Mother Teresa — A Life Ventured For Christ
Mother Teresa hardly fits the portrait of a superhero. She had no special physical or psychic abilities or powers. She did not confront evil and overthrow it by a show of force. In fact, she was a short, slight, and unimposing person. And yet she displays in a marvelous way what the follower of Christ is to be. She came to know that real transformation and power is achieved by allowing Christ to dwell fully in her and to offer herself completely for Christ. In her case, this meant giving herself in a radical way to the poorest of the poor. Through her own example and through the religious order she founded, Mother Teresa became a source of inspiration to many. But if we look more deeply, we see something much more than someone doing good things for others. We now know that she suffered deeply in the life she chose to live-she knew the reality of the cross profoundly. In the deeply etched lines of her face, we can see the costly beauty of a life ventured for Christ. Through the offering of her life, she herself was transformed to be like Christ, and she served this transformation in the lives of so many others, especially of the poor. Mother Teresa models for us what it means to allow the "supernatural" power of Christ to invade our lives and make them new.
from The Adventure of Discipleship by Daniel A. Keating p.86