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Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, whom today I have the joy of inscribing in the register of the blessed, allowed herself to be guided by this logic [sic]. I am personally grateful to this courageous woman, whom I have always felt near to me. Icon of the Good Samaritan, she went everywhere to serve Christ in the poorest of the poor. Not even conflicts and wars succeeded in stopping her.

"Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43). With particular emotion we remember today Mother Teresa, a great servant of the poor, of the Church and of the whole world. Her life is a testimony to the dignity and the privilege of humble service. She had chosen to be not just the least but to be the servant of the least. As a real mother to the poor, she bent down to those suffering various forms of poverty. Her greatness lies in her ability to give without counting the cost, to give "until it hurts." Her life was a radical living and a bold proclamation of the Gospel.

The cry of Jesus on the cross, "I thirst" (John 19:28), expressing the depth of God's longing for man, penetrated Mother Teresa's soul and found fertile soil in her heart. Satiating Jesus' thirst for love and for souls in union with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, had become the sole aim of Mother Teresa's existence and the inner force that drew her out of herself and made her "run in haste" across the globe to labor for the salvation and the sanctification of the poorest of the poor.

"As you did to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40). This Gospel passage, so crucial in understanding Mother Teresa's service to the poor, was the basis of her faith-filled conviction that in touching the broken bodies of the poor she was touching the body of Christ. It was to Jesus himself, hidden under the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor, that her service was directed. Mother Teresa highlights the deepest meaning of service -- an act of love done to the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, prisoners (cf. Matthew 25:34-36) is done to Jesus himself.

Recognizing him, she ministered to him with wholehearted devotion, expressing the delicacy of her spousal love. Thus in total gift of herself to God and neighbor, Mother Teresa found her greatest fulfillment and lived the noblest qualities of her femininity. She wanted to be a sign of "God's love, God's presence, God's compassion" and so remind all of the value and dignity of each of God's children, "created to love and be loved." Thus was Mother Teresa "bringing souls to God and God to souls" and satiating Christ's thirst, especially for those most in need, those whose vision of God had been dimmed by suffering and pain.

[Above paragraphs were read in English]

Let us praise this little woman enamored of God, humble messenger of the Gospel and tireless benefactor of humanity. We honor in her one of the most outstanding personalities of our time. Let us accept her message and follow her example.

Virgin Mary, Queen of all Saints, help us to be meek and humble of heart as this intrepid messenger of Love. Help us to serve with joy and with a smile every person we meet. Help us to be missionaries of Christ, our peace and our hope. Amen!

I renew to you, through the hands of Mary, beloved Mother,
the gift of myself, in the present and the future:
May all be accomplished according to your will.

Supreme Shepherd, stay in our midst,
so that we can proceed in safety with You,
toward the house of the Father. Amen!

"If we have faith," wrote Cardinal George, "and if we are willing to compose our mind and remain quiet for a little while, the rosary becomes our entrance into the person and life of Christ and his mother." "She can bring us very close to her Son by forcing us to move beyond words and ideas to the reality they are meant to convey," he observed. "She can 'make us pray,' despite our own readiness to be distracted and all the pressures of lives plagued by a surfeit of information and entertainment designed to take our time and dissipate our attention."

The archbishop of Chicago pointed out that Mary has her own understanding of her Son, which we can learn by praying the rosary. "Mothers see things in their children that others often miss," he wrote. "The Blessed Virgin Mary sees Jesus from a perspective that is unique. Praying with Mary, asking her companionship as we pray, opens up knowledge of Jesus we can have only through her and with her. She knows Jesus profoundly not only as her savior but also as her Son."

Echoing the Holy Father, Cardinal George noted, "'She has more insight than anyone into the profound intentions of Jesus.' This intuition of Pope John Paul II is behind his invitation that we look at Jesus, contemplate the mysteries of his life, death and resurrection, while attending 'Mary's school.'"

The cardinal elaborated on Mary as our teacher of the Word, Jesus Christ. "What does one learn while at Mary's school, praying the rosary? What does she teach us? The genius of the rosary is that it brings us to the heart of the Gospel," he said.

"In the grotto near the Basilica of the Annunciation at Nazareth, an inscription reads: 'The Word was made flesh in this place.' The Son of God became incarnate in a particular spot; the uncontainable one was contained in Mary's womb," said Cardinal George. "The particularity which marks human life becomes the object of contemplation in saying the rosary."

Cardinal George stressed that praying the rosary enables us to enter into the mystery of the Incarnation and understand Mary's role in it. "In what Pope Paul VI called the 'quiet rhythm' and 'lingering pace' of the rosary, we put ourselves into the fundamental mystery of Christianity: God was made man so that we could live in God," the cardinal wrote.

"Mary's womb," he added, "is the place where the Word of God was made flesh; Mary's mouth the place where that perfect 'yes' that changed our relationship to God was spoken."

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Last May, Aid to the Church in Need launched a campaign to send 400,000 rosaries to Cuba, but, having sent the latest major installment of 150,000, the Cuban authorities have told the charity it will only accept them in batches of 10,000.

The charity has responded by stepping up its efforts to provide a regular supply of rosaries.

The rosaries--produced with the personal backing of Pope John Paul II--are made near Venice. They are sent to Rome where the Vatican arranges for them to be flown to the Cuban capital, Havana, via Madrid, Spain.

Staffers at the Cuban bishops' conference, which first requested the rosaries, are responsible for distributing the rosaries to the dioceses across the island.

The first batches of rosaries to arrive are already making a difference in the parishes with people being taught the Marian prayer and its spiritual significance.

ACN staff coordinating the project say they are confident that they will overcome any delays in people receiving their rosaries.

The Cuban bishops say the rosary is vital for evangelization because the Cuban people like the simplicity of the prayers.

Here are excerpts of John Paul II's midday address before praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. I still feel vividly in my spirit the intense emotions lived these past few days, during which so many people were united to me on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of my pontificate. I renew my gratitude above all to God, rich in mercy, for these 25 years of ministry in the service of the Church. ...

Finally, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the priests, consecrated persons, and all the faithful, who were united spiritually with me with their good wishes and precious gift of prayer. I am thinking particularly of the sick, who were close to me with the offering of their sufferings.

Nor were testimonies lacking from Christians of other Confessions, as well as followers of other Religions. My heartfelt gratitude to all!

2. I pray the Lord to reward you, dear Brothers and Sisters, for the affection and support you have shown me. I renew the commitment of my life and ministry to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Church. I repeat to her with filial abandonment: Totus tuus!

Following a day of rest, John Paul II looked reinvigorated when he met with pilgrims gathered in honor of, an Italian Franciscan religious of the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals, and patron of students because of the great difficulties he had with his studies. ...

Father Joachim Giermek, minister of the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals, attended the audience. In his address, he highlighted the secret of Joseph Cupertino's holiness: to contemplate the face of Christ on the Cross, in the Eucharist, and to abandon oneself with confidence in Mary's hands.

The director and editors of Mary Page under the auspices of the International Marian Research Institute do not necessarily endorse or agree with the events and ideas expressed in this feature. Our sole purpose is to report on items about Mary gleaned from a myriad of papers representing the secular press.

OAKWOOD RESIDENT, 91, IN THE NEWS [Source: Dayton Daily News (Ohio), 9/11/2003]