Thanksgiving Mass - St Peter’s Basilica - 10 October, 2009
A jubilee is a time of thanksgiving. It is now 25 years since Mother Teresa, with Fr. Joseph Langford, founded the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. So first of all, we thank God for the immense gift of being born into the Missionaries of Charity Family. As with the sisters, this birth was a grace, a gift given through the motherly love of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She is also our Mother; our priestly branch and each one of us have grown and developed under the watchful care and maternal love of her Immaculate Heart.
And of course, we have another mother, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Being the youngest sons, we were also the spoiled children. We thank our Mother, Mother Teresa for her tender love for us, for all she has given us while with us on this earth and now from heaven. We count on her continued love, guidance and care. We also thank Fr. Joseph for his “yes” to the Lord and his enthusiastic guidance of our institute for these past 25 years.
Today we have come to this Basilica to express our love and fidelity to the Church and to our Holy Father, and to renew our commitment to be an even more faithful witness to Jesus and to his body and spouse, the Church. In particular, we thank Cardinal Cañizares for celebrating this Holy Mass with us and for us. Thank you, Cardinal Cañizares!!
We thank our elder MC sisters and brothers, for their affection, example and support. We thank all those who help us in so many ways, in prayer and action, while remembering also those who helped us in our earlier years and now continue to help us by their intercession in the communion of saints. We thank our poor who give so much to us as we try to be a “carrier of God’s love” to them.
Thank you, Sisters, for your presence today in such a big number, and especially to the choir for your beautiful singing. To our brother priests and to all of our friends and benefactors who are here with us today, even from as far as Spain and Portugal, our heartfelt thank you!
A jubilee is also a time of new beginning. Each of us is called anew to closer friendship with Jesus, to more intimate knowledge and love of him and a more faithful witness and proclamation of his Gospel. Earlier in the Mass we renewed the consecration of ourselves and our institute to the Lord through the maternal heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I ask all of you to pray for us, that we “do not spoil God’s work,” as Mother Teresa would always pray, but rather that we may grow in love, in fidelity and humble service to God, His Church and very especially to the poorest of the poor.
