Card. Gracias: Like Mother Teresa, young people have a thirst for service to the poor

The president of the Indian bishops was a great friend of the saint of Calcutta. In India "there is so much need for service". "As Jesus was thirsty, we too must be infected by the same thirst for God, the charisma of Mother Teresa".

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Young people in India "are constantly thirsting to do something for the poor, to serve, and try to emulate the spirit of Mother Teresa in their works", says Card. Oswald Gracias. The archbishop of Mumbai and president of the Indian Bishops' Conference (CBCI) shared his reflections on the saint of Calcutta, of whom he was a great friend.  A friendship of which he also spoke in his intervention at the AsiaNews International Symposium dedicated to the Mother on September 2, 2016, on the eve of her canonization. Below Card. Gracias’ reflection.

It is a great joy and rejoicing for all of us to celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Mother Teresa and of the International Day of Charity.  Mother Teresa, who was my close friend, totally gave herself up to love of the poorest of the poor. Pope Francis has been asking us to consistently witness to her and reach out to the periphery with the same spirit that moved her. To  reveal Jesus working among the  poor, the unloved, the forgotten

We celebrate International Day of Charity, in the Church in India , in the Spirit of Mother Teresa , with the mission of love and service, to  suffering both material and spiritual poverty, existential peripheries of our own families, communities , societies and those who live devoid of human dignity, the poorest of the poor

There is so much of need in India,  and the Church definitely wants to follow in the steps of Mother Teresa in her Witness of Love, through service to the poor.. In this I can say that all our Bishops, Priests and Sisters have a great desire to reach out to the people who are suffering. It is a great joy that we can also see this Service  also in people of other faiths. Like Mother Teresa did, we too should go  beyond the borders of our Faith and  religion and work together  with peoples of other Faith, to serve - the downtrodden, the elderly, destitute, with those on peripheries and the vulnerable segments of society

As Jesus thirsted, we should be infected with the same thirst for the Lord, charism of Mother Teresa, to quench the burning thirst of Christ   and to help and reach out to people who are in need, every kind of need. The thirst that can be quenched only by the Love and service of the people.  You Did it to Me This is the Holiness which Mother Teresa radiated.

Pope Francis  in his Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christo Vivit ,  Christ is Alive, : For our youth Mother Teresa is an Inspiration, they know that Christ was Alive in  Mother, …. Mother Teresa experienced this Thirst  and it was her oneness with the thirst of Christ and I see  that in our youth and especially in the Archdiocese of Bombay and in the Youth in the Church in India, the youth are consistently thirsting to do something for the poor, they reach out in service,and seek to emulate in their outreach -the Spirit of Mother Teresa.  Mother's Spirit and witness has enthused our youth.  Pope Francis has the Spirit of  Mother Teresa,  Pope Francis concern for the poor and marginalized, vulnerable, elderly and the weaker sections of society, encourages us to  Christ Like living.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Saint Teresa, pray for us.