Admire yes, but also follow Mother Teresa's example

The Boston Herald

BEVERLY BECKHAM

'Smile at each other - it doesn't matter who it is - and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.' - Mother Teresa

She is the antithesis of everything we worship in this country. She is old and we revere young. She is wrinkled and stooped, and we admire smooth and tall. She is humble and we're used to boastful. She is poor and we idolize wealth.

She is a bent, old woman who drapes cloth on her body only to cover herself, who doesn't dye her hair or work out or wear makeup or jewelry or spend even an ounce of energy worrying about what she looks like.

She doesn't dine in fancy restaurants or vacation at rich resorts or relax on tropical beaches. She doesn't possess or do any of the things the world says we absolutely must possess and do if we want to enjoy our lives and have a good time.

And yet she is having a good time. That's what is amazing.

Mother Teresa, the 86-year-old Roman Catholic nun recognized for her missionary work with the poor, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal last Thursday, Congress' most prestigious civilian honor. For a solid hour she was feted with words of praise from America's leaders. Typically, she sat through the honors with her hands folded in prayer.

It was a strange picture, the suits and the saint, but then we're a strange country. Beseeching a nun to come and accept an honor, plunking her in the Capitol Rotunda and lauding her to the high heavens, then handing her a medal: This is for your work with the poor. This is for your unconditional love of mankind. We're giving you this, because these are the virtues we truly value.

But then it's: Hey, thanks for coming, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Because it's back to business as usual. And the business of the U.S. government is hardly humanitarian.

The entire world praises Mother Teresa, gives her medals, respects her and the work she does, but does anyone really heed what she has to say?

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

Well that's an easy one.

"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor Let no one ever come to you without leaving better or happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."

That's a little harder.

"Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other - it doesn't matter who it is - and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other."

Smile at everyone? Obviously, Mother Teresa has never spent a morning on the Southeast Expressway.

She gets weightier.

"Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion looks out on the world; yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good."

This, representing Christ on earth, doing for all people all that she can, is the essence of Mother Teresa's life. Why, if we continually praise her for this, don't we emulate what she does?

I met her once. She walked into a small room full of reporters, wearing her sarilike habit, sandals and a navy sweater, accompanied by three of her sisters.

An entourage of men followed, including a cardinal in his red robe. Years younger than she, he looked world-weary and old next to her.

She spoke that day about what she always speaks about: the wealth of God's love. "The good news is that God loves us. Prayer makes a clean heart. The truth of love is service. The truth of service is peace."

Her voice was gentle and everyone scrambled to write down her words. Ultimately, her message was an old one: Love one another as God loves you.

Her congressional honor got very little play in the news. Just a blurb. And that's the problem, isn't it?

She's not a famous athlete or entertainer. She isn't part of a front-page scandal. She isn't young and rich and beautiful.

And yet her life is an inspiration to us all.