God’s Instrument of Love

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2016 BY JOSEPH M. VALENZANO, JR.

Mother Teresa was small in stature but she possessed a heart as big as the sky, and the legacy she left will live on forever. This past December, Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributable to her, clearing a path toward her canonization into sainthood.

First things first: from all of us at Exceptional Parent, please accept our very best and sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas and a healthy, safe and Happy New Year. We give thanks each and every day that we live in the greatest country on earth, defended by the men and women of character and integrity who make up our Armed Forces and protected each day by police, firemen, EMT workers and volunteers who sacrifice much for our safety and the safety of those we love.

As we head into 2016, I wanted to share a story with each of you. It is about a woman named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, who passed away on September 5, 1997. Now, her given name probably does not ring a bell, but it’s a safe bet that you will know her as Mother Teresa. She was small in stature but she possessed a heart as big as the sky, and the legacy she left will live on forever. On Thursday, December 17, 2015, Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributable to Mother Teresa, clearing a path toward her canonization into sainthood, probably in the Fall of 2016.

In her lifelong mission of ministering to the poor, sick, homeless and hungry, Mother Teresa was the epitome of kindness and love. She lived among the poor, ministering to the lowest of the low and inspiring millions of people of all faiths and walks of life, from those who tilled the field, to heads of state and corporations. Her funding came from donations and contributions, and every nickel went into food and clothing for those who needed it most.

She never asked why people contributed to her charity; she was not in the business of passing judgment. She was in the business of passing out food and offering shelter to those in need. In her Nobel Peace Prize lecture, Mother Teresa said, “And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something good.” So much wisdom from such a small and fragile nun!

In all the years I have lived, I have never heard a bad word spoken of Mother Teresa. Not one. She was universally loved and admired. Yet, I did hear someone question why she did not extend her mission towards educating those she cared for; why not educate instead of just handing out food and offering shelter? Her answer was simple: “if you do not feed them today they will starve.” She believed passionately that this was her mission; educating and training them was someone else’s mission. And in my opinion, she was right.

When Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997, the whole world, in my opinion, should have stopped and had a moment of silence to honor her. That didn’t happen because if you think back to August of 1997, there already was great mourning for the passing of Princess Diana, and that consumed the world. Yes, in Calcutta Mother Teresa was mourned and she certainly is missed today. But I am hopeful that in the Fall of 2016 nothing can overshadow  her canonization, not even the upcoming Presidential Elections. But, if we were able to ask Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu her thoughts on this she would probably say what she said hundreds of times before: “We cannot do great things; we can only do many small things with great love.” So, in reflecting on the life of this incredible instrument of God’s mercy and love, I wish all of you much love in 2016. Perhaps this year we can all try to put God back into our classrooms, halls of justice, in our military, in our daily lives and become, once again, one Nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all! •

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