through eleven selectively. But those looking to plumb the depths of Mother Teresa¿s person have a gold mine of information from which to draw. There is a repetition to the letters and even Mother Teresa¿s phraseology. For example, she will use the terms, ¿I have no faith¿ (p. 187, 238), ¿no faith¿ (p. 193, 227), ad nauseam. The letters are also in the style of he loves me, (p. 223-24), he loves me not (p. 232-33). The book has a couple of nice appendixes that are very helpful. The first is the rule of the community (p. 341). The second is retreat notes of Mother Teresa in 1959 (p. 349). The Index is condensed and incomplete. The book is endnoted rather than footnoted. This is most unfortunate for a book so copiously noted and the notes being so integral to the text. It is so easy to read a book superficially and to misunderstand the subject and the author. Hopefully, this reviewer will not make that mistake. St. Thomas Aquinas said, ¿the lover is not satisfied with a superficial apprehension of the beloved, but strives to gain an intimate knowledge of everything pertaining to the beloved, so as to penetrate into his very soul¿ (Summ. Theol., la. 2ae., q. 28, a. 2). Accordingly, anyone who loves Mother Teresa cannot desir

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A great, inspiring book

This book is a must-read for Christians and skeptics alike. It provides a detailed account of Mother Teresa's spiritual life based on her correspondences with her spiritual advisers. The author does a wonderful job in showing the intimacy of Mother's relationship with God, and in depicting its development throughout her life, especially its trials. This book also provides a great insight into Mother's character and her strength in remaining faithful, even when she no longer felt God's presence. It is an inspiring book to read, especially for those going through a "dark night of the soul".

The only weakness is that after each letter, the author includes a summary of the letter and his analysis of it. Sometimes, part of the analysis seemed to be his personal opinion and was not validated by sources. It also felt repetitive to read them after every single letter. But overall, GREAT BOOK!

mother thersa

i might want to be a nun or a sister

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Unwated letters published

For anyone who can get past the introduction I'm sure found the book inspiring and uplifting. I however could not get past the introduction. Multiple times it states Mother Teresa did not EVER want these writings published. Therefore I respected her wishes and didn't read a page. I'm certain Mother Teresa would have done the same.

A reviewer

This book is a Blessing to my Soul and all humanity who reads it. I have never read anything like it before. It will be a treasure in my Library for years to come.........I think every Christain should read this book. But Only certain ones will be called who suffer within the darknight. There were pages I cried on and pages I rejoiced on. I thank God for giving us Mother Teresa........

courage and convictions of a saintly lady

mother teresa is a true role model. she has always worn her faith on her shirt sleeves.this new book 'come be my light' shows how humbel she is and how strong her faith is.anyone looking for a little extra courage for their faith need only to look to the life of mother teresa and study this book and your faith will be be enriched as mine is from reading this. this great lady has truly walked the walk as well as talked the talk. this book would make a great gift for a friend family member or soldier serving over overseas.

Even saintly people suffer from spiritual doubts, anguish and darkness of the mind

This book is so revelatory and startling that, at first, I was almost incredulous. And then I recalled having read some time ago that almost all saints have suffered either chronic physical pain or mental anguish, and also quite often diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis and even cancer. Reading this book, especially some of the letters Sister Teresa wrote to Archbishop Perier and the Rev. Joseph Neuner and Bishop William Curlin, is a truly shocking experience. 'Perier was the Archbishop who secured for Sister Teresa permission to start her own Order, Missionaries of Charity.' The letters ring like the dissonant sounds of a leaden bell, now heard around the world. The reason we are now able to read about Sister Teresa¿s 'she was called Mother Teresa much later' innermost thoughts and feelings about Christ, and her attempts to communion with Christ, is that she was literally tongue-tied and unable to speak to her confessor about the spiritual darkness and mental anguish she felt at times. So she was advised to confess her thoughts in writing. She wrote down her thoughts in the form of letters. She wished and hoped that the letters would be eventually destroyed someday. But her request to the Rev. Picachy that her letters be destroyed was denied, and the Church ordered that the letters be preserved. 'Please pray specially for me that I may not spoil His work and that Our Lord may show Himself ¿ for there is such terrible darkness within me, as if everything was dead. It has been like this more or less from the time I started 'the work¿,¿ she wrote to the Rev. Perier in March 1953. She writes to him about the smile she often had on her face, ¿The smile is a mask or a cloak that covers everything.' How can a reader digest these painful lines? ¿When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven ¿ there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives & hurt my very soul. ¿ I am told God loves me ¿ and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.¿ And also the famous quote, by now displayed in thousands of articles about the book round the globe: ¿As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, ¿ Listen and do not hear ¿ the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak ..¿ She does not feel God¿s presence either in her heart or in the Eucharist, but finds only profound darkness. Reading this book raises some interesting questions: Were there two Mother Teresas? One who always smiled in public and the other who was tormented by anguish and spiritual doubts? One Teresa doubting the existence of God and heaven, and the other speaking of God¿s abundant and unbounded love the very next day? And, finally, this interesting question: Now that the book is published, would it interfere in any way the process of canonization of Mother Teresa into Saint Teresa? This is an engrossing, highly readable, but truly baffling book. It also compels one to acknowledge that no human is exempt from suffering, not even a saintly person.

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