Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Jesus Essay

After much thought about it and seeing the Mother Teresa suggestion, I realized that back when I first learned about Mother Teresa in middle school I really found her interesting and felt like what I learned changed my perspective about things so thought she would be a great choice. I decided to share how my essay turned out, I ended up having to kind of rush through it, which contradicts my message in the essay too, you'll see. Well, have a look at it and I'll let you know what grade I end up with.

Jesus

The Messiah, Chosen One, Savior, Prophet, Holy One, Lord, Son of God, Son of Man; the list goes on. Jesus is known by many names; the Bible is full of references to Him in many different ways. Jesus was also known for many different qualities such as being compassionate, generous, and trustworthy. He was known as a teacher, a healer, a servant and prophet.
Jesus spoke of his special relationship with God. According to Luke 3:22, at Jesus’ baptism he heard a voice from heaven saying he was God’s son. He knew he was given a mission by God and spoke with authority and conviction. Jesus was known for speaking in proverbs & parables. Parables are stories that have an abrupt ending and help people understand the moral or lesson that otherwise they would not. Reading these parables even today makes a person think and helps them apply the lesson to circumstances in their own life.
Jesus was known by many different names, for many roles but what most stands out for me is Jesus’ role of servant to all and his acceptance of all. Jesus welcomed everyone and helped those in need. Jesus devoted so much of his life in service to the poor, the needy, ill, outcasts. He did not discriminate. He lives on through the bible studies, reading of the proverbs and parables, through worship and through people in modern times who model Jesus’ life.
Someone who kept Jesus alive through her work and still does even after her own death through those that have followed in her path was Mother Teresa. (1910-1997). just as Jesus had a special relationship with God, whom he referred to as his Father, even at age, 12 as described in Luke 2:41-52, Mother Teresa also felt the call of God at the same age. It was six years later, at age 18 that she left home, never to see her mother or sister again, to become a missionary with the Sisters of Loreto, Irish nuns with missions in India.
Mother Teresa trained in Ireland then went to India in 1929 to teach school children. There she took her vows as a nun and chose the name Teresa after the patron saint of missionaries. Mother Teresa started out as a teacher and enjoyed it but felt drawn to help the poorest people in the slums of Calcutta. She was joined by more volunteers and gained financial support after difficult times the first year. She even wrote in her diary that she had to beg for food and supplies and was tempted to return to the comfortable convent life. She said it was out of free choice and love of God that she remained to do whatever was His will. Mother Teresa found her strength through prayer and devotion to Jesus. She saw her time with the poor as time with Jesus and felt all her work was for Jesus
In 1950 under Vatican permission, Mother Teresa started her own order, The Missionaries of Charity with the mission to care for the “hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who felt unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society”. Today the order has grown from the original 13 members in Calcutta to over 4,000 members and over one million volunteer workers worldwide.
Over the last 15 years after first learning about Mother Teresa, I have felt that although I don’t go volunteer my time in service to the poor, I look at the poor (and wealthy) differently. I look at material things differently and try not to find my joy there. We live in a materialistic world of over-consumption and some take that for granted, I know I do sometimes but I try not to. I know we still live with much abundance but I try not to be pre-occupied with it and give to charity when I can. I donate clothing and household items to Goodwill and part of the way I do that also includes not claiming it on my taxes. It kind of takes away from the charity of it to try and benefit on taxes. I know it’s not much, but it’s something I can do at this point in my life and I do feel compelled to do more. I am in awe over what people like Mother Teresa have done to help others. Two of her quotes really speak to me and I keep them in mind when life goes by too quickly and I get wrapped up in things. I try to remind myself to put my family time first and foremost because in the home is where peace begins if you ask me.


“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other and in the home begun the disruption of peace in the world.”

4 comments:

Mary said...

That was a wonderfully written project, very heartfelt! Great job GF!

Melissa said...

That was so good. You totally got an "A" on that. :)

Anonymous said...

I think you did a good job! And I like the way you finished up with the quotes to reiterate your points.
Can't wait to hear what grade you get!

Unknown said...

What a wonderful job! Mother T would be proud! :)