CNA<\/a>).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places.<\/p>\nA woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Suddenly, she was approached by a 5\u20190\u201d woman in a blue and white sari.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.\u201d<\/p>\n
The religious sister passed her a business card and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before turning and boarding a flight. The woman stared at the card. And then, a smile.<\/p>\n
This is one of hundreds of testimonies about the life and holiness of Mother Teresa of Calcutta included in the new book \u201cA Call to Mercy\u201d (Image, 2016). The 384-page book published just weeks ahead of the Calcutta sister\u2019s Sept. 4 canonization.<\/p>\n
The book gives an exclusive peek into the first and secondhand oral and written testimonies that built Mother Teresa\u2019s cause for sainthood. In total, the sainthood cause for the Missionary of Charity foundress included 17 volumes \u2013 or nearly 7,000 pages \u2013 of testimonies.<\/p>\n
Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of Mother Teresa\u2019s cause and editor of \u201cA Call to Mercy,\u201d told CNA that such testimonies are typically unavailable to the public for decades following a canonization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time we\u2019re using testimonies like that in such an organized manner and such a large number,\u201d said Fr. Kolodiejchuk. \u201cAll that material will be available maybe in another 50 years. But in the meantime, if you read the examples you\u2019ll see just what Mother did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of them are extraordinary, but for the most part Mother is doing ordinary things. Like she herself used to emphasize; Ordinary things with extraordinary love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since Mother Teresa\u2019s canonization coincided with Pope Francis\u2019 Jubilee of Mercy, \u201cA Call to Mercy\u201d also has a special focus on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The book is divided into 14 chapters covering the 14 works of mercy. Each chapter includes a selection of Mother Teresa\u2019s writings and testimonies related to a specific work of mercy.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople will see \u2013 or have a good idea \u2013 firsthand or at least secondhand about how Mother herself lived the works of mercy,\u201d Fr. Kolodiejchuk said.<\/p>\n
A chapter on bearing wrongs patiently includes the testimony of a Missionary of Charity sister who was tasked with bringing Mother Teresa to the airport. The sister had just managed to usher Mother Teresa to the car when another sister ran to Mother Teresa and informed her that one of the children in their care was dying. The Missionary of Charity recalled being flooded with impatience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying anything, but my body language, my tutting and sighing, says it all,\u201d the sister recalls. \u201cMother\u2026didn\u2019t tell me off at all or point out my dreadful behavior. She just lovingly put her hand on my arm and said, \u2018I will come, but I need to see this child\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mother Teresa went to the child, a young baby, and prayed before tucking a Miraculous Medal into the child\u2019s shirt. She then proceeded to the car to go to the airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t point out how rude I was being; she embraced me and held me in my rudeness,\u201d the sister reflected. \u201cWith all my faults, in that moment, she took care of me too.\u201d<\/p>\n
For many, the simplicity of this testimony and many others may come as a surprise. But not to Fr. Kolodiejchuk.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the examples\u2026are just very ordinary,\u201d Fr. Kolodiejchuk told CNA.\u00a0 \u201cAlmost all of them \u2013 we can do those kinds of things. The little thoughtfulness to your neighbor, paying attention to those in need, beginning in your own family.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Fr. Kolodiejchuk, the testimonies also paint a fuller picture of the simple affectivity of the saint, whom he knew personally and worked alongside for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone would meet Mother just once and it would change their life,\u201d he told CNA. \u201cOr they saw her walking by and it was a moment of conversion. She had this graced capacity to really affect people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe radiated holiness and she had the witness of her life behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
This article was originally published on CNA Aug. 25, 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
![](\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\")
<\/a>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews\/~4\/zNPdOxuBbK0\")
<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places.<\/p>\n
A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
'Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places. A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.'\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places. A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-25T09:54:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-09-04T20:54:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Madre_Teresa_1980_Credit_LOsservatore_Romano_CNA_8_24_16.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/\",\"name\":\"'Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.'\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-25T09:54:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-04T20:54:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places. A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"‘Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\",\"name\":\"Catholic News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\",\"name\":\"CNA Daily News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CNA Daily News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.'","description":"Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places. A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.'","og_description":"Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places. A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2016-08-25T09:54:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-09-04T20:54:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Madre_Teresa_1980_Credit_LOsservatore_Romano_CNA_8_24_16.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/","name":"'Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.'","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-08-25T09:54:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-04T20:54:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Denver, Colo., Sep 4, 2017 \/ 02:54 pm (CNA).- It happened on the most ordinary day, in the most ordinary of places. A woman stood by herself in the back of an airport lounge, flipping distractedly through a magazine while she waited for her flight. Su...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/hello-my-name-is-mother-teresa-i-just-wanted-to-give-you-my-card\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"‘Hello. My name is Mother Teresa. I just wanted to give you my card.’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15659\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Madre_Teresa_1980_Credit_LOsservatore_Romano_CNA_8_24_16.jpg\")
<\/p>\n