Sept 2, 2010 Thursday: Novena mass for Mother Teresa (Day 8)
The following homily for the mass was given at St. Agnes for their Day 8 of novena of masses to Mother Teresa. FYI: Mother Teresa's Feast Day mass will be celebrated at St. Agnes Catholic Church (737 East Boulevard Baton Rouge, LA 70802) on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 10AM.
The theme of Day 8 of the novena to Mother Teresa is Jesus Made Himself the Bread of Life and the Hungry One. Mother Teresa said, “Believe that He, Jesus, is in the appearance of Bread and that He, Jesus, is in the hungry, naked, sick, lonely, unloved, homeless, helpless and hopeless.”
So today we ask for the grace of a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor. While Our Lord is the King of Kings and we are the lowest of sinners, Our Lord bows Himself down to us, who are unable and unworthy to look up to Him. He comes to us, desiring to be with us and to invite us to His Feast. How great must be His desire to give us heavenly food to eat--the Bread of Angels--by coming down from heaven and giving life to the world! What a great love that He hides behind the appearance of bread! And what a great love that He hides behind the appearance of a poor person!
Mother Teresa writes in her Varanasi Letter to her sisters, priests, and co-workers to this great mystery.
Jesus wants me to tell you again... how much love He has for each one of you – beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus – one to one – you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel – but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus – not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying, "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person – not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say, "I love you" – impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead – meditation only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him – speaking in the silence of your heart.
In order to see Jesus in the distressed disguise of the poor, Mother Teresa urges us to see and hear Jesus say to us in our silent and intense prayer, "I thirst for your love."
