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Thu Dec 13, 2007
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and Divine Providence
I recently read a book by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in which she talked about how she lived her life according to Divine Providence. It seems that she had no desires or aspirations of her own except to do exactly what she felt God wanted her to do. She then carried out what she believed was God's will with complete trust. She founded a religious order relying completely on God to raise the money necessary for construction and other logistics. There was mention of a time when a U.S. bishop told Teresa that she would never be able to raise funds necessary for a certain project and she asked him why he thought God's providence did not extend to New York.
This way of living seems so radical and flies in the face of many American values. I think of all of the psychological pain could be avoided by getting rid of all desires and behaviors that do not directly relate to serving God. So much self destructive behavior and relationship chaos would be out the window. Teresa's radical surrender, then, is really radical simplicity.
I often tell my clients that my job is to help them have boring lives. We work to put out fires and eliminate everything that is unwanted, and then they are free to fill their lives with all the things that they truly want.
Teresa had it right.
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