If Faith is to touch modern lives, it must be backed by teachings and tradition, a heritage we call the Deposit of Faith. This wasn’t conceived in our era, but transmitted through the ages, by students who learnt from teachers, to instruct others in turn. How could this heritage reach us without churches? Who guarded this treasure when libraries and schools were burnt down through the dark ages? I’m profoundly amazed by the foresight of the Essenes sect, who concealed from the Roman invaders 900 documents discovered in 1947. They knew they were protecting a treasure they had to secure and transmit against all odds – not for their benefit, but for that of future generations. In my view, the church isn’t losing it as long as there are exemplary “Defenders of the Faith”, who cultivate the good soil, in which Faith takes root, ensuring humanity of even greater achievements in the future.
I reminded Michael that the poor constantly enjoy the Preferential Love of the church, which for two thousand years has worked for the relief and defense of the weak. The lives of Saint Francis and Mother Teresa are famous paragons of this Spirit in action, but laurel wreaths must be given to the millions of unsung heroes toiling in obscurity. Without Christian bishops the Poor would never have been acknowledged as a social group, because ancient cultures worried little about the disadvantaged. Today we take hospitals for granted, but they originally started as church institutions for the needy. Over the centuries, a warm awareness expanded from the church and eventually resulted in the naked being clothed, the grief-stricken comforted, the homeless sheltered and street-kids educated. Last century 90% of African hospitals and schools where run by churches. Modern Sudan is infamous for Sharia law, genocide and its ungodly militia, yet amid such darkness one light shines bright and is respected by everyone. It is the Comboni College, founded in 1929 by Italian missionaries, who today report on their website they “announce the Gospel instilled with their personal example and the evangelical values of: freedom of religion, equality of man and woman, social justice, respect and welcoming of others, service to the community and help for the poor.”
These reminders were written on a wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
- People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
- If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
- If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
- If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
- What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
- If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
- The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
- Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
- In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
I reminded Michael that the poor constantly enjoy the Preferential Love of the church, which for two thousand years has worked for the relief and defense of the weak. The lives of Saint Francis and Mother Teresa are famous paragons of this Spirit in action, but laurel wreaths must be given to the millions of unsung heroes toiling in obscurity. Without Christian bishops the Poor would never have been acknowledged as a social group, because ancient cultures worried little about the disadvantaged. Today we take hospitals for granted, but they originally started as church institutions for the needy. Over the centuries, a warm awareness expanded from the church and eventually resulted in the naked being clothed, the grief-stricken comforted, the homeless sheltered and street-kids educated. Last century 90% of African hospitals and schools where run by churches. Modern Sudan is infamous for Sharia law, genocide and its ungodly militia, yet amid such darkness one light shines bright and is respected by everyone. It is the Comboni College, founded in 1929 by Italian missionaries, who today report on their website they “announce the Gospel instilled with their personal example and the evangelical values of: freedom of religion, equality of man and woman, social justice, respect and welcoming of others, service to the community and help for the poor.”
These reminders were written on a wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
- People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
- If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
- If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
- If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
- What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
- If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
- The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
- Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
- In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
