Mother Teresa and the Three Paths of Prayer

Our radio show this week celebrated Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and centered on the 3 traditional paths of prayer in the Catholic Church (the Purgative Way, the Illuminative Way, and the Unitive Way). Below you'll find some resources:

ON MOTHER TERESA, PRAYERS, THOUGHTS, AND MORE
americancatholic.org

ON THE EARLY YEARS OF MOTHER TERESA
ewtn.org

ON THE PATHS OF PRAYER
The song we played for the Purgative Way was Welcome Home by Shaun Groves

The song for the Illuminative Way was If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens

The song for the Unitive Way was All Things New by Watermark

MISSION MOMENT
Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately it is not fashionable to talk with them….. The poor are Christ Himself.
- Mother Teresa


MOTHER TERESA'S DAILY PRAYER
DEAR JESUS, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others.


MOTHER TERESA'S LAST PRAYER

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 never 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. Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes - to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely the opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more - He longs for you. He misses you when you don't come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don't feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes - He is the One Who always accepts you. Only believe - you are precious to Him.

Bring all you are suffering to His feet-only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are.
He will do the rest.

- MOTHER TERESA, 1910-1997