I just had lunch with a good friend and we discussed a documentary/film biography of Mother Teresa that she recently watched. Then we shared other stories about the Albanian nun who chose to live with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. What came through time and time again was her tenacity, her strong sense of justice and what is right, and the clear sense to pursue God’s kingdom with utter devotion. She was also someone who knew how to use shame extremely well to make her point without being manipulative. I was reminded of a story that I read from Henri Nouwen. It has been recently republished in a new collection of his works, Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith. (Nouwen appears to be the Tupac of the priestly world, for he seems to have published more after his death in 1996—has it really been a decade?—than during his lifetime.)

Once, quite a few years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I was struggling with many things at the time and decided to use the occasion to ask Mother Teresa’s advice. As soon as we sat down I started explaining all my problems and difficulties—trying to convince her of how complicated it all was! When, after ten minutes of elaborate explanation, I finally became quiet, Mother Teresa looked at me and quietly said: “Well, when you spend one hour a day adoring your Lord and never do anything which you know is wrong . . . you will be fine!”

Man does this come like a punch to the nose. I try to complicate my life with God beyond recognition, when Mother Teresa remembers that the life seeking God is about relationship. The simplicity and richness of her answer makes me quake, especially when I consider how God used her.