Photographing holiness can leave one speechless

By Mary Regina Morrell
Catholic Online

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa

Many years ago, when I worked as head staff writer for our diocesan paper, I received an unexpected phone call from the chancellor of the diocese.

"Mary, we are having a really special guest to the diocese tomorrow to visit the bishop. Would you serve as photographer?"

Her voice was hushed, and I began to feel like I was being let in on a very special secret. "Of course, Sister, I'd be glad to. Who is the guest?"

Her voice became a whisper. "Mother Teresa."

I'm not sure how long I was silent before squeaking out, "Mother Teresa? THE Mother Teresa?" As if there were another.

She assured me it was the "one and only."

When I hung up the phone my hands were shaking. I was a writer, not really a photographer, though I did take pictures for the newspaper as needed. Why would she ask me to cover such an important moment?

When I finished questioning my worthiness, and before she came to her senses and changed her mind, I ran to the local retail store and bought the best camera they had, just in case my camera decided to act up the next day.

When I arrived at the diocesan center the next morning, I was ushered into a room where Mother Teresa was seated on the couch with the chancellor.

Again, I was speechless.

What does one say to a woman destined to be a saint? Don't ask me because I don't have a clue as to what came out of my mouth. But, in spite of my awkwardness, she rose graciously and took my hand in hers and told me that she would allow me to photograph her as a sacrifice for the souls in purgatory.

Looking into her eyes I could see the depth, the beauty and the struggles that come from what the world might see as excessive love - God-love, reflected in the being of this faithful woman who said, "Intense love does not measure, it just gives."

For the next hour or two I followed her through the building, snapping pictures of her with the bishop and staff, wishing I could have been a better photographer. But then, on a hunch, I poked my head out of the dining room door to catch Mother Teresa talking to the bishop and as she turned toward me she was doing something I had not yet seen - she was laughing, a big, beautiful laugh - and I got the picture.

As her visit came to a close I followed her to the van and took a few more shots of her and her sisters saying goodbye to the bishop, and then as they drove away I had a painful revelation.

I had not asked anyone to take my picture with Mother Teresa.

For a while, I was upset, but the experience of being with her for that short time, of seeing her wave me forward for the next picture, or seeing her smile at my fumbling directions to move this way or that for another shot, was something that could never be caught on film.

Once in the presence of such holiness, it is hard to go away unchanged. Her words remain a powerful influence in my life. One quote in particular rests near my computer: "Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my high vocation, and its many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness, or impatience."

I am encouraged by these words, not only in their truth, but because she, of all people, needed to ask the Lord to help her remain aware. This was a prayer, as it must be for all of us. It is said that someone once posed the following question to Mother Teresa: "How do you fit an hour of prayer into your busy schedule every day?"

Her response was similar to, "When I'm really busy I make it two hours."

Her life proved that we should not be fitting prayer into our lives, but, rather, fitting our lives into our prayers, or better still, making our lives prayers of praise and gratitude by all that we do and say.

Contact

Diocese of Metuchen
http://www.diometuchen.org NJ, US
Mary Regina Morrell - Associate Director, Office of Religious Educationp, 732 562.1990

Email

mmorrell@diometuchen.org

Keywords

photographing, holiness, Mother Teresa, prayer

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