Product Description
"We can do no great things, only small things with great love." Before her death in 1997 Mother Teresa of Calcutta had come to embody for people of all nations and faiths the very definition of holiness. This selection of her writings highlights the essence of her spiritual message, of Christian love and service to the poor--which is not only a path of faithful discipleship but the way to human happiness and fulfillment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderfully Inspirational
What a treasure!The words and prayers of the famous Mother Teresa are a gift to us from this wonderful person.She truly has a Kingdom perspective.Whenever you need a little encouragement, the words from these pages will lift your spirits.They would be excellent for meditation as well as more casual use.I highly recommend you add this to your collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, feted by politicians, the Church and the world's media, Mother Teresa of Calcutta appears to be on the fast track to sainthood. But what, asks Christopher Hitchens, makes Mother Teresa so divine? In a frank expose of the Teresa cult, Hitchens details the nature and limits of one woman's mission to the world's poor. He probes the source of the heroic status bestowed upon an Albanian nun whose only declared wish is to serve God. He asks whether Mother Teresa's good works answer any higher purpose than the need of the world's privileged to see someone, somewhere, doing something for the Third World. He unmasks pseudo-miracles, questions Mother Teresa's fitness to adjudicate on matters of sex and reproduction, and reports on a version of saintly ubiquity which affords genial relations with dictators, corrupt tycoons and convicted frauds.Amazon.com Review
What's next--The Girl Scouts: The Untold Story? Howcould anybody write a debunking book about Mother Teresa and herMissionaries of Charity order? Well, in this little cruise missile ofa book, Hitchens quickly establishes that the idea is not withoutpoint. After all, what is Mother Teresa doing hanging out with adictator's wife in Haiti and accepting over a million dollars fromCharles Keating? The most riveting material in the book is containedin two letters: one from Mother Teresa to Judge Lance Ito--thenweighing what sentence to dole out to the convicted Keating--whichcited all the work Keating has done "to help the poor," and anotherfrom a Los Angeles deputy D.A., Paul Turley, back to Mother Teresathat eloquently stated that rather than working to reduce Keating'ssentence, she should return the money he gave her to its rightfulowners, the defrauded bond-holders. (Significantly, Mother Teresanever replied.) And why do former missionary workers and visitingdoctors consistently observe that the order's medical practices seemso inadequate, especially given all the money that comes in? (Hitchensacidly observes that on the other hand, Mother Teresa herself alwaysmanages to receive world-class medical care.)Hitchens's answer isthat Mother Teresa is first and foremost interested not in providingmedical treatment, but in furthering Catholic doctrine and--quiteliterally--becoming a saint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (152)

Hitchens does it again
Yes, much of the material Hitchens provides for the reader is already known. However, more isn't. To collect all of the terrible things Mother Teresa did to the people under her care in one book, is a service to those who blindly believe her lay canonization by the press, magazines, and other news media. There were some things which infuriated me about her more than others: her refusal to help those in excruciating pain; her second- to third-rate care while seeking out first-rate care for herself, and her acceptance of the accolades which were thrown her way. This was not a humble woman.

Hitchens' research does a service to everyone who really works to help the "least of these." Saints do not always have good public relations machines, or at least, not as good as hers. They don't want them; they want only to serve. Thank God for them.

Read Carlos Flauta's excellent review. He says it much more cogently than I, for which I'm grateful. Then buy this book as well as his one on Henry Kissinger. He's trying to break up myths, for which we ALL should be grateful.

Important Subject, Mishandled
Missionary Position / 978-1-85984-054-2

In the introduction to this book, the author preempts critics by asking the question "Is nothing sacred?" and answering, simply, "No". This is a good attitude when writing biographies and exposes, particularly ones of such powerful, influential, and traditionally immune from criticism as Mother Teresa.

Unfortunately, at less than 100 pages and with a title that seems largely designed to provoke juvenile giggles than thoughtful reflection, "The Missionary Position" largely fails to deliver on its premise of serving as a scathing expose of Mother Teresa and, frankly, seems more like a paean to the wit and wisdom of the author than anything else.

Which is a shame, because there's a lot of good information in here that deserves to be expanded upon. Hitchens points out the hypocrisy of hobnobbing and (implicitly or explicitly) lending the power of one's name to the corrupt and evil, even in the name of a good cause - and this is a very powerful question for debate. But amongst the criminals and dictators who can claim Mother Teresa's proximity in various photo shoots, Hitchens cannot help but take time to single out Hillary Clinton as equally unworthy of the dubious honor, due to her having "almost single-handedly destroyed a coalition on national health care that had taken a quarter of a century to build and mature." Moments like these stand out as very "Cowboy Bebop at his computer" (if I may indulge in a TV Trope), because I'm not sure how to convey to Hitchens that reality was more complicated than that, and these outbursts make me doubt the veracity of the rest of the book - more's the pity.

Each chapter is a little vignette of another type of questionable actions on the part of Mother Teresa - blunders with birth control, taking (and failing to return) stolen money, supporting corrupt politicians, exonerating businesses at fault for lost lives and property, refusal to use analgesics or pain-reducing medicine, secret (and unwilling) baptism of dying Hindus and Muslims, written appeals for clemency for criminal supporters - but each chapter feels like a short, crammed outline - imagine the 6 subjects I just listed (and more I didn't list) crammed into less than 100 pages, and you can do the math to see how exhaustively researched and documented this book isn't. Several of the space is, for that matter, devoted to basically complaining that the book wasn't already written by time Hitchens came along, pen in hand - a valid complaint for consideration, but like so many of Hitchens' digressions, it just ends up taking valuable space.

If this book was a little longer, a little better organized, a little more exhaustive, and a little more clear on who the actual subject is (Mother Teresa or the author? - sometimes it's difficult to tell), then I would consider it worth owning in my library. As it is, the documentation is so spotty and each subject is treated so shallowly, that I'm not even sure it's worthwhile as a reference - the poor presentation diminishes the excellent intent.

~ Ana Mardoll

Eye-opening and overdue
This slim (98 pages) book by Christopher Hitchens is a major exposé revealing Mother Teresa as just another fundamentalist evangelist purporting to help the poor while raking in thousands upon thousands of dollars--very little of which actually goes to improving the plight of the poor and instead goes toward spreading her own version of Christianity. According to Hitchens, by her own admission, Mother Teresa is "a religious fundamentalist, a political operative, a primitive sermonizer and an accomplice of worldly, secular powers" (p. 11). Hitchens supports his analysis with documentation--first-hand accounts by those who have worked in Mother Teresa's sanctuaries, photographic evidence of her support for political dictators like Duvalier, and Mother Teresa's very own letter to Judge Lance Ito asking for mercy on behalf of the accused fraud and embezzler Charles Keating, from whom she received 1.5 million dollars in donations--every penny of which she kept even after the DA in the case against Keating wrote her a letter explaining the dishonest way in which those funds were raised. Furthermore, those who were indignant about Obama's being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize ought to examine the circumstances surrounding Mother Teresa's receipt of the award in 1979.Hitchens has endured great criticism for taking on such a sacred cow as Mother Teresa and showing what a fraud she actually was. His own words explain his reasons better than any apologist ever could: "[Mother Teresa] herself purposely blurred the supposed distinction between the sacred and the profane, to say nothing of the line that separates the sublime from the ridiculous. It is past time that she was subjected to the rational critique that she evaded so arrogantly and for so long" (p. 98).

she opened 500 convents in more than a hundred countries,
" Frankly, if a sick man died with dignity in her home having technically become a Catholic, it is infinitely preferable to his dying a non-Catholic
in the gutters of Calcutta. "

Permission to speak freely is not allowed in Roman Catholic circles...THEY MAY GIVE LIP SERVICE TO THE POWER OF PERSONAL CONSCIENCE IN MAKING DECISION, BUT POINT OUT IF YOU CHOOSE SOMETHING OTHER THAN CHURCH DOGMA DEFINES...YOUR CONSCIENCE IF NOT FORMED CORRECTLY...IT IS A CATCH 22...and the peer pressure to confirm and parrot worn out dogma is enormous.
I am glad someone has the courage to speak out...if God can use Baalam's ass to speak, catholics should quit looking at the source of the criticism and examine the message and come down from their high self righteous horse-FOR ONCE.
I don't hold out much hope for that in the light of the bishop Olmstead fiasco where a dead mother and fetus is more pleasing in the sight of God than a living mother and wife.
More proof that THE BISHOPS LOVE YOU UNTIL YOU'RE BORN AND THEN ALL BETS OFF...then you are only an object, a means to an end...

In a way Mother Theresa was a victim of the cult...but then again she had free will and like the bishops who clam ignorance at the scope of the pedophile scandal, you have to wonder where in the heck is common sense...

This expose is SUPERB !
And it is vitally-needed. All authentic spirituality begins with humility. Teresa had virtually none. Was she at least a marginal, even if deeply-flawed, humanitarian ? Doubtful, at best. Moreover, the Vatican has a penchant for celebrating egregious imposters and apostates. Even murderers and their accomplices. Torquemada. The builder of California missions, Junipero Serra, who roasted non-compliant indigenes over slow fires. Popes Pius XI and XII as Nazi collaborators. Also...John Paul II who turned his back on Polish Holocaust victims when he was a priest. Benedict XVI (aka Joe Ratzinger) was a ardent Hitler Youth member. And then, there is Bernard Cardinal Law, a champion of priest-sodomists, now holding a post of high prestige in Rome. Thanks, Mr. Hitchens. You have added fuel to the funeral pyre of a grossly-fallen institution. With worse yet to come (as per the Prophecies of St. Nilus of Ancyra). ... Read more

Product Description
This little book tells the story of one of the best-known women of the twentieth century: Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This is a story of her dramatic but in many ways simple life, her work, and the religious order she founded.The story is accompanied by photographs of her life and work and illuminated by a selection of her best quotes. ... Read more

Product Description
The life of Mother Teresa and the work of her Missionaries of Charity have inspired millions. This intimate portrait, drawn by a woman who worked with Mother Teresa and was encouraged to write about the experience, uses primary sources and personal anecdotes to bring the real Mother Teresa to vivid life. Author: Maryanne RaphaelFormat: 206 pages, PaperbackPublisher: Saint Anthony Messenger Press (September 15, 2007) ISBN: 978-0867168105 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Highly readable story
This excellent book was conceived in 1979 when Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time Maryanne Raphael was teaching high school social studies classes about India. Her students were so interested in "Mother" that Raphael decided to write a book about her for young people. Over the next few years, Raphael conducted extensive research, shifted to writing for adult audiences, and joined the Coworkers, an international group of lay people officially connected to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.

As she became more deeply involved, Raphael worked alongside the Missionaries of Charity and Mother Teresa, who gave her blessing to the book project. The result is a highly readable story based on memories and anecdotes from those who knew Mother Teresa throughout her life. The first part is devoted to Mother's theology, philosophy, and devotion to Jesus as he is found in the poor. It includes her answer to critics, her abject fear of speaking in public, and her sense of humor. The second part describes Raphael's mission as a Coworker, which began in her home parish. The author and other volunteers found the same kind of miracles while serving the poor in the Midwestern U.S. as Mother and her Missionaries of Charity witnessed around the globe. They are based on the many things Mother Teresa has taught all of us, such as:

* You can find Calcutta all over the world if you have eyes to see. Begin in your own home, your own neighborhood.
* The first thing to do in an emergency is pray.
* The poor have enough sorrow. We must bring them joy.
* Never worry about money. God gives us enough money for anything he wants us to do.
* We don't have to feel the emotion of love to live it.
* See your would-be enemy as Jesus in his most distressing disguise.
* A smile is the beginning of peace.

Quality Work
I found this book so interesting. The author had worked with Mother Teresa & knew some of her co-workers so she had great insight. It is written in such an easy going manner & I learned so much about Mother Teresa & her works & life. After telling about Mother Teresa'slife,she then tells the things she learned from knowing her. It changed her life for the better. ... Read more

Product Description
The release date for this newly published book is October 24.Amazon.com Review
"Stay very close to Our Lady. If you do this, you can do great things for God and the good of people." --Mother Teresa of Calcutta

As it was for Mother Teresa, so it can be for the rest of us. By standing close to Our Lady we can find the grace and courage to overcome our own personal trials and crosses. Summon the same powerful presence and aid of Our Lady by following the example of Mother Teresa. From dawn to dusk, decade to decade, Mother Teresa's life had been spent, in every sense of the word, in the shadow of Our Lady. Our Lady helps us, as Mother Teresa found in her vision, to become contemplatives at the foot of the cross--to discover God's presence and love, even in the midst of our trials and dark nights. Nothing was impossible for Mother Teresa while she clung to Our Lady, and as Mother Teresa tells us, "nothing is impossible for all who call Mary mother."

"Sitting with Mother Teresa, watching her tend to the sick and the dying, feeling the aura of holiness around her person, seeing her bent in prayer, lost in God--how often I asked myself if I was not seeing something of Our Lady, experiencing a glimpse of the Virgin of Nazareth" –-Author and co-founder of Mother Teresa's priests' community, Joseph Langford, MC

Joseph Langford, MC began his long association with Mother Teresa while studying theology in Rome. In 1983, she invited him to be the co-founder of her priests' community, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. He resides at the community's mother house in Tijuana, Mexico.


Amazon.com Exclusive

I remember Mother Teresa's passing as if it was yesterday. The crowds of Calcutta's grieving poor, pressing ahead, with tributes of stray flowers clutched to their hearts, hoping to get a glimpse of their saint, as she lie in state in St. Thomas' Church. The media everywhere; snapping photos, lining up interviews, and hefting video cameras from place to place in the drenching heat. A who's-Who of the U.N. lining up to lay garlands before the bier at her state funeral. And finally, closed away from the crowds and cameras, the family she founded huddled around her grave, as we lowered her into the vault, and cast handfuls of sand from a plastic bucket onto her casket as she disappeared from view for the last time.

In the days surrounding her funeral, those who had known Mother Teresa closely mingled with those who had known her only from afar; sharing their common sorrow, but also their stories. Stories of meeting Mother Teresa for the first time; things she said and did; how she had touched them and marked their lives. Among the reminiscences were the kudos of gratitude you would expect to hear, there was one that took me aback--not out of disagreement, but out of wonder that these simple people, many of whom did not share her faith, could have been so perceptive. Time and again they remarked that Mother Teresa had reminded them of Mary, the mother of Jesus; that they had felt a presence, some special anointing of tenderness and goodness, that brought to mind the Virgin of Nazareth. They didn’t understand how or why, but they knew they felt it, and they were still touched by it.

For those who had known Mother Teresa well, this would only confirm what they knew, what they had long observed in her and admired--a deep and even intimate relationship with Mary, solid not sentimental, lived in the realm of spirit but without fanfare, in the midst of the simplest daily duties, as she bathed the dying and fed the hungry. Things that surely the mother of Christ would have done right along side her.

The heights of the spirit, scaled from the bottom of a teacup, from the wound of a leper, from a plate of rice. This was the legacy Mother Teresa received from Mary, and was formed in, living day after day in this hidden school of God's goodness going on between the two of them in her heart. With this little volume, In the Shadow of Our Lady, I wanted to share some of that hidden intimacy with a larger public—and not just as a way of understanding the courage and commitment she showed at standing at today’s Calvaries, as did Mary, but as an invitation and a primer for the reader to share in that gift Jesus left us in saying, "Disciple, Behold your Mother."

--Joseph Langford, MC, co-founder of Mother Teresa's priestly order ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

a lesson on grace from Mother Teresa
I loved this book!We can all learn from Mother Teresa that all people should be treated with dignity and respect, care and love.To do this one person at a time will change the world.We can not all do great things but to dolittle things with great love.

I read it over and over
I take this book often to Adoration and read it over and over.Each time I find something new and meaningful.It was wonderful to develop your devotion to the Blessed Mother.

Blessed Mother Teresa and Mary
Father Langford has given the world a wonderful "little" book that is big on revealing the intimate relationship that sustained Mother Teresa in her daily walk with Jesus and the poor.The Blessed Mother was not only her Mother but her constant companion, confidant, consoler and guide.With clear and simple faith, Blessed Mother Teresa shows us the quickest and shortest way to Jesus Christ - the Blessed Mother.

Inspirational
This is the first book by this author I have read.A very well written book by a close friend of Mother Teresa who appointed the author to head up the Missionaries of Charity Fathers.Joseph Langford came to know Mother Teresa intimately since their first encounter in the early 1980's.What he presents in this book is the overwhelming influence the Blessed Virgin Mary had in the formation of Mother Teresa's spiritual life and in her daily work to bring the love and joy of Christ to the poorest of the poor.Mother Teresa modeled her discipleship and her contemplative prayer life after the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary as proclaimed in the Gospels.

I highly recommend this book to all who desire to know more about the spiritual and prayer life of Mother Teresa and her intimate, life-long devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Bright Side of Mother Teresa's Shadow Side
Blessed Mother Teresa reminds me of a diamond. This multi-faceted saint shows a new side of herself each time her life is examined by a biographer.A recent publication of her confessions brought to light the darkness that she faced each day. Some questioned her faith and her possible sainthood. Joseph Langford, MC, allows us a peak through his jeweler's loupe as he scrutinizes Mother Teresa. He places this "dark night" in a new setting. His book, Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady, illuminates the beautiful relationship Teresa had with the Blessed Mother, "the woman clothed with the sun."

An acquaintance for 30 years, Langford was invited to be the co-founder of her priests' community, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. He recalls that "It was over many years, through love and labor, that she [Teresa] was forged by a divine process into an embodiment of Mary in our midst."

The book is tiny, and as Mother Teresa proved, you don't have to be big to make an impact. Ultimately, this book is a call to bring Mary back into our lives as a daily presence just as Mother Teresa did. Langford says of Teresa, she "became for me the one book on Our Lady that I could never put down, one that continues to teach me, to fascinate me, to draw me beyond myself into God."

Langford explains the foreshadowing of Our Lady in the Old Testament. He gives us easy access to Mary, portrayed as Wisdom, by providing passages in his book. No excuses for procrastination allowed. His suggestion is that we "listen to her - to give her the chance to speak in our soul and to guide us, to become our `life coach' as she did for Juan Diego and for Mother Teresa."

Mother Teresa felt a deep connection to Juan Diego. Langford reminds us both of them were very simple, ordinary people. According to him, they possessed four "important attitudes of soul necessary for Our Lady to intervene in our lives." These are humility, trust, humble obedience, and contemplation. Mary calls us all to be saints. He says we must turn to her for help and allow her Son's precise hands to make the cuts necessary to bring out our clarity and brilliance. We are all diamonds in the rough with the potential of a Mother Teresa.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Enlightening and Disturbing
The only book that presents the true story of Mother Teresa.
It is shocking and provocative.

Disappointment
I'd hoped to find a balanced, no-nonsense look at the life of Mother Theresa, but this wasn't it.After some 200 pages, my attempts to shake off growing annoyance at the author's cynicism and derision faltered.While I was open to the possibility that Mother Theresa might have had the same human frailties that we all share, I was disappointed that the author couldn't just accept that and move on.Instead, he seems to revel in gleefully attributing the most profane and egotistical motives to the reverend Mother's actions and words, but only rarely supplies any evidence to support his speculations.It seems at times that he is truly perplexed at the subject's motives, and thus failing to understand them, he merely constructs what he thinks should have been the rational approach.In the end, I don't really care what Paul Williams thinks of Mother Theresa...I want to know objective facts. I'll be more than happy to come to my own conclusions. ... Read more

Product Description
A moving first-hand account of Mother Teresa and her work, written by someone who worked by her side. As an idealistic young volunteer, author Susan Conroy spent a summer serving in one of Mother Teresa's orphanages and in the Home for the Dying. "In a city where I found hell on earth," she says, "I also found each day a deep sense of peace and incredible happiness."

It was an experience that changed her life forever. She learned why Mother Teresa had found real joy in working with the poorest of the poor. Along the way, she took striking photographs that have never been seen before now - photographs that show Mother Teresa at her everyday best. This is an account you won't soon forget, told with simple and loving directness by an eyewitness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Radiating story
Author Susan Conroy tells the uplifting and beautiful journey of her life as it intersects with Mother Theresa's in Calcutta and around the world. A spiritual must for us all!

Books
I thought that this was sent in a good amount of time and it was in very great shape.It looked like new and although I haven't read it yet I'm sure its going to be great!

Compelling, Inspring, and Genuine
What moved me most about this novel is the genuine change of heart that transformed the author's view of the world.Mother Teresa was powerful in word but moreso in deed.First hand experience with Mother, at age 21, is not a claim many can make and the lasting influence of these experiences and the life lessons resulting are inspiring and real.This is an excellent novel which should have a genuine, positive influence on the hearts of any open minded reader.

this book is just more fluff for the brainwashed
I read this book while waiting for a train one afternoon. It's absolute nonsense.If anyone is really interested in understanding who Mother Theresa was and what she really cared about, I suggest reading Christopher Hitchens, The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice.

Deep Insight into Mother Teresa
I met Susan Conroy in Fall River MA where she came to present her book and experiences with Mother Teresa. The joyful and inspirational Susan amazed me with her patience as crowds surrounded her, looking for her to write a special message in their copy of her book. Susan reminded me of a recent guest on the Oprah Winfrey show, Maria Shriver, another joyful and inspirational woman. This book captures Susan's joy and inspiration, and the Mother Teresa experiences that have helped mold Susan's life. This book is a MUST for Mother Teresa fans. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a brief look at the life of Mother Theresa ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book for a 5 year old
I picked up a few Biographies to read to my daughter who is 5 years old. I purchased Rookie & DK. Both are excellent. However, the DK is for older kids. Rookie biography has big pictures & simple words for a 5 year old to read. This is her favorite book. She knows all about Mother Teresa now & is inquisitive to find out more. I would highly recommend this autobiography series.

A Great Introduction to Mother Teresa for Young Readers
I originally purchased this book for a school report my daughter was writing on "a famous woman".However, I think I enjoyed the book just as much as she did.The book uses simple language and short sentences, making it accessible to young audiences.However, it also contains tremendous detail about Mother Teresa's early life and inspiration for the great works she later became famous for.

The only thing I would criticize about this book is that the binding is a little flimsy.However, for the price, I still think it is an excellent value. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (135)

Penetrating!!
Blessed Mother Teresa is revealed in this biography as a woman deeply devoted to serving her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by responding to His call to care for the poorest of the poor.Once she received the "call within a call" from the crucified, thirsting Jesus, she was smitten by Him.Her every action from that moment forward became her response of total surrender to serving and pleasing the Lord Jesus among the poorest of the poor.I highly recommend this penetrating biography to anyone who wants to know what it is like to be totally united in love and service to Our Lord and God.

Life giving love
This book is a window to the soul of a beautiful woman in love with the Lord.What a blessing!!!

Too much editorializing
I did not enjoy this book, and it is not a balanced view of Mother Teresa.The author of the book has some opinions about the spiritual life and uses a selection of Mother Teresa's writings to make his point.In essence, he uses Mother Teresa's biography to demonstrate his views. This is disappointing.

The writings he uses beg to be reconciled in a consistent way with the rest of Mother Teresa's life and sayings.Joy and peace were radiated by Mother Teresa, but this book would make all of that seem like a grim "faking it" instead of authentic.I like having access to these previous withheld writings, but I did not like the way the author handled or analyzed the writings.The book is much more about his analysis than the writings of Mother Teresa.It would have been better to bind her writings without the analysis.

Insight
Excellent book.Easy to read.Gives insight into Mother Teresa's dark night of the soul.Very uplifting.Encouraging to any of us who "walk in the dark".

Astonishing
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was famed for her lovely sweet smile and dogged persistence in her lonvg service to the poorest of the poor and advocacy for all the defenseless. Until the publications of these searing, most private letters to her spiritual director no one knew how deeply she shared -as she prayed at the outset of her great work- the utter abandonment of the poor, the sick, and the dying, abandoned even by the slightest perception of God's loving presence. This book shows her to be a MUCH GREATER saint than one ever imagined, not just an outstanding idealist and effective do-gooder, but a person to whom had been given a supreme gift... the gift of absolute Divine Absence. Writers and mystics describe and discuss the Apophatic way as if it is something which is beautiful, poetic, lovely. Mother Teresa in her letters to her spiritual director showed that it is a burning fire and a crucifixion which is beautiful only to the onlooker. Luckily, we have the opportunity to share in the deepest experience of a supreme mystic through the words of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Mother Teresa tells of the simple joy of following Jesus and surrendering fully to him. Her life of radi-cal poverty and wholehearted dedication to the poorest of the poor forms the heart of this inspiring surrender to God and those most in need. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Total Surrender
This is a fabulous book.I re-read it continually because I find that her messages are so powerful.

Another look
As always a simple to the point look at how Mother Teresa related to Our Lord. A great book.

Total Surrender
An inspiring collection of the words and thoughts of a modern saint, beautifully presented in this edition.

You only getting more God if you go the way by yourself
What can you possibly say about such a book?
Maybe the interesting thing is that it is really a book with a specific message. What i mean with this is after reading some other books seeing Biography etc. I expected somehow the "same stuff" just presented slightly diffrently. Yet the concepts are not that much which you can present on the topic of love,Devotionj etc.this book shoots direct to the core of it. Sometime i felt that there is not one single sentence in this book which would be too much!


If you are intrested in surrender your life to God no matter from which path you came this book will be of such an assistance to you! This book is beyond religion and contains 110% Devotion and Love. Here some excerpts and comments in general:





Total surrender consits in giving ourselves completely to God
Why must we give ourselves fully to God?
Because God has given himself to us.
If God, who owes nothing to us
is ready to impart to us no less than himself,
shall we answer with just a fraction of ourselves?
To give ourselves fully to God is a means of receiving God himself.
I live for God and give up my own self
and in this way induce God to live for me.
Therefore, to possess God, we must allow him to possesss our souls.
How poor we would be if God hat not given us the power of giving ourselves to him.
How rich we are now!
How easy it is to conquer God!
We give ourselves to God;
then God is ours,
and there can nothing more ours than God.
The money with which God repays our surrender is
himself.




"Total surrender probes beyond the popular image of Mother Teresa to the very heart of her spiritual life and vision. In her won words, Mother Teresa tells of the simple joy of following Jesus and surrendering fully to him. Her life of radical poverty and wholehearted dedication to the poorest of the poor forms the heart of this inspiring surrender to God and those most in need.
It is part of the genius of Mother Teresa that she finds way




"The sisters must be consumed eith one desire: Jesus.
Speak of no one but him crucified
We must not be afraid to do the things he did
to go fearlessly through death and danger
with him and for him



The missionary must die daily, if she wants to bring souls to God
She must be ready to pay the price he paid for souls
wo walk in the way he walked


Put your heart into being a bright light
"Help me to shed thy fragrance everywhere I go"
Let the poor, seeing you, be drawn to Christ.
Poverty makes people very bitter
and they speak and act without realizing what they do.
But do they remember Christ when they see you
- even if they get angry-
because you remind them of Christ?
Draw them to God but never, never to yourself.
If you are not drawing them to God,
then are are seeking yourself
and people love you for yourself
and not because you remind them of Christ.

"...be able to give all to Jesus"

"I'm just the pencil and God does the writing"
I always wanted to serve the poor - purely for the love of God

We must be able to radiate the joy of Christ

They (the poor) have been unwanted all their life - We want them make feel that at the end somebody loves them and somebody cares for them

They have lifed life like animals but they die like angels




Our greatest love goes out to the oorest of the poor


Jesus said very clearly: "Whatever you do to the least of me that you are doing to me"


"She loved people no matter what" Sir Cliff Richard

Words of Wisdom from a very Wise Woman
While this book is basically just a collection of previously releasedworks, Anything Mother Teresa has to say is worth an additonal read.Itgives some insight into a remarkable human being. ... Read more

Product Description
Admired by the world for her altruistic efforts on behalf of the sick and poor of India, the late Albanian-born nun became a legend in her own lifetime. Created before her death, this pictorial biography both enlightens and inspires as it sheds light on Mother Teresa's beginnings and illuminates the selfless and remarkable work that earned her a Nobel prize. Full-color and b&w photos . ... Read more

Product Description
"Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are. . . . You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see." --Mother Teresa

Lifelong educator Mary Poplin, after experiencing a newfound awakening to faith, sent a letter to Calcutta asking if she could visit Mother Teresa and volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. She received a response saying, "You are welcome to share in our works of love for the poorest of the poor." So in the spring of 1996, Poplin spent two months in Calcutta as a volunteer. There she observed Mother Teresa's life of work and service to the poor, participating in the community's commitments to simplicity and mercy. Mother Teresa's unabashedly religious work stands in countercultural contrast to the limitations of our secular age.

Poplin's journey gives us an inside glimpse into one of the most influential lives of the twentieth century and the lessons Mother Teresa continues to offer. Upon Poplin's return, she soon discovered that God was calling her to serve the university world with the same kind of holistic service with which Mother Teresa served Calcutta.

Not everyone can go to Calcutta. But all of us can find our own meaningful work and service. Come and answer the call to find your Calcutta! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great book for a deeper intimacy with God
I would highly recommend this book for people who want to grow in their walk with God. It presents important principles for living by faith told as a first-hand testimony of a relatively new believer. The author lived much of her life discounting the reality of Jesus and Christianity. She saw it only as a religious creation of humankind. In Finding Calcutta, she shows how faith and religious practice are to complement one another as she learns from one of the most sincere and transparent disciples of our generation - Mother Teresa.

Easy but insightful read
This book is a quick read of short vignettes covering Mary Poplin's religious observations about the three months she spent volunteering with Mother Theresa.

One of her central arguments is that you cannot understand Mother Theresa outside of her Christian component and she makes an interesting case for how secular views of the world have trouble coming to terms with Mother Theresa.

The chapters themselves a quick stories of her observations and are easy to read and decently insightful. This is a good book that I would recommend to anyone looking to get religious insight into Mother Theresa.

Fantastic Book!
Mary Poplin went to Calcutta to work with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity.This is her story of what she learned while there.It is an excellent introduction into the life and spiritual insight of Mother Teresa.The book is well written and conducive to a small group study if one uses the questions in the back of the book.

She would probably hate me saying this, but Mary Poplin is one of my heroes.She was a radical feminist who comes to faith in Jesus and is radically changed.She has a winsome and beautiful personality that comes through clearly in her personal testimony[...]

Soul food
I'm so grateful I purchased this book. Although it is a "can't put it down" book and could be read in two or three evenings, I deliberately read it slowly in order to savor the message of each chapter. One particular chapter (chapter 15), spoke to me very deeply and still haunts me. The author has helped me to see Calcutta right where I am, even within myself. This book is truly food for the soul.

Outstanding, prayerful insights for contemplating service
I found this book extremely valuable for the inspiring (and challenging) real-life picture it offered of what a life of service in Christ can be.Poplin's transparency in her own journey allows you to walk along with her in humble astonishment at God's work through Mother Teresa and the sisters, and through Poplin herself as she opens her life to God's shaping hand.I've already given copies of this book to about 7 different female friends who are in the medical field, in ministry, teaching, or just at home with children, and several of them have not only told me in raving terms how much they are enjoying it but that they've already recommended it to friends themselves.For Christians in academia, Poplin's appendix suggesting a new vision for the university will also be of special interest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mother Teresa's Life for Children
The author recounts the stories of Mother Teresa in ways that reveal her love and tenderness toward the least and the last.Wonderful way to introduce children to someone who truly lived a holy life in our own time.

Beautiful anthology
The stories are short (a spread at the most), simple and heartwarming - The Runaway tells of a boy who keeps sneaking out of a comfortable childrens' home to be with his destitute mother, Professor of Love describes the effect a disabled child has on his family, The Courage to Give is the story of a poor family of eight who share what little rice they had with the next-door neighbors. . .
The book also shows the influence of St. Francis of Assisi on Mother Teresa - this book is probably best read together with any good children's book on St. Francis - Saint Francis by Brian Wildsmith, Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts by Margaret Hodges, or Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie de Paola.

A remarkable testament and highly recommended reading.
Mother Teresa Of Calcutta always taught about kindness and love as sheworked in the slums or met with the famous and influential of the world.This inspiring anthology of her simple, profound, thought-provoking stories(compiled by Edward Le Joly and Jaya Chaliha) is simply, beautifully,appropriately illustrated with watercolors by Allan Drummond. The storiesinclude the one of the mother who shared her last grains of rice with thefamily next door; the children who gave up their prize money to help theorphanage in Calcutta; and many others illustrating Mother Teresa'sheartfelt and unwavering belief that even the smallest acts of kindnessmake the world a better place for everyone. Stories Told By Mother Teresais a remarkable testament of a remarkable woman and enthusiasticallyrecommended reading for children of all ages (and their parents!). ... Read more

Product Description
Introduction by Rick Warren

"A handwritten note from Mother Teresa hangs on my office wall.It says, 'Be holy because the God who created you is holy and he loves you.'Mother Teresa didn't just believe those words; she incarnated them . . .

By the time she wrote the note I've framed on my wall, leaders from around the world would listen to Mother Teresa. Why?I call it the Mother Teresa principle: The more you care about the powerless, the more power you have. The more you serve those with no influence, the more influence God gives you. The more you humble yourself, the more you're honored by others.This is the great lesson I hope you'll learn from this book.

Jesus said it this way, in Mark 8:35: "If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live."

Don't just read this book. Let it change the direction of your life. Let it cause you to investigate the One who so transformed Mother Teresa that she was able to walk away from everything we spend our lives trying to attain.Discover her motivation, her method, but most of all, her Master.

On this 100th anniversary of her birth, I leave you with my favorite Mother Teresa quote: 'God doesn't ask us to do great things. He asks us to do small things with great love.' Find a place to do that today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Time Mother Teresa:
The book was very well done.
Pictures were excellent - true to time magazine's charteristics.
Well worth the time and money a great keepsake of Mother Teresa.
Thank You time magazine

Great collection piece ... Interesting account of Mother Teresa's life
I found this book to be a wonderful way to capture an insider's thoughts to Mother Teresa's life as it is told by several people who knew her. It also includes correspondence by Mother Teresa herself. There are many photos and it's a quick read...kind of whets your appetite to want to learn more about this extraordinary woman if you haven't already.The author references many writers who have published works about Mother Teresa's struggles, life and work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Source for Profound Reflection and Prayer
This small book is a treasure trove of short reflections by Mother Teresa, prayers and meditations from many of her co-workers, texts and quotes from various saints.Mother Teresa shares her simple but profound spiritual thoughts through pieces of her personal experience in working with the poor and the dying.The other texts from the Bible and other disciplines in the context are equally inspiring. The book invites one to meditation and prayer which is the key to one's growth in love of God, personal peace and joy.Kathryn Spink who has edited the work has done a good job of arranging them so well to create a valuable instrument for spiritual instruction and prayer. ... Read more

Product Description
Stories and anecdotes from the Mother Teresa ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Reaching Out In Love --- Stories Told by Mother Teresa

Buy extra copies ! !

A wonderful gift foranyone.......

Especiallythe lost . . .

A Story Book for Spiritual Reading
Mother Teresa was one of the best storytellers of our time.All her talks contained stories from her own life, which she told with passion and fervor.In her informal conversations with her sisters, visitors and guests she always used stories very effectively. These were always short, clear and to the point. She often used events that she herself had experienced or incidents that she had witnessed. In every case there was some wit and wisdom, which made the idea connected with it clear and memorable. They conveyed profound truths about human life and our relationship with the Divine.

This small book contains 109 such stories told by Mother Teresa. They have been compiled and edited by Edward Le Joly and Jaya Chaliha. Le Joly has worked with her for more than three decades and has nearly 25 books to his credit, some of which are on Mother Teresa.He gives a beautiful introduction to this collection.Each story narrated here is precious as it is designed to provide deep insights. Through the different stories the editors have successfully drawn up the story of the life and work of Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity. Her message to the world comes alive through these little anecdotes from that life. This is a wonderful book for spiritual reading, meditation, and reflection. ... Read more

Product Description
The postulator for Mother Teresa’s cause for sainthood, Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, has culled some of her most stirring words into a powerful book that her admirers will treasure. JESUS IS MY ALL IN ALL follows the Roman Catholic novena format; derived from the Latin word for nine, the novena provides a nine-day rhythm of prayer and reflection. A prayer to Mother Teresa herself is the foundation for each day’sreflections, which illuminate such topics as:

• Finding Jesus in your heart
• Becoming convinced of Jesus’ love for you
• Seeking guidance from Mary the Mother of Jesus
• Drawing on Jesus’ thirst to quench the needs of those around you

Accompanied by striking full-color images, JESUS IS MY ALL IN ALL immortalizes the words and wisdom of one of humanity’s most radiant women. ... Read more

Product Description

Blessed by Pope John Paul II himself, Demi's Mother Teresa is a glorious biography of one of the most beloved women of our time -- a woman whose actions and words will inspire us all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book!
This was a great purchase!The pictures are wonderful and the biography was very interesting.The only drawback I found was that it was too long and detailed for the audience I was reading to-8-10 year olds.Definitely one of my favorite subjects and will continue to be read in my home!

Touches all ages
This is a beautiful book, in words, deeds, and art. The story of Mother Teresa is told in a spirit that is appropriate to the woman herself. The words tell an amazing story simply, just as she lived... telling where she went, how she followed her calling, and how God unfolded miracles in the lives she touched because she was obedient and loving. It is the simplicity of the telling that allows the story to be so powerful. The drawings are authentic to the cultures in which she lives, an artistic feast that is always just right, honest, and beautiful. The story is accessible to children, but is richly satisfying to teens and adults who can enjoy it on another level altogether. It is reverent, loving, and beautiful, like the woman it honors.

Carol D. Reiser Book Award 2006
This book was awarded one of the top two recognitions for 2006 by the Metro Atlanta Corporate Volunteer Council.This award honors children's books that inspire community service and volunteerism in children.

Channeling Peace, Beauty and Spirit
It's not often the words "work of art" and "biography" go together in the same description.In fact I'd have to say that up until recently I was of the general opinion that children's biographies tended to be dull and uninteresting-mostly written for the purpose of providing children with the pedestrian facts they require on research assignments.Authors/ illustrators like Demi have served to change that opinion drastically.And her latest title, Mother Teresa, is a picture book biography that is also a true work of art.

Those readers who already know Demi will immediately recognize her stylistic and vividly colored illustrations in this book. Rich gold ink and brilliant scarlet make the pages come to life with a dramatically Eastern flair.Each illustrated page is a marvelous picture in its own right.Its no wonder Demi is an award-winner illustrator.She's illustrated more than 130 books for children, and her artwork appears not only in books and galleries, but also in the dome of St. Peter and Paul's church in Wilmington.I can only say that she truly brings the biography to life.This picture book account provides young and older audiences alike with the story of Mother Teresa, her mission to help the poor and her influence around the world.While the actual text is fairly brief, due to the format, it provides dates and events highlighting the turning points and important themes of Mother Teresa's life.Added to the text are prayer quotes, biblical quotes and quotes from Mother Teresa herself.These help to break up the life events, and add perspective and beauty to the book.

At the very end of the book, Demi includes a listing of what is necessary for Mother Teresa to be declared a saint as well as a list of awards and honors that she was given in her lifetime.While, as I have said, the format prevents this from being an exhaustive account, it is an excellent introduction to Mother Teresa and the life she lived.The religious and spiritual aspects of the biography are handled with grace and respect without the book becoming preachy or judgmental about how that faith is expressed. And Demi's masterful art pulls the text together to create a wonderful tribute to a woman who had such a profound influence on the world.

This book will probably be a bit complex for younger readers, unless a parent chooses to read it to them.The site recommends this book for ages 4-8, but I would amend that to closer to ages 6-12 with the added suggestion that this is a book that adults can appreciate as well.For more thorough exploration of the subject, readers may want to look for other books, but this is a good starting point.Those of you who enjoy this biography may want to look for Demi's other biographies that include such figures as Gandhi, Muhammad, and Buddha.I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

A beautiful book celebrating life!
This was such a wonderful book to read and share, her story is beautifully told and prayers are inspirational. The artwork takes you to a place that brings the emotions of her story to life. ... Read more