Mother Teresa's Pentecost Challenge

Just yesterday, we received the Holy Spirit in a truly powerful way, the same Spirit received by the Apostles so many years ago. Among the gifts received is the gift of knowledge, the ability to see created things in the light of God.

Mother Teresa was master of seeing her brothers and sisters as they truly are: as having been made in the image and likeness of God Himself. She took Jesus at His word in Mt. 25:40 when He said, “You did it to Me.”

The gift of knowledge is associated with the virtue of hope, which springs up naturally when we consider that the next human interaction we have is another chance to tend to the hungry, thirsting Jesus hidden in that person.

This Pentecost we might consider taking up Mother Teresa’s challenge of reinforcing this knowledge at home, encouraging our families to see and care for Jesus in each other and then in our communities as we help those flames of love fan out and spread.

“Remember, what we do for each other satiates the thirst of Jesus. Where is Jesus? We know He is there in the tabernacle, but we can’t embrace Him there, we can’t kiss Him there. How do we show our love for Jesus? By what we do for our sisters and the poor! It is clear. We don’t need many books. Look at the Cross. Look at the tabernacle." -Mother Teresa,Where There is Love, There is God, p. 171