Conservative Student News

I am deacon Thomas Joseph originally from the parish of Kalladithidal in the state of Tamilnadu, India. My parents are farmers and I admire them greatly for having been wonderful parents who made a number of sacrifices for their children. I enjoyed my childhood in helping my parish priest, Fr. Alex, with his parish duties and serving God as an altar server, helping my parents on the farm, playing soccer, volleyball and kabadai (a local game), climbing trees for fun, occasionally going with friends for movies, swimming in the ponds, and sometimes chatting and solving the problems of the entire world. All my family members are Catholics, though our ancestors were Hindus. Based on our tradition we believe that through the coming of the Apostle St. Thomas, the original seed of Christianity was sown in India in the first century A.D. Up until the time of the Counter Reformation, Christianity had not grown significantly. During the time of the Counter Reformation many missionaries went to India to evangelize. As a result many Hindus were converted to Christianity.

Even though I had so many bridges to cross on my journey to priesthood, God has blessed me in so many ways during all these years of my life. The most significant of all these times was the period I spent with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who indeed taught me “What does it mean to see the face of Christ in each and every person–Saint and the sinner?” I met Mother Teresa for the first time in the year 1996. As I greeted her in a typical Indian way, taking hold of my right hand, folding my five fingers down one by one she asked me to repeat the words, “You – did – it – to – me,” which is the short form of Matthew 25:40 which reads, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Followed by this on my left hand she once again folded my five fingers one after another and asked me to repeat the words, “I will – I want – with God’s blessing – be – Holy.” It was typical of Mother Teresa to repeat the same sayings again and again. However, no one would get tired of hearing her again and again. Yes, she had such a command, sincerity, attentiveness, and radiated holiness on her face. Everyone who met her, even amidst the big crowd, always felt that she was there just for that person. Yes, she was able to be present for that particular person with an undivided attention.

She had a deep devotion to our Blessed Mother. Giving me a rosary she said, “Cling to our Lady like a child that clings to the mantle of its mother’s saree.” She taught me the richness of priesthood in her simple theology, “No priests, no Eucharist.” Mother Teresa was also the most stubborn woman that I ever met in my life. Yes, she was stubborn for good things, holy things. She was indifferent – indifferent not to God and His people, but to anything that is not God. Mother Teresa often reminded we all are Mother Teresas in our own ways: each time we say hello to people, a simple smile, a visit to the sick, being a faithful parent, teacher, priest, sister, or whatever. She was an ordinary human being like any of us. The mystery of her life was that, “She did small things with great love.” I can gratefully say even though I forgot most of the things that I did in my life, one experience that always remains fresh in my memory is the time that I spent with this holy woman.

As along with my classmates I am preparing to leave the Seminary to start the priestly ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, I take this opportunity to thank Archbishop Harry Flynn, Bishop Richard Pates, Bishop Frederick Campbell, the Seminary community, and especially my fellow seminarians for accepting me as one of you and with whom I was able to laugh, live and let go. May we always thirst for the Jesus that Mother Teresa thirsted for. God bless.

Reprinted with permission from the St. Paul School of Divinity