Teresa

Analyzing Mother Teresa

The Woman

As a Christian missionary, abroad representing Christ, Rome's poster child, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (a.k.a. Mother Teresa) is not only an interesting case history; but also a terrible disappointment. It turns out Teresa was a remarkable actor. Her public image bore no resemblance whatsoever to the secret life of her inner being.

Below are some quotes taken from her own private letters; and excerpts of her statements from other sources. You be the judge: role model or role player, believer or make-believer?

"Only pray that I keep up this joy exteriorly. I deceive people with this weapon— even my Sisters."

"When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. How painful is this unknown pain— I have no faith."

"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."

"Now Father— since 49 or 50 this terrible sense of loss— this untold darkness— this loneliness, this continual longing for God— which gives me pain deep down in my heart— Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason— the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— when the pain of longing is so great— I just long & long for God— and then it is that I feel— He does not want me— He is not there— God does not want me— Sometimes— I just hear my own heart cry out— "My God" and nothing else comes— the torture and pain I can't explain"

"My smile is a great cloak that hides a multitude of pains."

"The damned of Hell suffer eternal punishment because they experiment with the loss of God. In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I feel that God does not want me, that God is not God; and that He does not really exist."

"If there be God . . please forgive me."

"Of course I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu or a better Muslim or a better Protestant. Once you've found God, it's up to you to decide how to worship him" (Mother Teresa Touched Other Faiths, Associated Press, 9/7/97).

"We never try to convert those who receive [aid from Missionaries of Charity] to Christianity but in our work we bear witness to the love of God's presence and if Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, or agnostics become for this better men— simply better —we will be satisfied. It matters to the individual what church he belongs to. If that individual thinks and believes that this is the only way to God for her or him, this is the way God comes into their life— his life. If he does not know any other way and if he has no doubt so that he does not need to search then this is his way to salvation."

The April 7-13, 1990, issue of Radio Times tells the story of Mother Teresa sheltering an old Hindu priest. "She nursed him with her own hands and helped him to die reconciled with his own gods."

FYI: Christian missionaries are not supposed to be helping pagans die reconciled to their own gods. They're supposed to be helping pagans die reconciled to the one true God by means of Christ's crucifixion (John 3:14-18). Nor are they supposed to be converting pagans to become better Hindus or better Muslims. They're supposed to be converting pagans to become better Christians. (Matt 28:18-20)

The Spotlight

In order to discuss Mother Teresa intelligently, it's necessary to bring her religion into the picture because Teresa was a Christian missionary whose duty it was to represent the beliefs and practices of Roman Catholicism; which is a religion that holds the Holy Bible in very high regard.

"The Scriptures are sacred and canonical because: Having been written by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author, and as such have been handed down to the Church" (Vatican Council; Sess. III, c. ii)

"In its pages we recognize His voice, we hear a message of deep significance for every one of us. Through the spiritual dynamism and prophetic force of the Bible, the Holy Spirit spreads His light and His warmth over all men, in whatever historical or sociological situation they find themselves." (Paulus PP VI, from the Vatican, September 18, 1970)

So then; according to that Vatican Council and to Paulus PP VI; when I listen to the Bible; I'm listening to the voice of God, and I'm also listening to that which the Holy Spirit utilizes to spread His light and His warmth over all men.

So then, if conscientious Christians are to truly understand Teresa's spiritual problems, they have to utilize the Holy Bible to analyze them or otherwise they'll just end up making excuses for her like so many others.

Now the tragedy is: Teresa's spiritual counselors didn't turn to the Holy Bible to analyze her spiritual problems; as a result, they were just as mystified as she was and no help at all. It's awful to think that the very people that the poor woman depended upon so heavily might just as well been oil field roughnecks and shipyard welders because they were utterly incompetent as shepherds.

You know; when your ship is sinking and another sinking ship is sent to your rescue; you're in really big, big trouble because at that point, no amount of prayer and sympathy will keep you from going to Davy Jones.

The Spirit

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

The Greek word for "bears witness" means to corroborate; which Webster's defines as: to support with evidence. So then genuine children of God know so because the Spirit has gone to the trouble of proving it to them beyond a shadow of sensible doubt. In other words: the real children of God are confident that their names are written in heaven.

Here's an item of interest that isn't talked about much.

● Rom 8:15 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out: Abba, Father!

Abba is an Aramaic word. It refers to one's male parent but not as an ordinary noun. It's a filial vocative.

For example: When my son points me out to one of his friends and says "That's my dad over there." he's not using dad as a vocative. But when he shouts "Hey dad, I'm over here!" then he's using dad to get my attention. That's a vocative.

Rom 8:15 is saying that the spirit of adoption compels "we" to call out to a father rather than a mother. So then, people in the habit of calling out to Jesus' mom instead of his Father, are not the Father's children because the spirit of adoption would never compel them to do that.

The spirit of adoption, as it turns out, is the spirit of God's son.

● Gal 4:6 . . As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of His son into our hearts, crying out: Abba, Father!

The spirit of His son compels the children to pray to Jesus' Father, never to his mother because Jesus never prayed to his mother. So then, people compelled by the spirit of His son will address their prayers to Jesus' Father same as he did.

What does that tell us about Mother Teresa and her devotion to Jesus' mother? Well obviously the reason she was comfortable addressing prayers to Mary was because didn't have the spirit of His son in her heart; and she knew it too.

"The place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— He is not there— God does not want me"

People lacking the spirit of His son are not His son's sheep.

● Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

The Spouse

Teresa identified with Jesus as her husband; viz: her spouse. So her association with Christ was on a very different level than that of John Q and Jane Doe pew warmer.

● Gen 2:18 . .The Lord God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.

The Hebrew word for "partner" indicates something much more than a buddy. It indicates standing together shoulder to shoulder as a unified team in a common cause.

Married women have a duty to look after their husband's best interests.

● Gen 3:16 . . he shall be your master.

In other words: wives are not supposed to be independent agents. What this means is: Teresa had no God-given right to forge ahead in India by herself sans Christ's oversight. As soon as she came to the realization that he and she had parted ways; the smart thing would have been for her to stop what she was doing and go back to where they left off.

● 1John 1:6 . . If we say we have fellowship with him while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth.

Well; Teresa knew in her own heart that she and Christ were out of fellowship. In point of fact, her husband was nowhere to be found; and she was very disturbed by his absence.

The conclusion to draw from Christ's absence is very straightforward: according to 1John 1:6 Teresa continued to walk in darkness and did not act in truth. For example:

Whenever Jesus sent out his missionaries, it was with the understanding that they not only practice medicine, but that they also proselytize (Luke 9:2) which is something Teresa shunned in order to avoid being evicted from India. As a result, she utterly failed to look after her husband's primary interest.

● Matt 28:19-20 . . Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you

Proselytizing is in that mandate not once, but twice.

Now get this; and don't block it out. There is cause and effect in that passage: action and reaction. If Jesus' missionaries would obey him, and teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them, then what would result?

● Matt 28:20 . . and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.

Was Jesus with Teresa always? No; and his absence caused her five decades of darkness and anguish. Had she complied with her avowed husband's wishes, Teresa's association with him would have been greatly improved.

References

Two indispensable books for getting past the legend, and into the reality, of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata) are listed below.

The Missionary Position:
Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
By Christopher Hitchens
ISBN 1-85984-929-6
ISBN 1-85984-054-X (paper back)

There was an interesting article in the July/August 2015 issue of Discover magazine called: A User's Guide To Irrational Thinking.

The article went on to list a number of irrational arguments. One that I encounter frequently on internet forums employs personal attacks on the researcher in order to cast doubt on the researcher's findings. Never mind that the researcher's finding's might actually be true. Human nature being what it is, people are easily persuaded to ignore the quality of the researcher's findings based solely upon the researcher's credibility. Trial lawyers are famous for this tactic because it's so effective on jurists whose IQ is roughly that of a sea urchin.

The reason I mention that brand of irrational thinking is because Christopher Hitchens' research is often dismissed out of hand simplyh because he was an atheist.

Nevertheless, Hitchens has become a recognized expert on Teresa of Calcutta's dark side; so much so that during her beatification process, he was called upon by the Vatican to argue the case against her. This role was previously undertaken by the office of Devil's Advocate, prior to its abolishment under John Paul II. Hitchens wrote an article on that experience titled: Playing The Devil's Advocate Pro Bono for the October 2001 issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

Teresa's devotees often attempt to invalidate Hitchens because he's an atheist. However, attempts to invalidate Christopher Hitchens' research solely on the basis of his private philosophy is both futile and intellectually irresponsible. That criteria is about as smart as refusal to read the Wall Street Journal and/or periodicals like TIME and NEWSWEEK, and/or watch broadcast news, and/or listen to AM/FM radio reports of current events solely because the information dispensed therein is compiled by secular humanists.

Instead of attacking Hitchens, the sensible approach is to investigate the findings of his research as to whether those findings are factual; but in order to do that, it's necessary to actually read his book instead of just going off on its author.

The second book is a collection of Teresa's letters written privately to spiritual counselors; published with hierarchy approval by her long-time friend Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk M.C.; director of the Mother Teresa Center, and a Postulator in favor of her canonization.

Mother Teresa / Come Be My Light
The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta"
Edited with commentary by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C.
ISBN 978-0-385-52037-9

Father Kolodiejchuk's book is especially handy for juxtaposing Teresa's missionary beliefs and practices with those of the apostle Paul's. In doing so, it becomes readily apparent that there was something very wrong in her methods and in her association with Paul's God. Teresa's perpetual darkness, her spiritual dryness, her feelings of abandonment, the absence of even the faintest glimmer of The Lord's presence, her lack of faith, and her pretense, are especially inconsistent with Paul's life— whom I believe to be a far more reliable role model for missionaries than Teresa was even on her best day.

Father Kolodiejchuk's book should prove quite disillusioning for people who let themselves be so blinded by the flash of Teresa's accomplishments that they never saw past them to her deplorable spiritual condition; while Hitchens' book exposes her political activities, her shocking hypocrisy, her handling of good-intentioned donations, and the questionable medical practices and depressing accommodations within her hostels.

With all the scandalous insider's information now readily available; one really has to wonder if Teresa would even be considered for a Nobel prize today let alone actually awarded one. I wonder how many people remember that Time Magazine voted Joseph Stalin as Man Of The Year in 1942. (chuckle) Reality bites.

Teresa's devotees will probably find that the two books above will only serve to chafe them to no end. But if you are a conscientious Christian looking for some answers, then they certainly present lots for you to think about.

Our purpose in on this page is not to denigrate the value of Mother Teresa's work in India, nor to critique her personally as a human being; but rather, to analyze her deplorable spiritual condition and try to understand why the most pious nun that the twentieth century ever produced, wrote in her private letters: "When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. How painful is this unknown pain— I have no faith."

Teresa's Calling

Rome is not to blame for recruiting Teresa to run an operation in India. No, far from it. It was wholly her own idea; which was based entirely upon some "interior imaginative locutions" she claims to have received from Christ himself beginning in Sept of 1946 and ending some time in 1947.

I.I.L.'s are neither apparitions nor visions: they're imaginations. They are neither visual nor are they audio. Teresa never actually heard anything with her own ears nor saw an appearance with her own eyes. And curiously (or maybe it's far more accurate to say coincidently) when Teresa's superiors finally caved to her incessant letter-writing campaign and gave her permission to proceed, the I.I.L.'s stopped and she never heard from "Jesus" again for the next five decades— which ultimately caused her an abnormally large amount of inner anguish that finally led the poor woman to doubt not only the validity of her mission, but also to doubt the very existence of God.

In one of her letters, penned to a Father Picachy, Teresa complained: "I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."

In yet another letter, penned to a Father Joseph Neuner, S.J. Teresa confessed: Now Father— since 1949 or 1950 this terrible sense of loss— this untold darkness— this loneliness, this continual longing for God— which gives me pain deep down in my heart— Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason— the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— when the pain of longing is so great— I just long & long for God— and then it is that I feel— He does not want me— He is not there— God does not want me— Sometimes— I just hear my own heart cry out— "My God" and nothing else comes— the torture and pain I can't explain—

Teresa's "reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness" and her remarks "the place of God in my soul is blank" and "There is no God in me" is a depressing commentary on her deplorable spiritual condition. God, in the person of Christ, is supposed to be in every believer; even the lowly ones who don't count for much in the grand scheme of things.

● 1Cor 6:19 . .Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

● 2Cor 13:5 . . Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Clearly, Teresa sensed that something was terribly wrong with her expectations. She instinctively knew that a nun of her caliber— with a calling of its degree of charity —really should be in better touch with God than the reality of what she was experiencing; which was zero contact. It made no sense to her at all; and truly, it does make no sense when Christ promised his own : "I will not abandon you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18) plus: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5)

Teresa's Alter Ego

As I went through Teresa's private letters, I was startled to discover some unexpected inconsistencies in her testimony. In one letter, she complains that within herself there is a blank where God ought to be. Yet in another letter, she waxes eloquent and says that God "does the work through her" citing herself as a pencil in God's hands.

In another, she says that she revealed her inner spiritual darkness because she felt God urging her to do so; and her own personal preferences did not matter, but Him she could not refuse. Isn't that a non sequitur? How can one be in spiritual darkness, utterly disconnected from God, and at the same time feel urgings from God?

My question is: How can one say of themselves: "the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— He does not want me— He is not there . . . I feel that God is not God; and that He does not really exist" while at the same time profess themselves to be in seemingly intimate association with Him? In the 1960's, after receiving an important award; she wrote: "This means nothing to me, because I don't have Him". I'm no psychiatrist, but that appears a bit mixed up.

The answer to this astonishing paradox is that Agnes' private thoughts matched neither her public speaking nor her published books.

Sonar Pings

"If there be God . . . please forgive me"

A prayer that begins with "God; if you're out there" is a prayer that does not make it to heaven. In point of fact, James said that those kinds of prayers reveal just how mixed up somebody really is.

● Jas 1:5-8 . . If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Confidence in the existence of God is essential to one's association Jesus' Father.

● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists.

Webster's defines "impossible" as: incapable of being, or of occurring.

Webster's defines "must" as an indispensable item; viz: essential.

Ironically, a demon's level of faith is actually superior to Teresa's. At least they're sure God exists,

● Jas 2:19-20 . . You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe— and tremble!

I simply cannot approve a missionary whose iffy belief in the existence of God doesn't even measure up to the quality of a demon's belief.

In reality, Teresa was an agnostic; which Webster's defines as one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. To her credit, Teresa did want a God to be out there, but her utter failure to feel even the slightest glimmer of the Lord's presence prevented her from being sure about it.

"I am told God loves me; and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."

Locutions

September of 1946, Teresa, then 36 years old, was sent to her annual retreat and a needed rest, to the Loreto convent in Darjeeling, a town nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, some 400 miles north of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata).

On the 10th, she experienced a "mystical encounter" with Christ. This encounter would be only the first of several that would occur that year. But lest you make the mistake of assuming that Teresa actually eye-witnessed an apparition, or that she actually heard sounds with her own ears; let me explain something that's crucial to keeping Teresa's experience in the proper perspective.

Her so-called encounters are what's known as locutions (supernatural words) viz: manifestations of God's thoughts; which may come through words heard externally (exterior or auricular locutions) or in the imagination (interior imaginative locutions) or immediately without any words (interior intellectual locutions) viz: intuition. Teresa's locutions were of the interior imaginative variety; viz: she didn't actually hear any voices nor did she see anybody; no, it all took place in her imagination.

I'm not making this up. I own a copy of Teresa's personal letters, published with commentary by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C. the director of the Mother Teresa Center, and Postulator for her canonization. Father Brian is not one of Ms. Bojaxhiu's enemies. No, they were friends for like twenty years: he's a great admirer of hers and had his superior's approval to publish her letters.

One of her letters, containing excerpts of some of her conversations with "Jesus" that took place in her imagination, is on page 47. What really caught my attention in the letter is a promise Teresa claims the locutions made to her that went like this : "Do not fear— I shall be with you always."

Was "Jesus" with her always? Not even! The poor woman went on from that year forward to endure virtually five decades feeling abandoned by Christ; and yearning for even the slightest glimmer of The Lord's presence.

Q: If the locutions were only in Teresa's imagination; then why did they go silent? Couldn't she have kept them going?

A: Teresa wondered why the locutions stopped too. However, that's really a question for either a professional psychologist or a neuroscientist. Our minds seem at times to have a mind of their own. As an example, no doubt there's been times when you heard someone call your name; when actually nobody did. I don't know how to explain things like that any more than I know how to explain the immoral, and oftentimes violent thoughts and imaginations that flood our minds totally against our will.

How does the human brain, a 3-pound lump of flabby organic tissue consisting of 60% fat, produce the phenomena of memory, consciousness, and self awareness? How does it make us all behave so similarly at times, and yet endow each of us with a unique and irreproducible existence? I can't answer those questions any more than I can resolve Teresa's interior imaginative locutions nor the mental activity of clairvoyance and horse whispering.

Teresa died in 1997 at the age of 87; distraught with fear that God not only didn't like her, but also that He may never have actually approved of her work in India. Let that be a lesson. NEVER listen for a so-called "still small voice" in your head; because it just might be nothing in the world but your own mind's imagination getting to you. Following the lead of your own imagination is like hitching your buggy to a tumble weed. You'll never get to town like that.

● 1John 4:1 . . Beloved, believe not every wind, but test the spirits whether they are of God

Don't be gullible. Fantasized voices are the most unreliable form of communication with God that I can possibly imagine. People actually commit crimes because they hear a voice from God telling them to do so.

Q: Do you really think Mother Teresa had some mystical experiences?

A: People need to understand that I.I.L.'s are neither visible nor audible. No, they are totally psychological: viz: they are essentially fantasies; which is exactly why I strongly recommend that Christians never listen for a "still small voice" at prayer because the human mind truly has a mind of its own; and can easily mislead its owner.

Then there's also the paranormal aspect to consider. The Bible reveals that there are invisible beings in the air all around us every moment of our lives— whether we are awake or asleep —that have the ability to get inside people's heads with subconscious suggestions, dreams, and locutions to persuade them to think, act, and feel in ways they would never ordinarily do on their own. This aspect of demonic control is especially terrifying because, unlike possession, it's an activity that is impossible to detect with any of the five human senses of taste, touch, sight, hearing, or smell. Nor can it be detected by scientific instruments like CatScans, X-rays, or oscilloscopes.

Q: Why do you ridicule Teresa's locutions when you your own self believe they happened?

A: I assure you there is nothing amusing about either Teresa or her locutions; no, on the contrary, I think her condition was not only to be deeply pitied, but also quite terrifying. Teresa's locutions led that poor woman into a half century of spiritual dryness and alienation from God— a period of darkness of the soul unequalled in the history of Catholic mystics.

People are far too prone to evaluate Teresa's spirituality by her feats, when the true proof of the pudding is not in one's feats, but rather, in one's association with Christ; and according to Teresa's own letters; the "absent one" was never with her in India at all.

● Matt 7:22-23 . . Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them : I never knew you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Let that be a lesson. Somebody's accomplishments done in Christ's name, no matter how remarkable, do not guarantee they will make it to safety when they cross over to the other side.

The Rule, or the Exception?

What sometimes amazes me about Teresa is the extreme degree of mental and emotional anguish she suffered over her distance from God. I don't think most Catholics care to associate with the Bible's God on a personal basis. In all my 67 years I have not once communicated with God by means of either a vision, or a dream, or a locution and I'm perfectly content with that. But Teresa was somehow different. Even her superiors and confessors didn't anguish over their own distance from God like she did. They all seemed well-adjusted to it, and to them, feelings of distance from God are normal and to be expected; but certainly nothing to be so upset about.

To me, that aspect of Teresa's spirituality alone places her head and shoulders above the average rank and file pew warmer, and even above her superiors in the Vatican. She sincerely longed to communicate with Christ on a personal basis; and that is highly commendable.

● Ps 42:1-2 . . As the hind pants after the waterbrooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God : when shall I come and appear before God?

I'm not a professional psychiatrist; but in my opinion, Teresa's feelings of abandonment were rooted in a nun's celestial marriage to Jesus; and their status as a Victim of his love. Teresa claimed to have experienced some interior imaginative locutions (supernatural fantasies) wherein she and Jesus actually conversed. Those came and went in less than a year's time and never returned. That is definitely not the way an honorable man nurtures a romance. You don't marry a girl and then after a while move out and never call home. This is one of several of the reasons why I can't help but suspect Teresa's locutions were the product of a vivid imagination rather than genuine telepathy with a real Christ.

BTW: The Lord's mom was in a few of the locutions too.

Q: Do you think those I.L.L.'s are what motivated Teresa to endure privation and pour her energies into India?

A: I'm confident that, given the opportunity, Teresa would have gone to India on her own and toughed it out without those locutions. Very early in her youth, she longed to go to a place of poverty like India; and once there, it became her pet project: a hobby. If you've done any background on her, then I don't have to tell you that Teresa was a little bull dog. Once she set her mind to a task, Teresa was a D-9 Caterpillar tractor and not easily distracted once she put things in gear. Given the opportunity; Teresa would have gone to India without those I.L.L.'s and been just as productive because she was stalwart by nature; rather than because of any I.L.L. motivation.

Teresa's personality is neither rare nor unusual. All the really great achievers are just like her; and known for persisting in the face of adversity, ill health, and overwhelming personal problems. Nobody ever got rich by a half-hearted effort, nobody ever got to the moon by a half-hearted effort, and nobody ever climbed Mt. Everest by a half-hearted effort. The old saying; No Pain-No Gain, is still true whether you're struggling with your weight, your career, your finances, winning a 100 meter backstroke, investing, or organizing a neighborhood watch.

An outstanding example of the "Mother Teresa" attitude is found in US Navy SEALS. They are a breed of men who absolutely refuse to be beaten . . at anything. I once heard an ex-SEAL say, that if a group of SEALs were playing hop-scotch, it would soon turn violent because they don't like to lose.

When "Jesus" stopped coming to visit with timely encouragements, Teresa felt that her spiritual lover dumped her and left town without saying so much as even a good-bye. The locutions led her to believe that she and Jesus had something special; sort of like Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep in Bridges of Madison County (not in the same carnal way of course, but something like that in respect to a bonding of heart and soul). But then, as sudden and unexpected as he came, her "Jesus" was gone; and she never heard from him again for the next five decades; not even on her death bed.

Not too long after her five-decades of darkness and spiritual dryness began, Teresa began to suspect that something was very wrong, but her advisors were blind as night crawlers in that regard. Let me explain.

Right after the angel in the burning bush finally succeeded in persuading a very reluctant Moses to return to Egypt, The Lord intercepted Moses outside an inn fully intending to slay the man for failure to comply with Abraham's covenant of circumcision (Ex 4:24-26). Had Moses continued to neglect the covenant, his God-given mission would have summarily ended right then and there before he set even one foot in Pharaoh's court.

● 1John 1:5-7 . .This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another

Teresa passionately complained (at least in private letters) that she totally lacked any meaningful association with God. If only her spiritual advisors had been mindful of 1John 1:5-7 and Ex 4:24-26, they would have realized that somewhere along the line, Teresa and God parted company on a major issue; and I am a bit disappointed that they didn't take the initiative to step up and make a conscientious effort to help Teresa find out where, and why, that line of departure occurred. I mean, what good are shepherds anyway if they fail to lead their sheep to water and pasture?

● 1Pet 5:1-2 . . As a fellow elder, this is my appeal to you: Care for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly— not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.

Intellectual Dishonesty

I have seen numbers of non-Catholics defend Teresa's internal imaginative locutions as valid visions from God. I don't know if those people are aware of it or not, but their confidence in the validity of Teresa's mystical experiences obligates them to convert to Roman Catholicism. Yes, it does, or otherwise I have to conclude that they are just idle bombasters who lack intellectual integrity because validating Teresa's mystical experiences eo ipso validates the religion she represents. It cannot be any other way; for example :

● Matt 21:23-27 . . Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. By what authority are you doing these things? they asked; And who gave you this authority? Jesus replied: I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism— where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?

. . .They discussed it among themselves and said: If we answer it's from heaven; then he will want to know why we didn't believe him. But if we answer it's from men —we fear the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus: We don't know.

That kind of dishonesty was common just about everywhere the Lord went. Here's another example:

● John 3:1-2 . . Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said: Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.

Nicodemus and his fellow Pharisees were convinced that the source of the Lord's miracles was their very own Yhvh; but would they accept the Lord's doctrine? No; even though they were intelligent enough to know very well that their Yhvh would never give that kind of power to a liar.

● John 9:30-33 . .The man answered: Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.

The Pharisees kind of stubbornness is called "obtuse" which Webster's defines as: lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect; viz: thoughtless, stupid, dull. It can also be defined as "obstinate" which Webster's defines as: perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion. Key word in that definition is "perversely".

Silence In Prayer

● Col 4:2 . . Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

The koiné Greek word for "devote" is proskartereo (pros-kar-ter-eh'-o) which means: to persevere; viz: not give up and/or lose interest.

For many of us, prayer is a last resort; a grasping at straws because we simply have nowhere else to turn. We wish for progress with prayer, while not really expecting it because we already know from plenty of experience that prayer too often leads into a cul-de-sac of perplexity, disillusionment, and discouragement; so then, what's the use? In other words: prayer is very difficult for some Christians because it's so often just as futile for them as it was for Agnes.

In private letters secretly written to spiritual counselors; God's silence caused Mother Teresa to admit she wasn't entirely convinced there's a God out there. Here's the wording:

In another letter; Theresa complained :

Why didn't the Bible's God respond? And if He's not going to respond, then why should anybody keep on making a fool of themselves trying to get through to an imaginary playmate when all the while its phone is off the hook?

Well, the best reason I can think of is that it's because the Lord wishes it; regardless of tangible results.

● Luke 18:1 . . And he spoke a parable unto them to this end: that people ought always to pray, and not lose heart.

Teresa seriously screwed up by permitting locutions to dictate her association with the Bible's Christ; hence; she overreacted to heaven's silence when she would have been far better off accepting God's silence as the norm.

C.S. Lewis, famed author of The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia; once remarked that he prayed, not because he expected results but, because it made him feel better. Well, if prayer makes you feel better, then more power to you— in point of fact, I highly recommend conversational prayer because talking things out with somebody, even an imaginary playmate, is far and away better than talking things out with nobody.

My point is; don't let the absence of locutions; or of a so-called "still small voice" discourage you from speaking with God or cause you to wonder if the Bible's God even exists. You just have to trust that He's thereabouts listening to everything you say.

● 1Pet 5:7 . . Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

And anyway, if the three verses below are at all true in your case, then there is just no way on God's green earth that you are ever going to wonder if the Bible's God is real or not.

● Rom 8:15 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out: Abba, Father!

● Gal 4:6-7 . . And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His son into your hearts, calling out: Abba, Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's kin.

Faith and Works

● Jas 2:18 . . Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Is that always a reliable criteria for testing the spirituality of people like Ms. Bojaxhiu? No, it isn't; and here's why :

● Matt 7:22-23 . . Many will say to me in that day : Lord, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them : I never knew you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.

The Christians in the above passage have lots of wonderful works to their credit done in the Lord's name; but he's set to condemn those wonderful works done in his name as works of iniquity; and also set to disown the workers. Why is that? Read on.

● Jas 2:20-21 . . But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

If faith without works is dead, then the opposite is just as true : Works without faith are dead.

In private letters secretly written to spiritual counselors; Agnes admitted she wasn't entirely convinced there's a God out there. Here's the wording :

In another letter; she complained :

People are too quick to overlook Teresa's crisis of faith without considering the ramifications.

● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists.

Note the words impossible and must indicating that nobody's works, not even Teresa's, can compensate for a lack of personal conviction in the existence of God.

I don't know, maybe it's just me; but I just don't know how somebody can label themselves a Christian all the while wondering if there really is a God out there; and just exactly what is it about the words "impossible" and "must" that some people don't understand? What will it take to get them past this barrier to their understanding of Ms. Bojaxhiu's deplorable spiritual condition? Maybe a dictionary of the English language can be of some assistance.

Webster's defines "impossible" as : incapable of being, or of occurring.

Webster's defines "must" as : an indispensable item; viz : essential.

A prayer that begins with "If you're out there God" is a prayer that does not make it to heaven. In point of fact, James said that those kinds of prayers reveal just how mixed up somebody really is.

Teresa's private letters written in secret to spiritual counselors reveal that she actually prayed those kinds of prayers; and one of them went like this : If there be God— please forgive me.

James said that people who pray iffy prayers should not expect a response from God. You know why?

● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists.

Ironically, a demon's level of faith is actually superior to Teresa's. At least they believe in the existence of God.

● Jas 2:19-20 . . You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe— and tremble!

I'm sorry but I simply cannot admire someone labeling themselves a Christian whose iffy belief in the existence of God doesn't even measure up to the quality of a demon's belief.

Teresa's Gospel

The Sisters Of Charity are peaceable— unlike previous Vatican administrations; they bear no arms for conquest; and they force Christianity on no one. However, it is a missionary's sacred duty to at least try to sell the Gospel.

● Matt 28:19-20 . .Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

● Mark 16:15-16 . .He said to them; Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He that believes and is baptized shall be spared; he that believes not shall be damned.

● Rom 1:16 . . I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes

● 1Cor 9:16 . .I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Unfortunately, in Teresa's day, it was a Federal crime in India to proselytize so Teresa's sisters went about their business virtually mute as far as the Gospel goes in order to prevent Ms. Bojaxhiu's operation from being evicted from India.

In her own book, Life in the Spirit: Reflections, Meditations, and Prayers, Mother Teresa says on pp. 81-82 :

The following is from an interview with a Catholic nun, Sister Ann, who worked in Kathman-du, Nepal, with Mother Teresa's organization Missionaries of Charity. The interview was conducted 11/23/84 at the Pashupati Temple.

Q : Do you believe if they die believing in Shiva or in Ram [Hindu gods] they will go to heaven?

A : Yes, that is their faith. My own faith will lead me to God; so if they have believed in their god very strongly, if they have faith, surely they will be saved.

Q : Today it does not seem that the Catholic Church is trying to convert anymore. I know that John Paul II is saying now that those of other religions are saved. You do not believe they are lost anyway, right?

A : No, they are not lost. They are saved according to their faith, you know. If they believe whatever they believe, that is their salvation.

When Teresa died, her longtime friend and biographer Naveen Chawla said that he once asked her bluntly : Do you convert? She replied : Of course I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu or a better Muslim or a better Protestant. Once you've found God, it's up to you to decide how to worship him. (Mother Teresa Touched Other Faiths, Associated Press, 9/7/97)

The April 7-13, 1990, issue of Radio Times tells the story of Mother Teresa sheltering an old Hindu priest. "She nursed him with her own hands and helped him to die reconciled with his own gods."

According to Jesus' testimony as an expert witness in matters pertaining to the hereafter in John 3:14-18, people who fail to appropriate his cross as the sole means of escape from the wrath of God, will not make it to safety, but in truth, are already damned even before they cross over to the other side.

Assisting pagans to die reconciled to their own gods is unthinkable for a conscientious follower of the Bible's Christ.

● Matt 4:10 . . Away with you, Satan! For it is written : You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.

● Mark 12:29-30 . . And Jesus answered him : The first of all the commandments is : Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength— this is the first commandment.

● John 14:6 . . Jesus said to him : I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

● 1Cor 8:5-6 . . For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

You know, it's sometimes very difficult for me to believe that Ms. Bojaxhiu had the nerve to identify herself with the Bible's Christ because her missionary policy utterly failed to honor his wishes. I mentioned previously in reply #21 that I suspected God and Teresa parted company on a major issue. Well; if ever there was a major issue; that had to be it.

● Matt 12:30 . . He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad.

● John 14:15 . . If you love me, you will comply with what I command.

● John 14:21 . .Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.

● John 14:23-24 . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching . . He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

● John 15:14 . .You are my friends if you do as I wish.

Only Human

For some strange reason, for which I have yet to find a logical excuse, there are a good number of professing Christians of all denominations who simply refuse to accept the inspired testimony of Heb 11:6 in order to remain devoted to their plastic role models; and they go on and on about Teresa as "only human". But a high profile ambassador for Christ like Teresa of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata) is not supposed to be "only human" no, people like her are supposed to be exemplary in faith rather than human in faith.

● 1Tim 1:18-19 …This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck

Teresa's was the most colossal shipwreck of faith that modern Christians had the misfortune to witness in the whole twentieth century. Once she hit the rocks, it was all downhill from there, and she ended her days wondering if the Bible's God even cared about her at all (that is; assuming the Bible's God existed).

The saddest, and the sickest prayer I ever heard in my life comes from Teresa's own private letters and it goes like this: "If there be God . . please forgive me." You know who usually prays that kind of a prayer? Godless wretches who grasp at the possibility of a God in a desperate moment of crisis as if the Bible's God were somehow a spare tire to fix a flat. Yeah; the spare-tire God. That's what Teresa's own personal religion was all about; and then people wonder why she felt abandoned by the God of the Bible for five decades?!

Christians the world over are lauding Teresa for her perseverance while she was burdened with feelings of alienation from God. But according to Heb 11:6, her fifty years of perseverance didn't count; and in point of fact, she was a real-life poster child for an extremely fatal condition.

That passage doesn't target Atheists, nor Hindus, nor Buddhists, nor Muslims. No, it targets people professing to have prophesied in "thy name" and to have exorcised demons in "thy name" and to have done many wonderful works in "thy name". In other words: the Lord's statement targets Christians— and not just your average rank and file pew warmers either, no, but rather, it targets the cream of the crop; the celebrities of the Christian world; renowned for their accomplishments, their piety, their perseverance, their love, and their dedication. For example: Christians like Mother Teresa who prayed up a storm, published books, traveled the world, spoke to crowds, won accolades, were canonized to sainthood, and operated hostels and orphanages in impoverished cities.

It is to many of those kinds of Christian superstars that the Lord will say "I never knew you." Why? Because though they were busy as bees, ants, and termites in Christian service capacities; they were actually no friend of Christ's. I once heard an old-time preacher remark that if the Lord were to show up at a random selection of Christian churches next Sunday, he would not be welcome. In point of fact, many would resent his meddling and actually become indignant because they no doubt feel they are getting along just fine without him.

It's been my personal convictions for some time now that the average Christian church is like the one that used to be located at Loadicea. At Rev 3:14-22 the lord and master of Christianity is depicted outside the building banging on the door trying to get someone's attention to let him in. Imagine that. Not even the officials of that church followed Christ, let alone its rank and file pew warmers.

NOTE : Ms. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu is so well known that she serves as an excellent "type" of the kinds of Christians that Matt 7:22-23 condemns to hell.

Webster's defines a "type" as: qualities common to a number of individuals that distinguish them as an identifiable class. In other words: Teresa serves as a type of "the cream of the crop".

Other types I could name include Padre Pio, Jeanne Jugan, Jozef Damian de Veuster, archbishop Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski, Francisco Coll y Guitart, Rafael Arnaiz Baron, Father Arcangelo Tadini, Sister Caterina Volpicelli, theologian Bernardo Tolomei, Gertrude Caterina Comensoli, Carmelite monk Nuno de Santa Maria Alvares Pereira, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr, Luis Palau, and a host of Sunday school teachers, pastors, deacons and various church officers: both Catholic and Protestant.

Peace Beyond The Intellect

Below is some (almost) verbatim commentary related to Mother Teresa's private letters, authored by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C. Serious students of the Bible will instantly detect that Teresa's condition in no way reflects a normal New Testament Christian experience.

QUOTE START
This letter [Feb 8, 1937] to her confessor [Father Franjo Jambrekovic] back in Skopje is the first instance in her correspondence where Sister Teresa refers to "darkness." It is difficult to grasp precisely what "darkness" meant for her at this time, but in the future the term would come to signify profound interior suffering, lack of sensible consolation, spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, and, at the same time, a painful longing for Him. Her brief description makes clear that most of the time she was not enjoying the light and consolation of God's sensible presence.
QUOTE STOP

If someone was interested in converting to Catholicism, how might Father Kolodiejchuk's commentary effect their decision? Well; I think they would instantly conclude that Catholicism is a very depressing religion indeed; and has like zero to offer somebody who might be seriously interested in associating with Man's maker.

Teresa's darkness, her interior suffering, her lack of sensible consolation, her spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, and, at the same time, a painful longing for Him was virtually perpetual, lasting five decades, from 1947 clear up to the very hour of her death in 1997. At the urging of Henry D'Souza, the Archbishop of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata), the poor woman finally agreed to an exorcism in the final weeks of her life— performed by Father Rosario Stroscio —if perchance demons were clouding her mind.

Demons clouding Teresa of Calcutta's mind!? That is certainly not a very appealing testimonial to Catholicism's value as a source of light and consolation of God's sensible presence for rank and file pew warmers; is it.

Father Stroscio, 79, said Mother Teresa appeared dazed and behaving strangely at the time of the exorcism. I also know from another source that Teresa was nervous about God in her last moments. Ironically, though she was never really confident a God exists, she feared that if one did exist, it wouldn't like her, and might be quite disposed to condemn her. Compare Teresa's end-of-life experience with the up-beat testimony of the New Testament's Paul :

● 2Tim 4:6-8 . . I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day : and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Paul's mind certainly wasn't clouded, nor was he dazed and behaving strangely, nor was he in doubt about the existence of a God, nor was he nervous that if a God did exist, it might not like him; and possibly quite disposed to condemn him. No, none of that because that is just simply not the way New Testament Christianity works.

● Php 4:6-9 . .Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond the intellect, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me— put it into practice; and the God of peace will be with you.

Why did Teresa suffer with darkness, interior suffering, lack of sensible consolation, spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from her life, fear of the unknown, and, at the same time, a painful longing for God? Why wasn't the God of peace with the most pious nun the twentieth century ever produced? Duh. Because she failed to put into practice whatever it was that the Christians at Philippi learned, received, and heard from Paul. Anybody can see that. There's more :

● Heb 11:13 . .These all died in faith

The eleventh chapter of the epistle to Hebrews contains a catalogue of Old Testament saints who died, not in a state of darkness, interior suffering, lack of sensible consolation, spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from their life, fear of the unknown, and, at the same time, a painful longing for God; but rather, died "in faith"

● Heb 11:1 . .What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.

One's last moments are the acid test of whether their minds are controlled by Bible faith. If perchance they go to their death like Ms. Bojaxhiu did in a state of darkness, interior suffering, lack of sensible consolation, spiritual dryness, an apparent absence of God from their life, fear of the unknown, doubt in the existence of a God, and, at the same time, a painful longing for God; then they should prepare themselves for the worst when they make the crossing over to the other side because they will not be dying in faith; no, they will be dying in unbelief; and I don't think I need explain what that means.

● Mark 16:16 . . He that believeth not shall be damned.

Teresa's Baptisms

Teresa and her sisters performed rather unorthodox baptisms. They weren't done by immersion, nor pouring, nor sprinkling; but by placing wet cloths upon the foreheads of recipients.

However, because of India's federal law prohibiting proselytizing in Teresa's day; her baptisms were virtually blind because the recipient of the rite had only to express a wish to be a Christian; vz: they were baptized without being adequately evangelized first.

● Mark 16:15-16 . . He said to them: Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

In other words; baptism is for believers; not for unbelievers; and it is impossible for pagans to believe information about which they are ignorant.

Belief in the gospel is essential. In point of fact a baptism that lacks belief is a baptism unto hell. An unbelieving baptism leaves its recipient abiding in a state of death.

● John 5:24 . . I assure you, those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

Without believing the gospel, it is impossible to be sealed unto redemption by God's Spirit.

● Eph 1:13-14 . . In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.

Preaching and believing aren't optional; no, they're essential.

● 1Cor 1:2 . . It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

According to Christ's testimony, as an expert witness in all matters pertaining to faith; unbelievers are already damned right now, even before they cross over to the other side.

● John 3:18 . . He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already.

In other words; there's no middle ground: condemned is the default in the absence of believing . Bottom line: unbelievers go to hell no matter how many times they're baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

In doing background on Teresa, I discovered that her superiors' approval of the operation in India was contingent upon her consent to do the work of an evangelical. So then, she not only failed to comply with Christ's directives, but she also failed to comply with her superiors' wishes. What it all boils down to is: Teresa's operation in India was merely a charity little different than those of World Vision, CARE, and Global Impact; rather than a conscientious evangelistic outreach.

God, out of unsolicited and undeserved kindness and compassion, voluntarily went through all the emotional grief, and to all the trouble, of subjecting His own precious next of kin to indignities and painful death to ransom men's souls from the wrath of God.

● John 3:14-17 . . And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave His only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Hindu pagans desperately need to have that passage fully explained; and the Sisters of Charity were not allowed to do so. Is it any wonder then why Christ would abandon Ms. Bojaxhiu for all those five decades? Duh. She was quite useless for his purposes.

FYI: An excellent New Testament example of preaching, believing, and baptizing is located at Acts 8:26-38.

OBJECTION : Our Lord shared the gospel both through his words and his deeds. Mother Theresa shared the faith through her works; e.g. "Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works." (Jas 2:18)

The objector said it himself : "our Lord shared the gospel both through his words and his deeds" Well, Teresa had no words; only deeds.

● Mark 4:1-3 . . And he began again to teach by the sea side: and he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine : Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

● Luke 8:11 . . Now the parable is this : the seed is the word of God.

Faith is not something that rubs off on people. It's obtained for themselves via the seed of the word of God; not via observing somebody's Christian conduct.

● Mark 16:15-17 . . He said to them : Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone, everywhere. Whoever believes and is baptized will be spared, but whoever does not believe will be damned.

● 1Cor 1:2 . . It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Faith comes through hearing; not through watching.

● Rom 10:14-17 . . How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You see that? Bible faith comes via preaching, and by hearing the word of God; not by observing somebody's behavior. In other words; somebody's Christian conduct might justify their claim to be a Christian; but their Christian conduct is inadequate to get people rescued from the wrath of God.

Look; if people want to be mute missionaries; that's their business; but as for me; I am not at liberty to adopt Teresa's model.

● 1Cor 9:16 . . I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

If mutes won't listen to the Lord, nor listen to Paul; then maybe they'll listen to Ste Peter.

● 1Pet 3:15 . .Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have.

You saw how Philip did it. Go and do likewise.

OBJECTION : Deeds speak louder than words.

Deeds are handy for defending one's claim to be a Christian.

● Jas 2:18 . . Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you by my works.

But the Gospel is not preached with deeds; but rather, with words.

● 1Cor 1:2 . . It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

● 1Cor 1:17 . . For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.

● Heb 3:7-8 . . So, as the Holy Spirit says : Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts

OBJECTION : Catholics do not baptize with wet towels. I don't know where you get your information but water is poured on the head during baptism.

I don't know to whom that objector referred to by their use of the word "Catholics" but I can assure them the Sisters Of Charity surely did— and possibly still do —baptize the dying by placing damp cloths on their foreheads.

It would really behoove some of my opponents to do their homework first before attempting to defend Teresa's operations in India. People look like idiots when they shoot from the lip all the time rather than having some facts under their belts first. That's the way beer buddies, adolescents, and chat room morons conduct their discussions rather than the way informed adults go about it.

● 1Cor 14:20 . . Brethren, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be babies; but in your thinking be adults.

Christopher Hitchens got his information about wet-cloth baptisms from a woman named Susan Shields, who, for nine and a half years, worked as a member of Mother Teresa's order, living the daily discipline of the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx, in Rome, and in San Francisco. Susan quit the Missionaries of Charity for the very same reason she joined it— a love of her fellow man. Her conscience just couldn't tolerate Teresa's practices any longer; especially the way that unaccounted millions of donated dollars kept accumulating in bank accounts that never seemed to be utilized for alleviating the suffering of the poor. Here's Susan's testimony in regards to wet cloth baptisms :

"In the homes of the dying, Mother taught the sisters how to secretly baptize those who were dying. Sisters were to ask each person in danger of death if he wanted a "ticket to heaven". An affirmative reply was to mean consent to baptism. The sister was then to pretend she was just cooling the person's forehead with a wet cloth, while in fact she was baptizing him, saying quietly the necessary words. Secrecy was important so that it would not come to be known that Mother Teresa's sisters were baptizing Hindus and Muslims."

Regardless of how it's supposed to be done; the Sisters of Charity did perform baptisms on the dying by placing damp cloths on their foreheads. Whether or not that is the proper mode is beside the point. The fact is : they happened; but it seems some people prefer idealism to reality.

FAQ : Do you think it's possible that Teresa was more concerned with showing love and mercy to dying people than concerned about them converting to Christianity?

After reading quite a number of the private letters Teresa wrote to superiors requesting over and over again to be allowed to begin a mission in India, I am becoming more and more convinced that particular FAQ is quite accurate.

When Teresa spoke of gathering souls for Jesus, she really didn't mean it in the same way that an evangelist would mean it. An evangelist is concerned for people's future relative to the wrath of God. Teresa was only really concerned about people knowing that the Bible's Jesus loved them, and she hoped they would reciprocate and love him in return. So what's wrong with that?

Well; if Teresa and her Sisters of Charity had been only just another humanitarian organization like UNICEF, Red Cross, World Vision, CARE, and Global Impact; her work would easily pass muster. However; Teresa was a high profile representative of the Bible's Christ. Whenever he sent representatives out into the world, it was with the understanding that they would not only perform acts of mercy and kindness, but also proselytize with the intent of rescuing people's souls from the wrath of God through a knowledge of Jesus' crucifixion and how it relates to the poisonous snakes of Num 21:4-9 and John 3:14-18.

● Mark 16:15-16 ...He said to them; Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone; everywhere. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be damned.

That Teresa was a successful humanitarian there can be no argument; but as a world-wide recognized representative of the Bible's Christ; she was a miserable flop.

Incidentally, whenever people turn a deaf ear to proselytizing, it is Jesus' mandate that his disciples move on and not perform any more acts of charity in that community; but rather, abandon them to Hell and eternal suffering.

● Matt 10:14-15 ...And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Teresa's Emotional Health

It's beyond belief; but people have actually tried to blow off Teresa's five decades of "dark night of the soul" as the result of some sort of congenital condition or an emotional disorder. But even if that hapless woman was the most emotionally disturbed, and the deepest depressed soul on earth, she still would've felt neither alienated nor abandoned because God's Spirit is Almighty God, who has sovereign power over nature— all nature —including human nature.

The very moment people try to use depression and/or bi-polar issues to excuse Teresa's deplorable spiritual condition; they are simultaneously forgetting that the Lord walked on water, multiplied loaves and fishes, restored a wild man's sanity, cast out demons, restored withered limbs, healed leprosy and life-long blindness, calmed storms, and walked through walls and solid stone; plus they are revealing their abysmal ignorance of the supernatural aspects of New Testament Christianity.

God's Spirit has a very special ministry among believers and they cannot block him out with emotional issues because Almighty God is way more powerful than any natural cause you can possible name. Almighty God stays busy actively assuring His own that they have a place waiting for them in His home.

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's kin.

Almighty God gives His own a spirit of adoption so that they can sense the love, the feelings of belonging, the heart and soul filial bonding, and the security feelings of children currently at home in His own house.

● Rom 8:15 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out : Abba! Father.

Some people are actually of the opinion that the human spirit is able to defeat God's Spirit and prevent His own from receiving those assurances. That is a cop-out and a damnable lie! If somebody's confidence in God's acceptance is regulated by their own personal emotional health, then all I can say is; they are a make-believer, a plastic, artificial Christian, and no closer to God in real-life kinship than a dozen eggs.

In her letters Teresa wrote : The place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— He does not want me— He is not there. And in another, after receiving an important award in the 1960's, she wrote : This means nothing to me, because I don't have Him.

Does that sound even remotely reflective of any of the promises below?

● John 14:16 . . And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.

● John 14:18 …I will not abandon you as orphans; I will come to you.

● John 16:7 . . I tell you the truth : it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

● Heb 13:5 …for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The Origin of Faith

Alongside the "emotional health" excuse, some of Teresa's defenders allege that all faith is a gift from God; so that it is wrong to condemn Ms. Bojaxhiu's lack of it. After all, they reason, if God wanted her to have faith in His existence, He would've given it to her. (chuckle) Isn't that sort of like telling someone that if I wanted your opinion, I'd give you one? But that just isn't so because if it were, then God could never justify condemning people to Hell for not believing the Gospel (cf. Mark 16:15-16 and John 3:18)

FAQ : What about 1Cor 12:9 where it says that faith is a gift?

Does it say all faith is a gift? No. it doesn't. The faith spoken of in that passage are increases in faith given to people who already have some faith to begin with; in other words, you start off in the Christian experience with your own little dollop of personal faith that the God of the Bible actually exists. The Holy Spirit, by means of the process of inspiration, testifies that people who suppress that little dollop of faith have no excuse for doing so.

● Rom 1:18-20 . .The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the impiety and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness : since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities— his eternal power and divine nature —have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

FYI : I'm not talking here about faith that moves mountains. All I'm talking about relative to Ms. Bojaxhiu is simply confidence that Catholicism's God exists; and according to the Holy Spirit, that isn't too much to ask; most especially of a beatified nun like Mother Teresa.

People who think she believed in God her whole life simply don't know her, not even Teresa's own sisters knew her. When Father Brian Kolodiejchuk read one of Teresa's private letters to the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, their mouths just dropped open. They thought they knew Teresa; but as it turns out; really didn't. Her soul was incredibly empty of God's companionship— of His support and of His approval —so much so that she seriously questioned whether Catholicism's God really exists. That is something that no one truly in harmony with God would ever do.

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit himself communicates with our spirit that we are God's children.

People accuse me of slander for saying such things about Ms. Bojaxhiu, but what they don't realize is that it's all a matter of public record now : the cat's out of the bag; with Church approval no less. None of the things I'm posting are either fictional or classified; and more importantly, none of the things I've been posting about Ms. Bojaxhiu have ever been intelligently debunked. Teresa's fans deny, deny, deny; but they are doing so shooting from the lip rather than armed to the teeth with facts accumulated by conscientious research.

Famed psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross came up with a grief-cycle model that roughly defines how people deal with bad news. The stages of the model are defined below :

DENIAL : this is a conscious or unconscious refusal to accept facts, information, reality, etc., relating to the situation concerned. It's a defense mechanism, perfectly natural; and fully expected.

ANGER : this stage often exhibits the hostile frustration and bitterness resulting from being utterly powerless to make the facts go away. (I saw a lot of this kind of anger when the Twin Towers came down.)

BARGAINING : essentially, this stage is a futile attempt to work out a compromise with the facts. Bargaining doesn't seek to dispute the facts, merely to mitigate them.

DEPRESSION : this is nature's response in anticipation of the repercussions of the facts; e.g. sadness, regret, fear, uncertainty, etc. Depression shows that the person has at least begun to face reality.

ACCEPTANCE : this stage is somewhat similar to the concept of repentance; which amounts to the changing of one's mind— the practical application of the so-called Serenity Prayer.

_Lord; grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference._

People in the acceptance stage are better able emotionally and intelligently to deal with reality regardless of how unpleasant that reality is; for example; the end of the availability of oil as we know it is looming ever larger and larger on the horizon like a catastrophic sequel to Noah's Flood; and I don't think I have to tell you how that is going to effect farming, manufacturing, and transportation. Life as we know it will simply collapse— economically, politically, and socially —and those of us left standing will be transitioned back to the time when everybody had to grow their own food, make their own clothing, defend their own lives, and utilize animals to get around. If you can stand the shock to your nervous system, I highly recommend a documentary available on NetFlix titled : COLLAPSE; but don't watch it if you're someone easily disturbed.

Anyway, my point is : the information I've been posting about Ms. Bojaxhiu is so unbelievable that it's pushing many of her admirers into the early stages of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' grief model. Well, they have my sympathy, but grief is something I cannot work through for them. They must cope with it all alone; and just have to let the model run its course.

OBJECTION : If faith is not a gift from God (a grace) in the first place, then we are saved in part by our own works.

According to the voice of the Holy Spirit; belief isn't counted as a work.

● Rom 4:1-3 . .What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

● Eph 2:8-9 . . For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God —not by works, so that no one can boast.

The Holy Ghost isn't saying in those passages that belief is from God; no, He's saying that salvation is from God as a gratuity rather than a reward. Below is a version that really brings that out :

● Eph 2:8-9 . . God saved you by His kindness and generosity when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gratuity from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

OBJECTION : Thus there is no such thing as "natural faith".

The voice of the Holy Spirit testifies that all men are fully capable of believing in a creator without the slightest bit of supernatural assistance from God.

● Rom 1:18-20 . .The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities— his eternal power and divine nature —have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

● Ps 19:1-4 . .The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Teresa Juxtaposed With The Lord

Some have attempted to normalize Teresa's feelings of abandonment by citing the Lord's feelings of abandonment on the cross. However, his feelings of abandonment lasted no more than six hours, not five decades— which total four hundred and thirty-eight thousand hours. The Lord was cursed for the purpose of the cross (Gal 3:13) so it was appropriate he be made to feel abandoned while on it. Surely Teresa's fans don't mean to have me believe that she was cursed for 438,000 hours! Although I personally believe she was; surely they don't!

FAQ : Don't you think six hours of doubt for the son of God reveals something about his faith?

The question is essentially a non sequitur. Although the Lord experienced abandonment while on the cross; to my knowledge, he never once in his entire lifetime; not even up on the cross, questioned the existence of the Bible's God. In point of fact, his prayer while on the cross reveals the Lord never lost faith in that particular area.

● Mark 15:34 . . And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying : Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted : My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

FYI : The Lord's prayer in no way seeks an answer. His question was merely rhetorical because from childhood the Lord was fully indoctrinated with the Old Testament and knew very well why he was abandoned.

● Ps 22:1-3 . . My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent. But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Yes, Israel's God is a holy god who cannot bear to associate with evil. Well, while the Lord was stuck up on that cross; he was laden with the sins of the whole world; thus targeting himself an unholy object of wrath.

● Gal 3:12-13 . . Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written : Cursed is everyone hung on a tree.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Christ saw that curse coming well in advance just from his own personal studies in the book of Isaiah.

● Isa 52:13-15 . . Many were amazed when they saw him— beaten and bloodied : disfigured beyond recognition.

● Isa 53:4-6 . . It was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet Yhvh laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

● Isa 53:10-12 . . But it was Yhvh's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and Yhvh's plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.

. . . And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.

Through all his ordeal; the Lord never vacillated, whereas Teresa? Oh give it up already; it's difficult sometimes to believe the woman even dared label herself a Christian. There are verses in the Bible; had Teresa actually believed them she would not have doubted for even one second that God is a believer's perpetual companion.

● John 14:18 …I will not abandon you as orphans; I will come to you.

● Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

● 1Cor 6:19 . . Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you; whom you have received from God?

● Heb 13:5 …for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee

It isn't necessary for believers to psyche themselves up first in order to believe those four verses because God's Spirit is on the job as a spiritual counselor— in some supernatural way that I do not fully understand —bonding believers to their Father, and reassuring them they are loved and have a place in His home.

● Rom 8:15-16 …For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out : Abba! Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

While reading Teresa's letters, it became quite obvious to me almost right away that Rom 8:15-16 never happened for her and that's why Ms. Bojaxhiu eventually became so stressed about her lack of association with God.

● 1John 1:5-6 …If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another

If Teresa had been truly walking in the light all those decades, then the Bible's God most certainly would have associated with her or otherwise 1John 1:5-6 would be quite false; but I can testify from personal experience that it's not.

BTW : I certainly hope none of Teresa's fans are gullible enough to think that God laid the sins of India on her like some sort of sequel to the cross and that's why He abandoned her all those years. No, there is only one sacrifice for sins that the Bible's God will accept; and people's negligence to buy into it terminates with their worst nightmare.

● Heb 10:26-28 . . If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Distance

Webster's defines "alienation" as a withdrawing or separation of a person or a person's affections from an object or position of former attachment; viz : estrangement.

Webster's defines "estrangement" as: (1) removed from customary environment or associations, and (2) mutual enmity, or indifference, where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness; viz : alienation and/or disaffection.

When boiled down, it all means just one thing : Distance.

Growing up as a young Catholic boy in the late 40's, and the decade of the 50's, distance was what I felt most about the Bible's God. Yes, I was confident He exists, that was never an issue; but felt as though the Bible's God was way out on Jupiter sequestered in a sort of forbidden city rather than alongside me in daily life. If I thought God was nearby at all, it was only for looking over my shoulder and writing everything down so it could be used against me later. In other words, the Bible's God was not my buddy, no; He was a divine sword of Damocles; suspended by a slender thread— He was millions of volts of electricity with a hair trigger; poised to strike, to paralyze, to kill.

I was deathly afraid of the Bible's God; as Catholicism drilled it into me that God is a strict disciplinarian and an unsympathetic jurist.

What is justice anyway? It can be roughly defined as the administration of law without passion or prejudice; viz : justice is indifferent, it's unbiased, it's equitable, and totally even across the board. In one word; that's exactly how my young Catholic mind perceived the Bible's God : indifferent. So then, if in His estimation I deserved to go to Hell, then that's precisely where the Bible's God would send me; with no regrets, and good riddance. That is what I call distance; and that is precisely what that poor nun experienced during virtually the whole last five decades of life right up to the moment of her death.

But is distance a normal Christian experience? Good Lord . .NO!

It's The Spirit's sacred task to assure believers that they and God are at peace with one another; and that His little children have a permanent place waiting for them in God's home.

● Col 1:21-23 . .At one time you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the expectation offered in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

● Rom 8:16 ...The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

At the same time, God's own are given the nature of an adoptee so's they can experience a filial bond with their new paterfamilias.

● Rom 8:15 ...For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out : Abba! Father.

The pronouns "our" and "we" include the author of the epistle to the Romans, who was alive himself at the time he penned it. So then, if Paul, an apostle, was receiving assurances from God— I have no doubt he was a much better Christian than Teresa —then Rom 8:15-16 is for all levels of believers; both the strong and the weak; not just the weak ones. The whole point of those supernatural assurances is to prevent tragedies like Teresa's from occurring.

Because I now have the spirit of an adoptee; I no longer perceive the Bible's God as an indifferent jurist. No, now I perceive Him as my filial care-giver; holding a room for me in His own home. Poor Teresa went to her grave totally missing out on that kind of comfort; which is a really poor testimonial to the validity of the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic religion.

New Testament religion says thus :

● Jude 1:20-21 . . But you, beloved— building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit —keep yourselves in the love of God, anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude isn't saying anything new in that passage; and for some it may even seem redundant. But what we're looking at there is a very positive outlook on the future— an outlook that never doubts for an instant that the love God feels for His own is an undying love : a love that cannot be thwarted. No matter how naughty His little children are in this world; they will always and forever be His little children for whom He will never stop being protective.

From my own personal study of Ms. Bojaxhiu's private letters; it's obvious to me that she somehow failed to keep herself in the love of God, anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And the irony of it is that it takes no effort whatsoever to comply with Jude's mandate because of the Spirit's work relative to Rom 8:15-16.

BTW : Atheists often insist that there cannot be a Hell simply because no truly loving parent would imprison their own children in a kiln and bake them forever. Well, those atheists are correct. The Bible's God would never bake His own children in a kiln; but He'll definitely bake yours if perchance they should grow up taught to ignore the Lord's words by parents distant from God.

● John 12:48-49 . . He who scorns me, and does not accept my words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on my own initiative; but the Father who sent me gave me a mandate, what I should say and what I should speak.

● Matt 7:22-23 . .Many will say to me in that day : Lord, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them : I never knew you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

What on earth is the malfunction in those Christians busy performing many wonderful deeds in the Lord's name that he should say to them : I never knew you? Answer : Distance.

Christ Offline

● John 14:15-18 . .If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

There is a huge difference between God's Spirit being inside somebody's mortal flesh and blood body as opposed to just being alongside them in their life.

● 1Cor 6:19 . .What! Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?

To lack Almighty God's occupancy in one's mortal flesh and blood body, is to be disconnected from the Bible's Christ.

● Rom 8:9 . .If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

The benefits of hosting Almighty God in my mortal flesh and blood body are :

(1) Life and peace, and the Spirit's influence rather than the human mind's sovereign, unopposed control. (Rom 8:5-9)

(2) Hosting God's Spirit seals me for redemption. (2Cor 1:21-22, Eph 1:13-14, Eph 4:30)

If the Bible's God had been occupying Teresa's mortal flesh and blood body like Paul says; then she would never have complained :

And :

"Since 1949 or 1950 this terrible sense of loss— this untold darkness— this loneliness, this continual longing for God— which gives me pain deep down in my heart— Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason— the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— when the pain of longing is so great— I just long & long for God— and then it is that I feel He does not want me— He is not there— …God does not want me— Sometimes— I just hear my own heart cry out— "My God" and nothing else comes— the torture and pain I can't explain"

You know why Teresa would never have made those complaints? Because when Almighty God is residing inside someone's mortal flesh and blood body, His Spirit is on-task assuring them that they have a place waiting for them in God's home, plus, He supernaturally bonds them to God so they can relate to Him as their real-life paterfamilias.

● Rom 8:15-16 . .For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out : Abba! Father! The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

I have been repeating that same passage over, and over, and over again like a mantra because it is so crucial to the Christian experience. Is it really all that difficult to see that Ms. Bojaxhiu's alienation from God was the direct result of her NOT hosting Almighty God inside her mortal flesh and blood body? Teresa's own written testimony verifies it :

"the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— when the pain of longing is so great— I just long & long for God— and then it is that I feel He does not want me— He is not there— God does not want me"

Please understand that I am talking about a situation akin to a genie in a bottle. So then, if I were to rap on my arm, or the top of my head with a stick, I would (in a manner of speaking) be rattling Almighty God's cage because my whole body is His abode. Thus, the Bible's God is never any farther away from His own than the surface of their own skin. But as Teresa's own testimony clearly indicates; it's like no one ever taught her that.

● 2Cor 13:5-6 . . Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you— unless, of course, you be castaways, rejected, worthless, unsuitable, and unapproved?

NOTE : I utilized five English words rather than just one for the meaning of the koiné Greek word adokimos (ad-ok'-ee-mos) because there is no one specific English word alone for it; and adokimos doesn't necessarily mean somebody is going to Hell when they cross over to the other side. Though of course in the case of unbelievers and make-believers it does; but in the case of sincere people wearing the Christian label; it just basically means that their level of knowledge and the quality of their belief are substandard.

Teresa's Facade

Here's a testimonial by one of Teresa' spiritual directors : Father Joseph Neuner, S.J.

QUOTE START
Against her explicit request to burn these pages after I had read them, I felt I had to preserve them as they revealed an aspect of her life, the real depth of her vocation, of which no one seemed to be aware. All saw her courageous struggle in establishing her work, her outgoing love for the poor and suffering, and the care of her Sisters; but the spiritual darkness remained her secret.

She seemed cheerful in her daily life, tireless in her work. The inner agony would not weaken her activities. With her inspiring leadership she guided her Sisters, started new centers, and became famous; but inside she was in utter emptiness.
QUOTE STOP

In other words, Ms. Bojaxhiu's public image was little more than a facade concealing a very unhappy, very spiritually-unfulfilled woman.

"My smile is a great cloak that hides a multitude of pains."

In contrast :

● Gal 5:22 . . But the fruit of The Spirit is . . joy, peace

Father Neuner was fully aware of Ms. Bojaxhiu's lack of joy and peace because she kept him informed of her spiritual condition via private correspondence. That is not a good thing in a beatified nun because a lack of the fruit of The Spirit is an indication of a lack of righteousness and goodness and truth in one's earthly life.

● Eph 5:9 . . The fruit of The Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

Ste Peter testified that peace is available in abundance through the knowledge of God and of His son Jesus.

● 2Pet 1:1-2 …Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ : To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours : grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Since Teresa failed to obtain "peace in abundance" in her missionary work, then I am forced to conclude that she never did receive a faith as precious as Peter's, nor was she properly indoctrinated in the tenets off Biblical Christianity. She may have had a faith, and she may have had a knowledge, yes; but it definitely wasn't Ste Peter's faith and knowledge.

● John 14:26-27 . . Peace I leave with you— my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

● Rom 15:33 . . Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

● Php 4:5-7 . .The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

● Php 4:8-9 . . Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me— put it into practice; and the God of peace will be with you.

The Ends Justify The Means?

● Rom 3:5-8 . .But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" Why not say— as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say— Let us do evil that good may result? Their condemnation is deserved.

The first part of that passage reminds me of a humorous bromide that goes something like this : No one is totally worthless when they can serve as a bad example. So then, if my badness serves as a contrast to really bring out just how good God's goodness really is, then shouldn't the Bible's God appreciate me for that? (chuckle) No, it doesn't work that way.

The wording of the last part of the passage is a bit difficult, but it basically asks the question : If I go about a good thing in a wrong way, and it brings glory to God, and it's in His best interests, and to His advantage, will He still condemn me for my efforts? And of course the answer is YES because God is a jurist of the highest possible ethical integrity; and all wrong doing, even though it may accomplish what might appear to be a higher good, must receive retribution; viz : those who do evil to accomplish good are just as deserving of condemnation as those who do evil to accomplish evil.

On the surface that seem terribly unfair because what if you're forced into a position where you have to lie in order to save someone's life? Doesn't saving the life mitigate the lie? You would think so; but no, not in God's courtroom it doesn't.

So, where am I going with this? Well; the Lord said in Matt 7:22-23 that not few, but many Christians will protest that they preached in the Lord's name, cast out devils in his name, and did many wonderful works in his name, and yet the Lord will tell them : I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

What happened? Well, they simply went about the right thing in a wrong way. So then, their work's success, and whatever its benefit to the Lord's cause, will not mitigate the wrong way they went about it; and all their accomplishments will go up in smoke as wood, hay, and stubble.

● 1Cor 3:10-11 . . According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

● 2Tim 2:5 . . Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize.

So; how does any of this apply to Mother Teresa? Well; anyone whose actually taken the time to conscientiously read her personal correspondence has seen for themselves that she worked in virtually five decades of spiritual darkness, starving for God's companionship and never getting it; and never really sure that God wanted her to be in India at all, nor was she confident that the Bible's God liked her or that He even exists. According to the Bible, if Christians say they are partners with God while walking in darkness; they lie and are not living by the truth (1John 1:5-6).

That Teresa did a good thing in India is not the question. The question is : Did she, as a professing servant of Christ, go about a good thing in a wrong way, thus incurring condemnation in spite of her humanitarian efforts? Apparently YES, because somewhere early in her mission to India, Teresa and the Bible's God parted company, and according to her own hand-written testimony; He never returned.

● Amos 3:3 . . Can two walk together without agreeing on the direction?

Teresa's Vote of No-Confidence

● 1Pet 1:3-6 . . All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

. . . And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

If the element of fiduciary responsibility were to be removed from Bible faith— as it was from the deregulated investment financial structure that led to the Wall Street meltdown of 2008 —then Peter's promises would be useless for comfort and assurance. People have to be able to trust God with zero risk or their faith will be misplaced; like the trust that was put in the financial giants of Bear Sterns, Lehman Bros, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley; and the securities ratings firms of Standard & Poor, Moody's, and Fitch. With financiers, it's all about strategy; but with the Lord, it's all about people; and there are no billions of dollars for Him to gain by letting them down.

But where do people get the kind of assurance required to make passages like 1Pet 1:3-6 genuinely comforting? Do they have to psyche themselves up? Do they have to acquire credit-default insurance from bailed-out AID to protect themselves just in case God defaults on Peter's promises? No; they don't have to psyche themselves up at all nor acquire credit-default insurance. God's Spirit, in some supernatural way that I do not really understand, convinces them that Peter's promises are for real; and 100% reliable and risk-free.

● Rom 8:15-16 . . For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a spirit of adoption by which we call out : Abba! Father. The Spirit himself testifies to our spirit that we are children of God

That passage is one of the supernatural aspects of Bible Christianity that goes largely ignored in Christian circles. Here's another.

● 1John 2:26-27 . . The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

One of the purposes of 1John 2:26-27 is to convince the Lord's sheep that passages like 1Pet 1:3-6 are not only 100% true and reliable; but also for their own personal benefit.

Webster's defines "convince" as : to overpower, to overcome, and/or to persuade.

Left on its own, human nature is prone to assume that passages like 1Pet 1:3-6 are intended for super Christians like monks, bishops, cardinals, and popes. So the primary purpose of the anointing of 1John 2:26-27 is to overcome human nature's propensity to sub-consciously rule itself out of the benefits about which Peter wrote. In other words; it is the Spirit's sacred duty to persuade each and every one of the Lord's sheep— regardless of how lowly, or their degree of piety and/or saintliness —that 1Pet 1:3-6 is written for them just as well as to others. It is literally a church-wide bulletin. Of course, it's necessary to be a valid member of the "my" church of Matt 16:18 in order for somebody to even have the anointing to begin with.

FAQ : But if Catholics like Ms. Bojaxhiu follow everything that needs to be followed, and do everything that needs to be done, then shouldn't that give them a sense of security?

You would think so; but no, it doesn't work that way because if it did, then Teresa would not have suffered such strong feelings of alienation from God and from His son Jesus. You can get that sense of security only supernaturally, via God's Spirit. When people like me read passages like 1Pet 1:3-6, we see ourselves living in God's own home, loved by God, and protected from loss by God's power. But when people like Teresa read those kinds of passages (if she ever did); nothing happens. They go right on wondering if God even likes them or not. That poor woman was never "truly glad" about anything; and you know why? According to 1Pet 1:5, it was because she didn't trust the Bible's God.

FYI : the anointing of 1John 2:26-27 serves an additional purpose— yet another of the supernatural aspects of Bible Christianity that goes largely ignored.

● Eph 1:13-14 . . In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth; the gospel of your salvation. In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

The "seal" is of course is the person of the Holy Spirit himself— the anointing of 1John 2:26-27 —onboard convincing each of the sheep that their destiny is now chipped in stone; and that they have just as much immunity as the 144,000 Jews sealed in the book of Revelation.

These are things about which Ms. Bojaxhiu apparently had no clue; and I'd be willing to bet a Casio against a Jaeger-LeCoultre that the average rank and file pew warmer has no clue either and that's why they so readily sympathize with Teresa's deplorable spiritual condition; viz : Birds of a feather; flock together.

FAQ : You say Teresa felt no kinship bond whatsoever with the Bible's Jesus. None whatsoever? Are you taking certain words over a period of time and extrapolating; viz : generalizing those words as if that was her entire experience in Christ?

Webster's defines extrapolate as : to infer (values of a variable in an unobserved interval) from values within an already observed interval

From available data— e.g. Christopher Hitchens' investigations and excerpts from Teresa's own personal letters penned over the course of 50 years —I don't see how any rational person could come to any conclusion other than Teresa felt no kinship bond whatsoever with either the Bible's God, or with the Bible's Christ— ever. In my estimation, that is precisely why she felt so insecure, and so distant from God.

Webster's defines kinship as: the quality, or the state, of being kin. There is only one valid way for a human being to feel a valid state of kinship with either God or Christ, and that one way is via The Spirit's supernatural activity inside one's mind.

● Gal 4:6-7 . . And because you are sons, God dispatched the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, calling out : Abba! Father. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Clearly, neither Rom 8:15-16, nor Gal 4:6-7, nor 1John 2:26-27 happened for Teresa; and if The Spirit's supernatural activity didn't happen for her, then it's highly probable it's not been happening for ordinary rank and file pew warmers either; and considering the ramifications; they seriously need to be asking why not.

● Rom 8:9 . . If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Discipline

FAQ : According to Heb 12:4-11, The Father disciplines His own in order to hone their holiness. Why couldn't that be the reason behind Teresa's five-decades long night of the soul? After all, a person destined for sainthood would certainly require special measures; don't you think?

You would think so; except that every believer is called to be a saint (e.g. Rom 1:7, 1Cor 1:2, et al). Since that's the case, then every believer should be undergoing Teresa's five decades-long night of the soul.

What criteria defines a New Testament saint? The answer to that is found in Paul's epistle written to the Ephesian believers, who were already saints before his letter even arrived . (Eph 1:1)

Sainthood in Ephesus was distinguished by (1) belief in the Gospel, and (2) possession of God's spirit.

● Eph 1:13-14 . .And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

The "deposit" about which Paul spoke is the koiné Greek word arrhabon (ar-hrab-ohn') which means: a pledge; viz: part of the purchase-money, or property, given in advance as security for the rest.

In modern real estate transactions, the arrhabon, variously known as either good faith money or earnest money, is a minimal deposit put down towards a home purchase and goes with the paperwork to escrow. If a home buyer should renege and back out of the deal, they forfeit the arrhabon. This procedure is done to ensure a home buyer's honest intent to purchase.

What this means is; that if God should somehow change His mind about redeeming a believer, then the believer gets to keep the Holy Spirit regardless. Since it would be very embarrassing for God to renege on redemption, and even more embarrassing to send somebody to Hell accompanied by His Spirit, I'm sure you can see right off that once God commits; He will certainly make good on His honest intentions.

● Php 1:5-7 . . Being confident of this very thing : that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Bottom line is; once a believer is sealed with God's spirit, they not only become a saint; but they will never be in danger of eternal suffering ever again.

● John 5:24 . .I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

● 1Ths 1:10 . .Wait for His son from heaven; whom He raised from the dead— Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

● 1Ths 5:9-10 . . God did not appoint us to suffer wrath; but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Getting back to Teresa: was her character really so bad that the Bible's God was forced to hide His face from her for nigh onto five decades? For some people, that's an entire lifetime. I just have to ask : If that's true; then how is Ms. Bojaxhiu any kind of a role model for ordinary Catholics? I mean; if even 50 years of perpetual alienation from the Bible's God didn't suffice to rectify the problem, then what hope do the rank and file have of ever getting in good with The Man?

There is such a thing as training a child, and then there is such a thing as abusing a child. Starving a growing child for love, comfort, and companionship is an all too common form of abuse that falls into the category of not discipline; but neglect. Those neglected kids quite naturally fail to bond with their parents while very young, and thus develop what's coming to be known as Reactive Attachment Disorder. (RAD)

I haven't a clue what the Bible's God could possibly hope to accomplish by neglecting one of His little girls for so many years. However, I will say this; that if Teresa was such a terrible child that even the Father in Heaven couldn't stand to associate with her; then I certainly don't want to be around her either.

Proceeding In Doubt

Regarding Christian beliefs and practices; Paul commanded believers to be fully persuaded in their own minds (Rom 14:5); because whatsoever is not of faith is sin; and if someone proceeds in doubt, they are condemned in the act (Rom 14:23). So how does that apply to Teresa of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata)?

Well; except for a few weeks in 1959, Teresa, was never really confident that God approved of her operations in India. That lack of conviction spanned a period of virtually five decades which began in the late 1940's and extended to the hour of her death in 1997.

Some do-gooders are sure to object by saying: But helping the dying, the poor, and the orphans is God's will! Yes, I do not contest that. However, The Spirit reserves the right to task missionaries where it pleases Himself; not where it pleases them. Here's an example.

● Acts 16:6-7 . .Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but The Spirit did not permit them.

What if Paul and his associates had brushed aside God's Spirit, and chose to proceed anyway; citing Mark 16:15-16 where Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel everywhere to everyone? Would God be pleased with their courage and their perseverance? Absolutely not! They would, in fact, have been clearly insubordinate and actually committing an act of sin commonly known as presumption; and that in the name of service to Christ. (cf. Num 14:42-45)

That is an important principle; and if only Ms. Bojaxhiu had known it; she would have slammed the brakes on her ambitions in India in accordance with Rom 14:5 and Rom 14:23 so as not to risk insubordination in her zeal for Christ and inadvertently succeed in doing a righteous deed in an unrighteous way (cf. 2Sam 6:6-7).

Teresa's entire endeavor in India was based upon some interior imaginative locutions she experienced in 1946. which, of course, are always highly suspect, because they are, after all, neither audio contact nor visual contact; but rather, I.I.L's are essentially fantasies.

The I.I.L's get really interesting when a Mary shows up encouraging Teresa to get going in India; and even the people of India become involved; surrounding Teresa and the Mary, with their arms raised chanting; "Come, come, save us— bring us to Jesus." Red Flag: In her I.I.L's the Mary instructed Teresa to teach the people of India to recite the rosary, and makes no mention whatsoever of teaching them the New Testament. The Mary's commission does not even remotely resemble either Jesus' mandates nor Paul's missionary purposes.

● Matt 28:19-20 . .Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

● Mark 16:15-16 . .He said to them; Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He that believes and is baptized shall be spared; he that believes not shall be damned.

● 1 Cor 9:16 . .I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

● Gal 1:8 . .But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

The Jesus in her I.I.L's promised Teresa "I will never leave you" and the Mary promised "Fear not— Jesus and I will be with you and your children" Did the I.I.L. Jesus and Mary keep their promises? No. The moment Teresa received approval from her superiors to begin the work, both the Jesus and the Mary stopped communicating with Teresa, and never returned not even one more time to either encourage or critique her progress. Their absence became a source of crushing discouragement, and eventually led Teresa to not only doubt the validity of her mission in India, but also to actually doubt in the very existence of God and Heaven.

When the darkness descended, and Teresa began to feel abandoned and cut off from God (which was virtually right away) she should have immediately sensed that her I.I.L's were not from Heaven.

● 1John 1:5-6 . .This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

Teresa's experience is an excellent Christian life-lesson; viz: never assume that the success of what you are doing in Christ's name is an eo ipso indication that He's in it with you. No, according to Christ himself; the very opposite may be true.

● Matt 7:22-23 . .Many will say to me in that day; Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

What is the problem with missionaries like those described above? Simple. They're head-strong and ambitious; viz: they're achievers, and achievers are typically competitive and insubordinate rather than patient and submissive. It is so ironic that numbers of missionaries bearing the Christian label are actually disloyal to Christ, and doing things in his name he really wishes they wouldn't.

Teresa's Long Night of the Soul

Just prior to his arrest, Jesus prayed a totally 100% positive prayer in the 17th chapter of John. He was confident God loved him, he was confident he was on a mission from God, and he was confident he was going to God.

In contrast, except for a few weeks in 1959, Teresa, never was sure that God approved of her work in India; and at the end of her life, wondered if He even liked her.

Teresa's "night of darkness" began almost immediately coincident with the beginning of her work in India and virtually never let up till the hour of her death. Walking in darkness is a Biblical symptom of a believer's disassociation with God. They are not supposed to be walking in the darkness; no, they are supposed to be walking in the light.

● 1John 1:5-7 …This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son, purifies us from all sin.

Accordingly then, Teresa should have immediately suspended her ambitions (cf. Acts 16:6) since the Bible's God does not partnership with Christians in the darkness, nor does the blood of His son cleanse darkened Christians from all sin. If she was looking for evidence that God approved of her operations in India; 1John 1:5-7 was a crimson red flag that He didn't.

Personally, I have serious doubts that Teresa was ever an accomplished Bible student and that's why she foolishly chose to forge ahead in the darkness rather than waiting for a good strong go-ahead from God. Paul commanded Christians to be fully persuaded in their own minds (Rom 14:5); because whatsoever is not of faith is sin; and if someone proceeds in doubt, they are condemned in their act (Rom 14:23).

The lesson in this is: If you want God to walk with you, then you have to walk with God. That should go without saying; but some insist it's somehow courageous and super-saintly to walk alone. Anyone who's studied Paul's life is fully aware that Paul received timely confirmations from God that his missionary journey was in the will of God, was empowered by God, was prospered by God, and that God was with him in it all the way with reassurance and comfort to encourage him in his most difficult moments.

Bad Paper

I do not believe Teresa was a deliberate fraud. No, I think she was genuinely motivated by the spirit of altruism, and that she really believed what she was doing was in service to Christ. However; that doesn't make her any less a shill; no, if anything, it makes her the perfect shill. The Bible says that the lost are taken captive by Satan to do his will (Eph 2:1-2, 2Tim 2:26); and who better to validate the wrong path than a glistering Judas goat like Teresa of Calcutta? You just couldn't ask for a better poster child.

Though Teresa was a believer; she was an artificial believer, viz: a counterfeit. The best counterfeits are those that are unaware they're fakes. I mean, only a moron like Faust would knowingly sell their soul to the Devil. Yes, there are people in religion for the money and prestige, and others because it fills out their social résumé; but people like Ms. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu are far more effective because they really do believe that what they're doing is for the Lord and that's why they will be so stunned when my savior rejects their entire life's work.

● Matt 7:22-23 ...Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Publication of Teresa of Calcutta's personal letters has proven to be a real Godsend to me as the host of a web site for new and/or inexperienced born-again Christians. I could utilize Christopher Hitchens' investigations, and Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk's book, to easily write one of my own titled:

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A MISDIRECTED MISSIONARY
And avoid becoming one yourself

Teresa was truly a masterpiece of Satanic deception; and everything you DON'T want to be as a professing Xian. It should go without saying that counterfeits are only effective if they're as close to the real thing as the real thing itself. So if you've been taken in by Catholicism's #1 endorsement, don't feel bad. It takes specialized training to spot bad paper. However, if you continue to permit yourself to be taken in, then there will be no one to blame for your losses but you.

● Prv 29:25 ...Reverence for men will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in The Lord is kept safe.

FAQ : You said the best fake believers are those that are unaware they're fakes. Please explain.

Have you seen a science fiction movie called The Matrix? There is a spirit matrix all around us somewhat similar to the the movie.

● Eph 2:1-2 …As for you; you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

● 2 Cor 4:3-4 …But if our gospel be veiled, it is veiled to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

● 2Tim 2:24-26 …The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be affable with everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people while teaching those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

You know who the most difficult people on earth are to reach with the Gospel? Muslims? Nope. Hindus? Nope. Atheists? Nope. Agnostics? Nope. It's professing Christians. Yes, I know that seems an oxymoron; but professing Christians are truly the most difficult because they are so convinced of themselves that they have already been adequately catechized. In other words, they are artificial believers and don't even know it; and like victims in the Wachowski Brother's Matrix, many artificial believers have been fakes for so long that it can actually be traumatic to enlighten them.

But like Morpheus said; you cannot believe the Matrix exists, nor have it explained until you've been freed from it and can see it for yourself. So it is with the dark spirits. They are tasteless, colorless, odorless, silent, and have no more consistency than thin air. They are inside people's minds and they are everywhere. Like agents in The Matrix; the spirits are everyone and they are no one; and their unwitting hosts are filling church pews all across this land and around the world every Sunday morning totally unaware that they are on a sure-fire path to eternal suffering.

Darkness & Disobedience

Quoting Teresa from an undated letter written to Father Joseph Neuner, S.J.

Since 49 or 50 this terrible sense of loss— this untold darkness— this loneliness, this continual longing for God— which gives me pain deep down in my heart— Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason— the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— when the pain of longing is so great— I just long & long for God— and then it is that I feel— He does not want me— He is not there— …God does not want me— Sometimes— I just hear my own heart cry out— "My God" and nothing else comes— the torture and pain I can't explain

She can't explain?! All I can say is that's a pretty amazing admission of New Testament ignorance coming from one of the most highly regarded Catholic nuns of the twentieth century. If Teresa had only dug through the Bible for an explanation, she would have discovered from The Lord's own personal testimony that the reason she was experiencing such a painful alienation from God was because the quality of her obedience just simply wasn't up to snuff.

● John 14:23 …If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

● John 15:10 …If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.

In other words, had Teresa truly wanted God to walk with her; then she would have first had to begin walking with God.

● 1John 1:5-7 …This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

As is plainly recorded in her own private letters, Teresa's soul was starving for association with God. Decades of anguish over her inability to feel even the slightest glimmer of The Lord's presence was one of the primary causes that finally drove the poor woman to accept an exorcism at the end of her life. Ironically, Teresa constantly spoke of God doing the work in India; but at the end of her life, she doubted that He ever approved of her being there in the first place (compare Teresa's anguish to Paul's own spirit of jubilance in 2Tim 4:6-8).

If you, as a professing follower of the New Testament's Jesus, are experiencing a dark night of the soul similar to Teresa's, I would caution you to be very discreet about it. Why? To save you embarrassment, because to a knowledgeable Bible student, that darkness reveals your own personal lack of loyalty to the very one you profess to follow.

OBJECTION : Peter denied Jesus 3 times. So you're saying he wasn't up to snuff either?

Did Peter experience five decades of darkness of the soul? No, he didn't. A few days later, Peter and Jesus were at the beach, sitting together around a campfire (John 21).

Look, I realize some people are desperate to normalize Teresa's deplorable spiritual condition; (and by doing so, thus hope to normalize their own) but try to keep things in perspective when comparing her to New Testament personages and you'll make better sense.

FAQ : Isn't it possible that God was present in Teresa's life and she just didn't know it?

When people suggest that God was with Teresa without her being aware of it; they are not only suggesting she was inadequately catechized; but they are also revealing to me that they themselves are unaware of the supernatural aspects of New Testament Christianity— in particular, the Bible God's on-board presence right inside each believer's mortal flesh and blood body.

● John 14:15-18 …If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

● 1Cor 6:19 …What! Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?

God doesn't occupy a believer's flesh and blood body as an inert companion; no, His Spirit is quite active with a specific ministry of His own that includes convincing His hosts that their Father is attentive; always at-hand, rather than far away and indifferent.

● Php 4:5-7 …The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your concerns to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond the intellect, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

● 1Pet 5:7 …Cast all your concerns on Him because He cares for you.

In all those years, Teresa was never permitted to enjoy "the peace of God, which is beyond the intellect". No, her private letters reveal a woman who totally missed out on The Spirit's ministry; and maintained her operations in India solely on blind faith and dogged determination. In other words, in spite of her patina of piety, sensitivity, perseverance, and dedication; Teresa grossly failed to connect with the supernatural aspects of New Testament Christianity.

How did that happen? Well; there's no need to speculate. The New Testament's Jesus answers that question with his own personal testimony. The Spirit's ministry is dependant upon a great big IF.

● John 14:23 …If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

According to Jesus' own personal testimony— and contrary to all her own eloquent Christian bombast —the reason why God and His son did not make their abode with Ms. Agnes Bojaxhiu is simply because she neglected to love the New Testament's Jesus enough to keep his words. Shocked?

And that is not just Jesus saying it; no, that's actually his Father's own personal testimony.

● John 14:24 …and the word which you are hearing is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Finding God's Will

FAQ : How does one ascertain God's direction for their life?

I assume askers of that question are referring to Christian missionaries like John Wesley, Teresa of Calcutta (a.k.a. Kolkata) et al. I really can't answer for them. However, speaking for myself— a retired DoD welder whose life's work is of no consequence whatsoever in the grand scheme of things —discovering God's direction for my own life was a piece of cake.

I didn't look for special signs like Gideon's dew on the fleece. In point of fact, I didn't look for God to point me in the right direction at all. What I did instead was simply trust The Lord to prevent me from going in the wrong direction (cf. Ps 32:7-10, and Matt 6:13) and at 64 years old, and 40+ years of Christian experience, I have to say my "method" was the right one— at least the right one for a dumb welder.

In stark contrast to Teresa's abandonment, God's Spirit has always been on the job for me as a spiritual counselor— in some supernatural way that I do not really understand —bonding me to my Father, and reassuring me I am loved and have a place in His home.

● Rom 8:15-16 . .For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out; Dad! Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

While reading Teresa's letters, it became quite obvious to me almost right away that Rom 8:15-16 never happened for her and that's why Teresa eventually became so stressed about her lack of association with the Bible's God.

When you compare my own four decades of light to Teresa's five decades of darkness, I think it's pretty obvious that I was far more successful at finding God's will than she, because darkness is a strong indicator of one's break with God.

People who walk in darkness are doing so because they are not listening to the Bible's God.

● Prv 1:24-28 . .Since you refused me when I called, and paid no heed when I extended my hand, you spurned all my advice, and would not hear my rebuke; I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when terror comes upon you, when terror comes like a disaster, and calamity arrives like a whirlwind, when trouble and distress come upon you. Then they shall call me but I will not answer, they shall seek me but not find me.

It's pretty embarrassing when a no-account welder like me achieves the very thing that eluded Teresa all those many years; and there she was a world renowned, Nobel Prize missionary while in my own town, I'm scarcely known by the neighbors right next door, let alone the rest of the block.

But I must ask: Why didn't Teresa's spiritual advisors recognize the symptoms and start back-tracking to where she parted company with The Lord? Why did they let her go on, and on, and on suffering with feelings of abandonment and spiritual dryness for all those many years as if it were somehow intrinsic to missionary work and the path to sainthood? Paul was a missionary, and a saint of far greater consequence than Teresa and he authored Rom 8:15-16; a passage of NT scripture whose pronouns indicate Paul was just as much a beneficiary of The Spirit's consolations as his audience (cf. 2Cor 1:3-7). Well; I'll tell you one thing: somebody in Rome is going to answer for that, just wait and see.

Missionary Assurances, Encouragements, and Consolations

At first, Teresa's darkness took her off guard. Since she had experienced, what seemed to her anyway, a high degree of union with Christ, the change was not only surprising, but also agonizing. As she was unable to regain the feeling of his presence she had experienced at the beginning of her endeavor in India, she became bewildered and afraid; and asked herself; was she going the wrong way?

Upon sharing her concerns with spiritual directors, it was decided that her painful inner experience was an essential part of living out her mission; viz: her living a painful inner experience was an integral part of her vocation. STOP right there!

Paul was both a missionary, and a saint. It was Paul who penned Rom 8:15-16; a passage of NT scripture whose pronouns indicate Paul was just as much a beneficiary of The Spirit's consolations as his audience.

● Rom 8:15 ...For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out; Dad! Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

If five decades of darkness of the soul and alienation from God were the normal "missionary-saint" experience, then Paul most certainly not only would have said so, but he too would have lived it. On the contrary, according to Rom 8:15-16, God's Spirit was on the job for him as a spiritual counselor with timely assurances that he was loved by God and that he had a place in God's home.

He was also given the heart and soul of an adoptee so that he could sense the presence of God's love and acceptance; and in some miraculous way, God's Spirit bonded Paul's soul to God in a filial way so that there was never a time in his mission when Paul felt abandoned by his own Father. That is the light of a normal missionary soul in stark contrast to the darkness of an abnormal missionary soul like Teresa's.

● 2Cor 1:3-7 ...Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

What "comfort" was Paul talking about in that passage? Well; it's not too hard to figure out, is it. It was the comfort that comes from God only; like a mother would cuddle and hug a child in distress to soothe and encourage it. Oh, how Teresa longed for that kind of comfort, but the poor darkened soul never obtained it; and I have to ask: If Paul and his fellow believers in Rome and Corinth obtained it, then why didn't she? Well; there are really only a few possibilities; either she was an artificial Christian, or a very sinful Christian, or the Bible's God never really commissioned her to be a missionary in India to begin with.

Teresa's directors ruled out the first and second possibilities (not too surprising), and factored out the third because of the interior imaginative locutions that commissioned Teresa to go to India. (I.I.L.'s are not audible voices nor are they visions that can be observed like a movie. Interior imaginative locutions are just what the words say they are: fantasies.)

FAQ : Why couldn't Teresa's locutions be just as valid as Paul's vision in the book of Acts?

A fair question.

First off, a vision is far and away a whole different animal than an imagination.

Paul saw a bright light with his own eyes, and heard an intelligible voice with his own ears. Witnesses also saw the bright light and heard the voice, although they could not tell what it was saying.

No one witnessed Teresa's imaginations, and her own letters privately indicate Teresa went on to become permanently estranged from Christ; whereas Paul did not. Ironically, Paul began estranged from Christ and ended up His intimate associate.

In deciding between Teresa and Paul, I would have to say the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Since Paul clearly benefited from Rom 8:15-16, 2Cor 1:3-7 and Php 4:6-9 with peace, assurance, consolation, and heart-and-soul filial bonding with his Father, whereas Teresa didn't, then I'm putting my money on Mr. Paul's multimedia experience rather than Teresa's fantasies. And Paul's close encounters of a third kind did not end with his conversion; no, they continued off and on all during his missionary life; whereas Teresa's fantasies ended just as soon as she got her superiors' permission to deploy to India. For the next five decades; she experienced not even one more locution nor even a hint of encouragement.

Thorns In The Flesh

The apostle Paul spoke of a "thorn in the flesh" which he prayed God would remove. But God's response was; My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2Cor 12:9)

The thorn was in Paul's flesh, not in his spirit; and it obviously wasn't abandonment because God remained in touch with Paul and encouraged him to continue— a courtesy that eluded Teresa for virtually five decades (and possibly more).

The grace of which God spoke can be found in Rom 8:15-16, 2Cor 1:3-7, and Php 4:6-9. Teresa was never doled any of that grace, and her persistent longing for it can only be described as the pining that one experiences for something that's perpetually unattainable.

Paul benefited from Rom 8:15-16, 2Cor 1:3-7 and Php 4:6-9 with peace, encouragement, assurance, consolation, and heart-and-soul filial bonding with The Father, whereas Teresa never did. He got the grace; while she got the below; excerpted from a letter to one of her spiritual directors: Father Joseph Neuner, S.J. The letter is undated, but was probably written during a retreat in April of 1961.

QUOTE START
Now Father— since 49 or 50 this terrible sense of loss— this untold darkness— this loneliness, this continual longing for God— which gives me pain deep down in my heart— Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind nor with my reason— the place of God in my soul is blank— There is no God in me— when the pain of longing is so great— I just long & long for God— and then it is that I feel— He does not want me— He is not there— God does not want me— Sometimes— I just hear my own heart cry out— "My God" and nothing else comes— the torture and pain I can't explain.
QUOTE STOP

People enjoying the grace of God do not say the kinds of things that Teresa spoke of in her private letters. They don't say; "this untold darkness" they don't say; "this loneliness" they don't say; "this continual longing" they don't say; "Darkness is such that I really do not see neither with my mind or my reason" nor do they say; "the place of God in my soul is blank" nor do they say; "There is no God in me" nor do they say; "God does not want me".

That's the kind of talk psychiatrists hear from kids suffering with Reactive Attachment Disorder; (caused by parents' failure to bond with their children while they are very young) that is NOT the kind of talk they hear from well-adjusted kids growing up in loving homes. Teresa's relationship with Catholicism's God was that of a disturbed child.

I too have thorns in the flesh; but nevertheless, God's Spirit has been faithful to His task; and always on the job convincing me that the three verses below are for my own benefit.

● John 14:18 ...I will not abandon you as orphans; I will come to you.

● Heb 13:5 ...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee

● 1Pet 5:7 ...Cast all your concerns upon Him because He cares for you.

Had God's Spirit seen fit to convince Teresa to trust only as much Bible as only those three simple passages, she would not have concluded her final year of life as an anguish-ridden old woman wondering if the Bible's God even liked her. However, The Spirit's ministry within God's household is restricted to believers; so that should tell you something right there about Teresa's status with the Bible's God.

● Eph 1:15-19 . .the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the confident expectation of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power towards us who believe

Child Abuse

OBJECTION: Perhaps God knew that Paul needed special comfort to fulfill the mission He had for him while Teresa and others will persist in doing what is needed without coddling?

First off, it needs to be pointed out that doing what is needed is not the same as doing what you're told. There's lots of other agencies like Good Will, Salvation Army, Red Cross, UNICEF, World Vision, CARE, and Global Impact doing what's needed but you would never, ever put them in the same category as a missionary like the New Testament's Paul.

Christ closely supervised Paul's missionary activities; while Teresa operated independently and she herself was never quite sure that her mission in India was in God's plan for her life. A little dew on the fleece now and then would have worked wonders for her confidence but Teresa never got anything at all during those entire five decades in India.

And anyway, that particular objection suggests nothing less than child abuse. A truly loving parent like the God in the Bible would never subject their own children to that kind of neglect. Teresa literally suffered with anguish while longing for God's companionship. His utter absence disillusioned Teresa and left her wondering if Catholicism's God even exists; and that is a very serious spiritual condition to be in.

● Heb 11:6 . .Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists

Note the words *impossible and *must

Had Teresa been my daughter, I guarantee you that I would make very sure she knew her daddy existed, and that he would never abandon her; and that he loved her completely; and that he was available at her call.

What if daddies were never to hug their little girls, never speak kindly to them, never encourage them in any way at all, nor even so much as bother to associate with them? Do you really think little girls aren't psychologically and emotionally warped by that kind of neglect? Well, if you think otherwise, then I can tell you right now that you need to do some research on Reactive Attachment Disorder and discover for yourself just how destructive it is for parents to withhold affection from their children, and the crippling long range effects it has upon adults when parents made no effort to bond while they were young.

If that passage does not speak to your heart in some supernatural way to assure you that you have a place waiting for you in God's home; if you do not sense God's love and acceptance; if you do not feel a heart-and-soul filial bond with God; then I can only say that any claim you make to kinship with the Bible's God is false because Rom 8:15-16 isn't just for Christians with special needs, no, it's the connection that all of God's precious adoptees have with their Father; not just some of His adoptees.

● 2Tim 3:1-5 . .But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be . . without natural affection

The New Testament Greek word for "without natural affection" is astorgos (as'-tor-gos) which means: hard-hearted towards kindred. Can you just imagine astorgos being the normal regard that the Bible's God has for His own? I cannot; no, it would be totally out of character for Jesus' Father to be hard-hearted and neglect His own kindred.

R.A.D.

When Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, author and editor of Mother Teresa /Come Be My Light read one of Teresa's private letters to the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, their mouths just dropped open. They thought they knew Teresa; but as it turns out; really didn't. Her soul was incredibly empty of God's companionship— of His support and His approval —so much so that she seriously doubted that the God of the Bible really exists. That should never happen to a believer because God's Spirit is on the job convincing His own that they have a place waiting for them in God's home, and He is also at work bonding them to their Father.

Some people say there are no "feelings" involved in faith. They not only reveal their abysmal ignorance of the supernatural aspects of New Testament Christianity when they say that, but also reveal their ignorance of what constitutes a normal family.

The spirit of adoption is how Almighty God brings feelings into faith. It is the nature of a child in the home; but not just any home; no, His own home. If you can love The Father without feeling, then I can only say that your love is nothing in the world but plastic devotion and utterly contrary to the most important commandment of all.

●Mark 12:30 . .And you shall love The Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the foremost commandment.

Teresa's lack of the filial feelings intrinsic with the spirit of adoption resulted in her feeling just the opposite: shunned and abandoned. Duh. Of course. That's what you would expect from any child suffering from Reactive Attachment Disorder; which is a psychological condition brought on by parents' failure to adequately bond with their children in early childhood. (A couple of pretty good Hollywood portrayals of the effects of RAD are Good Will Hunting, and Antwone Fisher)

For Teresa to develop spiritual RAD indicates one of three things: either God neglected her, either she neglected God, or she never was one of His own to begin with. Personally, I cannot imagine a father in Heaven deliberately neglecting any of His own precious kindred unless they somehow manage to bring it on themselves; and here are the two ways that can be accomplished:

● John 14:23 . .If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

● John 15:9-11 . .If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

Simply put, the reason that Teresa felt so abandoned and spiritually dry is because she did not love Jesus enough to keep his words and obey his commands. There is no use in trying to dodge the obvious in this matter. Had Teresa loved Jesus enough to keep his words, and keep his commandments, then she would have enjoyed not only Christ's love and companionship, but also his Father's. She enjoyed neither.

● 1John 1:6 . .If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth

That Teresa walked in the darkness there can be no doubt; as her own private letters abundantly testify to that. Obviously then the impression that she left upon the public as one who associated with God, was a facade.

I think the reason why so many Christians, and non Christians alike, support, and sympathize with Teresa's spiritual RAD is because they themselves are suffering from it too— and like the fox with her tail cut off in Aesop's fable, they desperately want their condition to be regarded as normal so they don't stand out so prominently as disfigured creatures with abnormal features.

The Spirit's Mission

OBJECTION: Just because Mother Teresa felt abandoned by God doesn't mean she actually was.

Anyone who makes a statement like that is only revealing their ignorance of one of the more important supernatural aspects of New Testament Christianity.

Jesus promised his own that he would not abandon them as orphans.

● John 14:15-18 . .And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

According to Paul, it is the Counselor's specific task— in some supernatural way that I do not fully understand —to reassure believers with timely reminders that they are loved as one of God's very own legal kindred, and that they have a place waiting for them in His home.

As a beneficiary of Rom 8:15-16, I can speak from 40+ years of experience and testify that the spirit of adoption I received from God gave me feelings for God that are just as bonding as the feelings I once had for my natural parents. I don't just know God is my Father, no, I can sense it; and I'm also conscious of His daily companionship. Trust me, if God had been Teresa's companion all those five decades like He has been for me; she would have known it. In point of fact, it would have been impossible for her not to have known it because Rom 8:15-16 cannot be circumvented; nor can Gal 4:4-7, nor Eph 1:3-5.

It's been my experience that a large number of professing Christians are unaware of The Spirit's role in maintaining a believer's filial association with God. It is The Spirit who takes the initiative in this arrangement, not the children; so then, if you consider yourself a believer, yet are not receiving timely reassurances of your filial association with God, then I seriously have to question your true colors.

It only stands to reason that if children are convinced that their parents don't love them, would be happier without them, aren't interested in their concerns, and don't want to keep them in their homes and provide for them; then the children are going to not only lose faith in their parents, but also withdraw and begin developing Reactive Attachment Disorder at a very early age. Can you just imagine God's home itself full of lonely, discouraged, disconnected kids who loathe their Father and don't trust Him?

I came from a home like that, and I can tell you from my own life's experience that I learned very soon in childhood just how futile it was to share struggles and personal concerns with my natural parents; and in time, I even stopped mentioning my injuries and health issues.

As a young teen, I quietly suffered with appendicitis for so long that the organ developed scar tissue before finally becoming so painful that I was weeping and tossing on my bed so loud that it drew my parents' attention enough to motivate them to take me to a hospital. When the surgeons saw the condition of my appendix, they instantly realized it had been infected for a long time and wanted to know why I wasn't brought in back when it started. My parents were dumbfounded, and had no explanation. But by their perpetual neglect, they had unwittingly trained me to keep those kinds of problems to myself. Well, that is exactly what would happen in The Father's house if the Counselor wasn't on the job reassuring Jesus' own that his Father cares about them.

Hardly anyone knew anything about early-childhood psychology when I was young, back in the 40's and 50's, and there were precious few laws protecting kids from child abuse; so parents could be virtually as cruel as they pleased and nobody thought anything about it. So when I first became a Christian, passages like the ones below ricocheted off me like a sonar ping because of the way my own parents had raised me.

● 1Pet 5:7 . .Cast all your concerns on Him because He cares for you.

● Php 4:5-7 . .The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your concerns to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond the intellect, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When reading verses like those, in the early days of my conversion 40+ years ago; without even thinking about it, I subconsciously glossed right over them. Thus, at the first, I was incapable of trusting my supernatural parent with my feelings and concerns just as I had been incapable of trusting my natural parents. But God's spirit took the initiative to miraculously overcome that reticence, that suspicion, and that lack of trust to encourage me, and to convince me, that my new Father is someone who really is interested in me instead of someone who'd rather not be bothered.

So then, God's spirit has a ministry of His own among Jesus' sheep; and part of that ministry is to nurture trust and bonding in God's home. And I can tell you right now, that until that component of the Counselor's ministry is up and running on all eight cylinders in somebody's life; it is futile for them to run off and pioneer a missionary endeavor because in the end they'll be just like Teresa: feeling thoroughly abandoned, disillusioned, and wondering whether the Bible's God even likes them.

Teresa's Prayer Dilemma

In public, Teresa spoke eloquently of God doing the work in India; but at the end of her life, she wasn't sure that He ever approved of her being there in the first place (compare Teresa's anguish to the spirit of Paul's own end-of-life jubilance in 2Tim 4:6-8).

The poor woman was so unsure of the existence of a supreme being that she at one time wrote; "If there be God— please forgive me."

Anybody who begins a prayer with "if there be God" is clearly expressing their suspicion that there may not really be one out there; which is an attitude that no genuine believer would ever entertain. According to John the Baptist, believers know for sure that God exists; and that knowledge is not academic, no, it's a discovery.

● John 3:31 . .he has come from heaven. He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Those who believe him discover that God is real.

It's one thing to read God exists, and to be told God exists, and to believe God exists; but it's quite entirely another to discover that He's real. Lots of people will tell you they believe the Bible's God is real, but they have yet to discover that He's real. What John the Baptist was talking about is something akin to a close encounter of a third kind; which just goes to show that Teresa's interior imaginative locutions were not all that real. No, they were just what the word "imaginative" says: fantasies.

In reality, Teresa was an agnostic; which Webster's defines as: one who is non committed to believing in either the existence, or the nonexistence, of a supreme being. An agnostic can just forget about connecting with God via prayer.

● Jas 1:5-8 …If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That individual should not think he will receive anything from The Lord because he is vacillating and inconsistent in all he does.

Epilogue

When Steve Jobs expired in 2011, Apple fans the world over mourned his passing. But the reality is: they didn't mourn Jobs because relatively few people were ever close enough to him to know the kind of man he was. No, the world mourned the loss of an iconic image rather than a man. But even though the truth about Jobs' despicable personality is now widely known, people still admire him regardless because to despise Jobs is to despise the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod; and who in their right mind could possibly despise those devices and/or their inventor?

It's the same with Mother Teresa. Relatively few people were ever close enough to her to know the kind of woman she was. But even though the truth about Teresa's deplorable spiritual condition is now widely available, people still think she's the cat's meow among Christian missionaries due to her power over their minds as an iconic image.

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