Mother Teresa’s Humility
Do you remember Dory’s song in Finding Nemo? “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, what do we do we swim, swim, swim.” That is what was going through my head when I came up with the title of this post.
But instead of swimming, I use the word “smiling.”
I have been reading about Mother Teresa, trying to get to know her a little bit better. And there have been some quotes that have stuck with me that I have included at the bottom of this post. I saw all of these quotes in the book, Praying with Mother Teresa Prayers, Insights, and Wisdom of Saint Teresa of Calcutta by Susan Conroy.
When I first saw these quotes, I got frustrated. The last thing I want to do when I’m upset is not think about it and put on a smile. It’s not possible. Why should I hide my feelings and pretend that everything is okay?
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what she is telling us to do is not easy. She was a strong woman filled with humility. She had her own struggles, and just like Mary, she cast her struggles aside to help those in need, and she did it with a smile.
This is a lesson I am working on. When I get frustrated with my kids, or impatient about something, I just need to say a prayer, and move forward with a smile.
A smile is contagious. If I smile more around the people around me (my kids) then they will be more likely to smile too. And then the day might turn out to be better than if I had walked around annoyed.
Being a disciple of Christ is not supposed to be easy- otherwise everyone would be one (although that is what we hope for!). I am so inspired by the strength of all the saints and their endurance to get through the hard times and not just survive but thrive.
Mary’s Strength
I have especially been thinking about Mary’s strength recently. The other day Gabriel had a bad stomach ache and was not feeling well. He didn’t feel like playing outside or eating dinner. I hated seeing him in so much pain and not being able to help him.
Then I thought of how Mary must have felt seeing Jesus on the cross. How could she have the strength to stand there and watch as her Son was being put to death if I had a hard time seeing my son in pain from a stomach ache?
I want her strength. I want her humility. I know that Mother Teresa had a devotion to Our Lady and know that she must have played a part in giving Mother Teresa her strength to keep smiling during her “dark night”.
This is a goal of mine now. I want to be able to be the light for others who are suffering. I want to help lead others to God. And I’ll be trying to do that one smile at a time.
Mother Teresa’s quotes on Smiling
“Let us always meet each other with a smile…for a smile is the beginning of love.”
Mother Teresa
I think of Jesus and the love He had for His mother. I’m sure the first thing she did when she saw Him after he was born (and again after His resurrection) was smile at Him!
“Smile five times a day at someone you don’t really want to smile at- do it for peace.”
Mother Teresa
How many times have I been annoyed by my kids “Mama, Mommy, Mom, Moommyyy!” If i just smiled more, there would be less stressful moments, and more joy-filled moments. My negative reaction sets off more negative reactions from them. This is something I want to work on.
“Be the sunshine of God’s Love everywhere you go.”
Mother Teresa
This quote makes me think of my kids! Their innocence and pure joy of all the little things in life is such a reflection of God’s love. They are also my examples. I want to make sure that they can feel God’s love through me and through my actions. And lately, I feel as if I have been letting my bad mood and troubles get in the way of that. I want to do better for my kids. They are my reason for what I do. “Sunshine” is the word I associate with all of them because that is the song I sing to them every night.
“Be happy and make it a special point to become God’s sign of happiness in your community…Do not tell people of the hard life-just be happy with Christ.”
Mother Teresa
This is the quote that gave me a lot of trouble. How often do I complain about something? Just as joy is contagious, so is negativity.
*I am not saying that we should bottle all of our negative emotions in either- Mother Teresa had a spiritual advisor who she spoke to about her struggles! It’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up. It is actually very healthy to talk to someone about any struggles you may be going through.
But I think what she is talking about here is the importance to not let your struggles get in the way of continuing to spread God’s love.
A short Prayer for Humility, Strength and Joy
Mary, give us your strength and humility.
Mother Teresa, pray for us to fulfill all our tasks for the day with joy and with a smile. Help us to show God’s love to others.
Amen.
