When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 she chose to make the wrong of abortion the topic of her acceptance speech. This was the first time she had publicly spoken out against abortion. She did it in a country where abortion was legal. Her speech was broadcast around the world at a time when abortion was becoming the law of the land in country after country. When questioned why she chose to do that, she said, “Jesus said, ‘I am the Truth, and it is for you and me to speak the truth.”
Speaking Truth with Tact and Strength
Yet Mother Teresa individually spoke truth with great tact. As one of her sisters recalled in testimony for her canonization, “If she spoke to a person in deep sin she would never say, ‘You are a sinner.’ She would say, ‘Jesus wants you to be a saint’ and such and such is wrong. She tried to make that person understand what God was calling them to be. She didn’t judge. She would remind everyone of how special they were to God. And that was what used to move people. It wasn’t ‘change yourself so God will accept you and love you.’ But rather that ‘God accepts and loves you as you are even in your sins, but He loves you too much to leave you as you are.’ She knew from Jesus that making people feel loved would challenge them to respond in love.”
Her standards for “speaking the truth in love” for herself and her sisters were very strict. In a letter to the superiors of her order she said: “Do not allow any uncharitable, harsh remarks to come from your lips when you correct your sisters. So much hurt has come into so many hearts due to hurtful, harsh words…I do not know why you have to do it, when I have never done it to you. Not one in the Society, from the beginning to this day, can say that I have hurt any of you with my words; maybe sometime when you found obedience difficult, you thought Mother was hard on you. It was not I; it was you who were hard on yourself for not accepting to obey.”
Speaking Truth in Today’s Readings
Today’s readings continue a theme of the week of the role and importance of speaking Truth. The reading from Acts continues the story from yesterday. The story begins in the early part of chapter 5. At this point the apostles’ capacity to do good is so great that “they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.” (Acts 5: 15) The Sanhedrin was very disturbed and put the apostles in jail. An angel released them—and they went right back to the temple area to preach the Truth of Jesus’ resurrection. The Sanhedrin had them arrested again.
The words of today’s reading are what they said when they were brought before the Sanhedrin and confronted with, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
They were witnesses and so called to speak the truth they knew.
The Gospel is the end of Chapter 3 in John. Earlier in this chapter John told the story of Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who struggled with what Jesus said and sought him out to better understand. Then John recounts the end of John the Baptist’s witness. This is early in Jesus’ ministry. Today’s selection seems to be a commentary by the author. It develops the theme of needing to speak Truth.
“Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Knowing How to Effectively Speak Truth
Back to Mother Teresa. Back to you and me.
Mother Teresa spoke Truth loud and clear for all the world to hear when she received the Nobel Peace Prize. It was like God gave her a platform and she took it. Because, “Jesus said, ‘I am the Truth.’ It is for you and me to speak the Truth.”
Mother Teresa was not one to mince words when it came to Truth. Yet story after story in her life speak the other truth she said to her sister superiors, “Not one in the Society, from the beginning to this day, can say that I have hurt any of you with my words.”
So often today people speak Truth in polarized, harsh words aimed to attack, not to convert.
Or they do not speak Truth at all, and let great evils in our world go unchallenged.
It is not hard for me to recall times when I have spoken Truth harshly—and times when I have been silent when I should have spoken.
It is really, really hard to know what to say, how, and when so I effectively speak Truth God gives me to speak.
Help from the Holy Spirit
As I reflect on today’s readings and my own struggles with when, where, and how to speak God’s Truth, it seems to me that increasing my dependence on the Holy Spirit can be a help. When the Holy Spirit speaks there is a sense of Light, Truth, Love, Goodness, and a holy energy. Within me, I am not caught up in debate, self-righteousness, defensiveness, or anything that has a sense of “survival of the fittest.” Those feelings and senses come when the battle is about me—not about God. Nor am I caught up in fear, doubt, confusion, or inner turmoil.
Honestly, when retrospect shows me the Holy Spirit is behind what I say in such circumstances, I tend to be surprised a bit by what came out of my mouth. But, yes, I like it—even if those who hear me don’t. There is a peace in me. And sometimes a curiosity, because I recognize a wisdom greater than mine. Where will these words take me—or my listeners?
It seems to me that while Truth is objective and universal, we all have individual expressions of Truth to speak in our lives, our circumstances. We need not make great speeches. We can simply guide and correct our children, speak what we know of God in our workplaces and friendships, recognizing the words of God have effect, even when spoken to a friend over a cup of coffee.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the courage of the apostles and of saints like Mother Teresa today. Give me the Gifts of the Holy Spirit when I have an impulse to speak Truth: piety, fear of the Lord, fortitude, counsel, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Help my words to have effect because they are your words. Lead me, guide me, Lord, especially my mouth–let it speak your heart. Amen.
Stories from Mother Teresa came from A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love and Hands to Serve, by Mother Teresa, edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC. Quotes from p 203 and p 205.
