The Image Of St. Teresa Of Calcutta That Shook Me | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

The Image Of St. Teresa Of Calcutta That Shook Me

The newly canonized saint has a lot to teach us about love and suffering.

119
The Image Of St. Teresa Of Calcutta That Shook Me

Growing up, Mother Teresa was, not surprisingly, someone that I found extremely inspirational. I remember my 2nd grade teacher had an entire bulletin board dedicated to pictures of her and quotes credited to her, and I decided after hearing about all the wonderful things she did, I wanted to be just like her.

Rather, I wanted to be just like the woman she had appeared to be: joyful, selfless, and, most importantly, close to God. I wanted to be smiling all the time, surrounded by sisters, and helping poor people feel loved.

As I grew older, I learned that Mother Teresa described her faith as very dry for the last 50 years of her life. She wondered if God was with her. This stunned me. How could a woman who lived out the love of Christ so fully not be able to feel that love herself? How could she have the strength to keep giving out what she felt she was not herself receiving?

On September 4, 2016, Mother Teresa was officially declared Saint Teresa by the Church. I followed along through Facebook, Snapchat, and other media sources, taking in the amazing sights, the huge crowd, and the voice of St. Francis echoing in St. Peter’s Square as he brought to completion the journey of declaring Mother Teresa a saint. One thing surprised me greatly about the canonization.

When a saint is canonized, an official image of him or her is often created for putting on prayer cards, statues, and other forms of visuals. I saw St. Teresa’s official image and heard the explanation for it, and my heart swelled with joy.

Typically, images of saints are bright and angelic-looking, but fairly solemn. Many are shown praying, peaceful, and still. The colors are pretty, but plain and light. St. Teresa’s image is much different.

In her image, St. Teresa looks real. She has wrinkles. She has an arched back. She has crooked fingers and a face that looks as if she has seen sights unimaginable to many of us. She looks joyful, determined, and tough in the most gentle way.

However, the thing that surprised me about her image had nothing to do with her. What caught my attention was what was behind her: a dark brown color.

Most saints have a light, heavenly looking color behind them in their official image. St. Teresa’s is about as dark and un-heavenly as you can get. The reason behind this is so simple yet so unbelievably moving: she was a doubter, she felt “emptiness and darkness” when it came to her faith, and she wasn’t sure God was listening to her. Yet, she fulfilled her mission anyway.

For 50 years, she did it anyway.

St. Teresa is now a saint to whom those who struggle to hear God, those who are in despair, those who don’t know that God is even there, can turn to.

I had always wanted to be like Mother Teresa, and now, I know I have so much more in common with her than I ever thought I could. We both doubted, we both felt despair, we both wondered if God was there.

Mother Teresa was real and relatable. If there was ever a time we needed a little help in learning to persevere, trust, and love, it's now. Conveniently, St. Teresa knows a thing or two about suffering.

St. Teresa, who loved so generously yet hurt so deeply, pray for us that we may persevere as you did

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

181393
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

8303
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

453250
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23762
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments