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{"id":2995,"date":"2007-09-05T22:43:00","date_gmt":"2007-09-05T22:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2007\/09\/the-day-i-met-mother-teresa\/"},"modified":"2007-09-05T22:43:00","modified_gmt":"2007-09-05T22:43:00","slug":"the-day-i-met-mother-teresa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2007\/09\/the-day-i-met-mother-teresa.html","title":{"rendered":"The Day I Met Mother Teresa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a>
My friend James had been brought up in India, so when he asked me in 1985 if I wanted to go to India with him for three weeks I jumped.<\/span><\/p>\n

We went on the tourist trail in Northern India, and wound up in Calcutta. James and I had taken a collection in England for Mother Teresa\u2019s work, so we thought we would stop by the famous mother house to take the check to them in person.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our driver stopped outside the house, and we walked down the side alley to the main entrance. Beside the door was a little wooden sign with a slide that indicated if the person was \u2018out\u2019 or \u2018in.\u2019 The sign said simply, \u201cmother is in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When we were admitted the little nun at reception took our check and asked sweetly if we wanted to meet Mother. Of course we did! She asked us to wait because Mother Teresa was in a meeting. Fifteen minutes later she came through the door and greeted us with a warm smile as if she had known us our whole life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you come to give you life in service to God\u2019s holy poor?\u201d she asked immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

For goodness sake! We weren\u2019t even Catholics at the time. \u201cWe are Anglican priests, from\u201d England,\u201d we explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have many people working with us from England. Perhaps you will stay and work for just a few years?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have parishes and people in England we need to return to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI understand. Go in peace, and thank you for coming.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Another sister then took us on a tour of the house and arranged for us to spend the rest of the day visiting the home for the dying, a leper colony, an old people\u2019s home and an orphanage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you ever look back and wonder \u201cWhat if?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What if that day I had accepted Mother Teresa\u2019s invitation and torn up my return ticket to England and stayed and worked with the poor? Wouldn\u2019t it have been a splendid adventure?<\/span><\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t happen, but it still reminds me that it\u2019s never too late to say \u201dyes\u201d to God. I will never again be challenged to give my life in service to God\u2019s holy poor in Calcutta, but every day I am invited to take another step on my own adventure of faith, and so are you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Say \u201cYes!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"