One of the things I found most refreshing in talking to former First Baptist Church pastor Dr. Jim Denison last week, aside from his overall character and his genuine interest and concern in whatever the topic, was his grasping of Catholicism's many traditions and practices.
Dr. Denison, now pastor of teaching at Dallas' Park Cities Baptist Church, was able to cut through a lot of speculation and get directly to the root of one of the most important points of "Come Be My Light," the recently-published book of Mother Teresa's letters she wrote to her confessors during her lengthy crisis of faith.
Catholic sisters, nuns, or as they are often called in the church today, 'women religious," often refer to Christ as their spouse, in the same way it is said that a priest is married to the church. All a person need do to understand this concept is realize there is more than one definition of the word spouse, just as there are multiple definitions of the word marriage.
It is in that concept of Christ being Mother Teresa's spouse that it is easier to understand the pain that this incredible nun experienced in the gutters of Calcutta during her "long dark night."
Although the definition of spouse in this instance is different than it is when applied to man and woman, the pain that Mother Teresa felt for Christ's death is the same as a woman feels for her husband when he is ill. When I was hospitalized with heart problems, my wife took care and worried over me and sincerely and almost literally felt the same pain as did I. When I have a migraine, my wife hurts with me. Dr. Denison concurred, saying, "When my wife hurts, we are drawn closer than at any other time." Anyone with a good marriage is keenly aware of that kindred spirit when the soul or body is in turmoil.
"Part of the ministry of the Catholic Church is to pray and intercede and share others' sufferings," Dr. Denison said. "After struggling for years with spiritual darkness, one of her confessors suggested that her darkness was perhaps a way she could share the message of Christ. "
Mother Teresa pleaded with her confessors not to make public her private letters. It's likely, however, that she never regarded herself as an eventual saint. There is certainly a very valid argument to be made in favor of releasing her letters to further Mother Teresa's cause for sainthood, which was the very reason behind the releasing of the book.
Yet, the bigger reason for the book's release, despite Mother Teresa's wishes, is that those who edited it and read it saw in it the potential it has to change lives. Denison and other great contemporary Christian thinkers today say that "Come Be My Light" could one day be considered one of the most important spiritual books ever written.
And of Mother Teresa, should she one day reach the level of sainthood, there is much speculation that she will likely become a patron saint of doubt, or suffering, or maybe both; two characteristics that, by virtue of this book's publication, stand to grow in importance in understanding the complete picture of individual faith journeys.
Doubt is a part of a person's journey -- and maybe "Come Be My Light" will show that questioning God's existence is OK. As Dr. Denison pointed out in our last post, doubting the existence of God is done because you have faith not because you lack it. And it goes to further an individual's faith in God. It seldom diminishes it.
If you have real faith and question it, it returns, often even stronger. If you lack faith and then doubt what faith you do have, it likely doesn't return, because you may have never had it in the first place.
Should Mother Teresa achieve sainthood, Catholics would have a patron saint to intercede for them for suffering or when they experience doubts. Establishment of such an honor on those bases would be a wonderful and needed addition to the pantheon of worthy saints already honored.
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