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42nd out of 140 books
—
178 voters
Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta
This historic work reveals the inner spiritual life of one of the most beloved and important religious figures in history.
During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look a...more
During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look a...more
Hardcover, 404 pages
Published
September 4th 2007
by Doubleday Religion
(first published January 1st 2007)
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Aug 06, 2008
Dave Wayton
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
the spiritually sophisticated
I found this book somewhat disturbing. There is no doubt in my mind that Mother Theresa is a saint; her behavior leaves no doubt about that. And it is not her spirituality that perplexes me, but rather her understanding of that spirituality. She seems to contradict herself from one sentence to the next. Admittedly, she is working from the context of a spirituality formed in a time and place very different from our current one; but she seems to show no growth in understanding from her experience....more
I have to be honest, I didn't finish this book. And, I'm ambivalent about it, the book that is.
It's mostly Mother Teresa's letters to her spiritual director/confessor and bishop and others, with some interpretive and connecting material in between from the author. I found the author's emphases to be strange. For example, the time of waiting while the Missionaries of Charity was being considered and approved by the church hierarchy was stretched out over a handful of chapters. I made it exactly h...more
It's mostly Mother Teresa's letters to her spiritual director/confessor and bishop and others, with some interpretive and connecting material in between from the author. I found the author's emphases to be strange. For example, the time of waiting while the Missionaries of Charity was being considered and approved by the church hierarchy was stretched out over a handful of chapters. I made it exactly h...more
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I am so disappointed in this book! The prologue explains all about how Mother Teresa never wanted her papers published, and even asked people to burn letters she sent to them. Now that she's dead she'll surely understand that her life belonged not to her but to the church, which can do with her writings as it sees fit. I guess that's probably true, but still, ick.
Furthermore, I expected to read about the crises of faith that working among the poor without seeing improvement over time might natur...more
Furthermore, I expected to read about the crises of faith that working among the poor without seeing improvement over time might natur...more
Mother Teresa had so much love for God and for others, that to sit down and read about her work...is difficult. It is difficult to measure my own feeble efforts to love against her self-sacrifice and dedication.
Yet this book has helped me. The most valuable thing I took away was the idea that we each must look to the unloved, unwanted and uncared for in our own homes, community and life--and that we must realize that whatever we do to them, we do to Jesus. We cannot separate our care for them an...more
Yet this book has helped me. The most valuable thing I took away was the idea that we each must look to the unloved, unwanted and uncared for in our own homes, community and life--and that we must realize that whatever we do to them, we do to Jesus. We cannot separate our care for them an...more
I've always been impressed by the sacrifice and life of service given by Mother Teresa. I was surprised by the revealations found in her personal letters. Her innermost thoughts and burdens are shared from a most sincere heart.
It was interesting to learn what led Mother Theresa to begin her sisterhood. She shares some of the struggles and dangers they faced as they served the people.
I was disappointed to learn of her sorrow and lack of peace. The end of her life was very sad. I hope she has fo...more
It was interesting to learn what led Mother Theresa to begin her sisterhood. She shares some of the struggles and dangers they faced as they served the people.
I was disappointed to learn of her sorrow and lack of peace. The end of her life was very sad. I hope she has fo...more
Reveals a level and type of devotion that I am unable to comprehend.
The editing was excellent. I especially appreciated the parallels between what Mother Teresa experienced and what other saints experienced.
But still, as a book, it wasn't that satisfying.
The editing was excellent. I especially appreciated the parallels between what Mother Teresa experienced and what other saints experienced.
But still, as a book, it wasn't that satisfying.
In this book, I encountered the private writings of somebody that I've always admired, and touted as my personal hero. Through this book, I discovered the specific reasons why Mother Teresa has always been a person who resonates with my personal ethos. Her deep devotion and love of Jesus is a recognition of her depravity as a human being, her complete devotion to the concept of servent, and her embodiment of the command to love one another. The result is somebody that you can't help but admire,...more
I'm demolished by this book. Honestly I still don't know what to make of it but for the time being I am absolutely consumed, brained and agog by it.
I was raised Catholic but the church and I parted ways many moons ago. Much like an enstranged relative, I still keep up with news of what's shaking with the new Pope, what taco Jesus appeared in and what photo's crying blood and all that.
Mother Teresa has always intrigued me. Always. How can someone be so selfless? Divine Calling? Mental illness?...more
I was raised Catholic but the church and I parted ways many moons ago. Much like an enstranged relative, I still keep up with news of what's shaking with the new Pope, what taco Jesus appeared in and what photo's crying blood and all that.
Mother Teresa has always intrigued me. Always. How can someone be so selfless? Divine Calling? Mental illness?...more
The collection of written reflections by Mother Teresa is interspersed with facts from her life, both in chronological order. Sometime ago the media reported in a sensational way, how Mother Teresa lacked faith in God. The presentation lacked any context from which we could understand the meaning. The insinuation was that she did not really believe in God, yet carried out actions in the name of Jesus Christ. The tone of the reporting was one of shock like any celebrity scandal.
At first the read...more
At first the read...more
Pairing excerpts from her letters with commentary by the author/editor, this book describes Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's struggles with the dark night of the soul. The author focuses on Bl. Teresa's interior life, rather than emphasizing her work and accomplishments.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, I feel a little torn about giving it four stars. The prose itself would merit a three, at best; it is often repetitive and not at all beautiful. The book also is a little too light on deta...more
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, I feel a little torn about giving it four stars. The prose itself would merit a three, at best; it is often repetitive and not at all beautiful. The book also is a little too light on deta...more
I can totally understand other reviewers' confused/dismayed reactions to the "dark night of the soul" of Mother Teresa, which is especially poignant as it lasted for over 50 years. But, perhaps I can share some light on the subject (pun intended :)). Our dear Bishop Emeritus in Charlotte, NC, Bishop William Curlin, was a spiritual director for Mother and knew her for MANY years, having met her when he was a young priest in Washington, DC, and having given retreats to her and her sisters and freq...more
From someone not particularly religious, although Catholic, I thought this book was moving. This biography of Mother Teresa focuses not just on all the outer good she did on the world, but also on how she managed to do it while her heart was "stone" and she felt separated for Jesus. How this women could serve the poor continuously with a smile on her face while feeling in total darkness of God I will never know, but it was certainly inspiring. This book also uses many excerpts from her correspon...more
I read this book a couple years ago so I'll try to be as accurate as possible in my review. My general lasting thoughts on Mother Teresa are that she was somewhat of a religious nut. I mean, I admire her drive and dedication to God and the desire she had to please him. I admire that she did things she didn't necessarily want to do just because she believed that God had told her to do them. But, I also believe that a lot of those things came to pass because of her never ending pleading to God for...more
Girl meets God. Girl falls in love with God. Girl starts religious order because God told her to. Girl spends the rest of her life feeling deeply, utterly, irrevocably abandoned by God.
That's pretty much the plot of this alternately compelling and disturbing spiritual biography. The backbone of the book are the letters Mother Teresa wrote to her spiritual directors. First they detail the visions and inspiration that made her suddenly leave her nice decent Sisters of Loretto school-teacher gig an...more
That's pretty much the plot of this alternately compelling and disturbing spiritual biography. The backbone of the book are the letters Mother Teresa wrote to her spiritual directors. First they detail the visions and inspiration that made her suddenly leave her nice decent Sisters of Loretto school-teacher gig an...more
So much to learn from this lady whose relationship with Christ was so deeply passionate and yet she always shared Christ with people without herself thinking about her life. Though she suffered a severe "dark night of the soul" she was willing to see how her life was to be lived for the greater glory of bringing "heaven on earth" to the "Poorest of the poor." Though she suffered silently, she always offered a smile to those around her in hopes of sharing Christ with them. She is definitely a hug...more
Jan 06, 2011
Kristin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kristin by:
Larry Crabb and Bill Hybels referred to this book in their books
Very interesting and thought provoking. There are many of her personal letters in here, so you get a glimpse into her heart and life. I didn't know much about Mother Teresa before reading this book. She had such a heart for Jesus and her calling was clear...and the most difficult part of her journey was after she started the Missionaries of Charity to the poor, she began "the dark night of the soul" and rarely experienced Jesus' closeness like she had before that period of time. She finally saw...more
I loved this book. I was very surprised that for almost 50 years she felt nothing. In this godless time that we live in, it was good to know that she went through this herself. For her to have experienced such a closeness to Jesus and then to lose it was very painful for her, yet she continued to live her life for Him. I had no idea that most all the saints went through this darkness and was considered to be for them what Jesus felt when he was abandoned to die on the cross for us. She said she...more
In the short time that I´ve been reading this - no! jumping from one page to another as though I can´t wait to finish it - this is somewhat strange, yes, if the reader does not really ponder on the true nature of her spirituality. One can easily find her views contradictory.
But the real sense of her life consisted in her mastery of it all: the dark night became the Light that enabled her to adore and worship her Creator and Saviour in the very work she did every moment of her life; the dark nig...more
But the real sense of her life consisted in her mastery of it all: the dark night became the Light that enabled her to adore and worship her Creator and Saviour in the very work she did every moment of her life; the dark nig...more
I didn't finish this book...I got to about page 25 and that was forced. I give Mother Theresa 5 stars, she was a woman who devoted her life to the Lord and her work to those in need. However, I couldn't read this because these were her private writing that she begged to be destroyed and yet someone decided to make money off of it instead of respecting her wishes. I felt I was going against her wishes. I will look to read a biography of her life instead.
I learned how little I know about Mother Teresa and her dedication to the poor, lonely and disenfranchised. I learned how much she suffered with her "call within a call," with her own loneliness and questions about God and faith. I learned how closely she worked with the Jesuits and how they guided her spiritually. I learned that there are good works and then there are good works. I wish I could have met her. I wish I could be more like her.
This was a great book to me on many levels. Described as “a chalet basking in warm sunshine, surrounded by lush vegetation and flowers, yet within all dark and cold, Mother Teresa lived out to the fullest the particular and general ends of the society she founded: Particular End-- To satisfy the thirst of Christ on the cross for love and souls; General End-- To take Christ to the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa met Christ in His passion (Gal 2:20), identifying with Him by allowing herself to...more
I started reading this and stopped. I was frustrated that the author was interpeting Mother Theresa's words and life instead of letting Monther Theresa's words stand on their own. Several times it is clear that what is printed Mother Theresa never wanted printed. I think I would rather read somthing intentional by Mother Theresa as opposed to this collection...
I started reading this book in 2008 and have been meaning to finish it ever since. While it is a long book, with some repetition, I believe it is an excellent window into the life of Christ lived through a person totally dedicated to His will.
I think that much of the negativity surrounding this book and the life of Bl. M. Teresa is due to the fact that most of us are looking at M. Teresa and seeing only her, when we should be looking and seeing only Christ. I believe that was the point of her l...more
I think that much of the negativity surrounding this book and the life of Bl. M. Teresa is due to the fact that most of us are looking at M. Teresa and seeing only her, when we should be looking and seeing only Christ. I believe that was the point of her l...more
A well arranged book which runs through Mother Teresa's hidden turmoil. She was quick to experience what spiritual guides call the 'Dark Night of the Soul', described vividly in the book of the same name by S. John of the Cross.
This book highlights the perseverence that is required by members of religious orders in carrying their vocations through. When all seems worthless and the fight for souls futile, souls like Mother Teresa's rise to the occasion, fulfilling their duties to the end and fin...more
This book highlights the perseverence that is required by members of religious orders in carrying their vocations through. When all seems worthless and the fight for souls futile, souls like Mother Teresa's rise to the occasion, fulfilling their duties to the end and fin...more
This is an interesting read from one of the most mysterious women of the 20th century. What drives someone to be selfless and live their entire lives helping indigent people in India? She is a remarkable woman who let some special people know her inner fears, doubts, troubles and joys. The troubling part of the book is that it is not "written" by Mother Teresa. It is a collection of personal letters and comments to people she trusted to destroy the evidence. She was an inspiration to so many peo...more
Mother Teresa's letters teach that love is not something we do expecting good things in return. True love means doing things for the one you love, even when it's not easy or what we'd prefer to do. Mother Teresa had a very close relationship with Christ the first part of her life, then spent decades not hearing God's voice, and feeling empty and depressed, "like a stone." But the amazing thing is she loved and trusted God, even in these dark times. She even fell deeper in love.
This is not prett...more
This is not prett...more
This look behind the curtain of a saints heart is rather remarkable. One would never have guessed at Mother Teresa's spiritual struggles and her deep sense of distance from God. Yet to see how she continued to pour out love and compassion, and to sincerely seek to be God's hands and feet is even more remarkable, especially in light of her inward struggle.
The book is rather long and repetitive, yet this may be part of the brilliance of collection. You get a feeling for the length and lingering o...more
The book is rather long and repetitive, yet this may be part of the brilliance of collection. You get a feeling for the length and lingering o...more
Mother Teresa has always been a heroine of mine, from the first time I ever heard about her when I was a child in Catholic school. I am no longer Catholic, but I still look up to her. I was so eager to read this book. As a Christian that suffers with depression and "dark nights of the soul," I did find it inspirational that a saint in our own time suffered through the same things and still remained faithful, ever persevering through her struggles. I was disappointed in the author of the book. It...more
It's stunning how holy Mother Teresa is revealed to be in this book--even more so than I thought from the accounts in the media during her lifetime. She was absolutely and totally devoted to God, and yet she experienced such excruciating pain in her decades-long "dark night." Since this book is a collection of her letters, it can get a little repetitive, but it's definitely worth the effort, especially if you are experiencing something like a "dark night" in your own spiritual life. If her patro...more
A few months back, my priest mentioned that he met Mother Teresa. He talked about what a great woman she was and then said that one of the things that makes her so interesting is that, while she continued to do the work she was called too with the poor, she often struggled with where God was in the midst of all she saw and in her own soul. I found this interesting and wanted to read about her thoughts on this matter. Unfortunately, I think I picked the wrong book. This book was arduous to get th...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dark Night of Mother Teresa | 13 | 36 | Jan 17, 2012 02:24am |
Mother Teresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (pronounced [aɡˈnɛs ˈɡɔndʒa bɔjaˈdʒiu]), was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India in 1950. For over forty years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries.
By the 1970s she had b...more
More about Mother Teresa...
By the 1970s she had b...more
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“Jangan mencari yang besar-besar, cukup mengerjakan yang kecil-kecil dengan cinta yang besar. Makin kecil yang kita hadapi harus makin besar cinta yang kita berikan”
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“Our poor people are great people, a very lovable people, They don't need our pity and sympathy. They need our understanding love and they need our respect. We need to tell the poor that they are somebody to us that they, too, have been created, by the same loving hand of God, to love and be loved. ”
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17 people liked it
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