At TheRadicalLife.org last month, former Register blogger Matthew Warner offered "Seven Steps to a Holier Life by Mother Teresa."
"When we are stressed or feel overly burdened in life, it’s usually because we’ve gotten our priorities out of order," Warner blogged. "Here are seven of my favorite Mother Teresa quotes that will help. When read in this order, they are guaranteed to bring order and peace back to your life. Give them a try.
"Step 1: Slow down. ‘I think the world today is upside down. Everybody seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater development and greater riches and so on. There is much suffering because there is so very little love in homes and in family life. We have no time for our children; we have no time for each other. There is no time to enjoy each other. In the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.’
"Step 2: Make some room. ‘If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride, because it shows you trust in your own power. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness and your intellectual pride will inhibit his coming to live in your heart — because God cannot fill what is already full. It is as simple as that.’
"Step 3: Open your eyes. ‘Each one of them [the poor and needy] is Jesus in disguise.’
"Step 4: Put great love into the small things. ‘In this life, we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.’
"Step 5: Do not tire. ‘Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.’
"Step 6: Remember, it’s faithfulness, not success. ‘God doesn’t ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithful. However beautiful our work may be, let us not become attached to it. Always remain prepared to give it up, without losing your peace.’
"Step 7: Leave the rest to Jesus. ‘Be humble, and you will never be disturbed. It is very difficult in practice, because we all want to see the result of our work. Leave it to Jesus.’
"Radical tip: Give yourself five minutes each morning to reread these again. It will change your life."
Have you always wondered about some aspect of the faith? Or maybe you’d like to know some trivia about Pope Francis. If you do, email us your question at editor@ewtn.com and look for the answer in an upcoming issue.