Gospel for the Mass: 10/9/16- Luke 17:11-19

*Be sure to check out Gospel for the Mass Year C page right below the header for other days that you need Gospel for the Mass activities.


Disclaimer: The posts below contain links to other websites and the content of these sites are evaluated before they are included. These websites can change without warning making links inactive and/or the content altered. We have no control over other websites and we are not responsible for the content that they post.




Luke 17:11-19



Activities

catholicmom.com- Click on the month. Scroll down to the date for Coloring Page, Mass Worksheet, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, etc.

catholickidsbulletin.blogspot.com- Download a FREE bulletin to help your kids learn more about our Catholic Mass. Each week's bulletin contains coloring pages for a saint and activities based on the Gospel. The coloring pages may also include a maze, dot-to-dot, find the picture, and many other activities.

loyolapress.com- Background on the Gospel and activities for groups and families

4catholiceducatiors.com- Resources on the Sunday Readings

mssscrafts.com- The Leper Who Said Thank You with tons of resources for illustrating the story, coloring pages/activity sheets, crafts, and songs

sermons4kids.com- The Thankful Leper object lesson with coloring page, group activities, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

sermons4kids.com- “Please, and Thank you” object lesson with coloring page, group activities, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

calvarycurriculum.com- Jesus Heals Ten Lepers lesson #212 with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.

sundayschoollessons- Jesus Heals Ten Lepers lesson with questions and answers.

sundayschoolsources.com- Jesus Heals Ten Lepers lesson with discussions, songs, crafts, games, questions, worksheets, memory work, etc.

word-sunday.com- Ginny’s Flu (scroll down to Gospel)

daniellesplace.com- Lesson with several activities

The Catholic Toolbox- Thank You God- Ten Lepers PK – K lesson with: Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles, etc.

The Catholic Toolbox- The Thankful Leper lesson for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets

The Catholic Toolbox- What Can Teens Do For Gospel For The Mass Activities?

textweek.com- Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources

educationworld.com- Giving Thanks- Writing prompt. Three things that I am most thankful for and explain why they are so special to you.

pinterest.com- Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers Activities

greatergood.berkely.edu- Gratitude Activities for the Classroom



Coloring

sermons4kids.com- The Ten Lepers

sermons4kids.com- The Thankful Leper

higherpraise.com- Luke 17:15



Crafts

sermons4kids.com- The Thankful Leper group activities (crafts)

mssscrafts.com- Ten lepers nesting doll and paper craft.

pinterest.com- Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers (crafts listed)

The Ten Lepers (Bible Story Wheel)- Bible Wheels to Make and Enjoy by Carmen Sorvillo, page 49 & 50.

enchantedlearning.com- I am Thankful For . . . (mini book for the children to make)

teacher.scholastic.com- I am Thankful (mini book for the children to make)



Games

daniellesplace.com- Lots of leper games posted here. Scroll down to Lazarus Come Out Game (just change it to Leper Come Out Game.) Explain to the students that no one wanted to be around lepers and that lepers had to hide from others. Jesus wants us to be kind to everyone so we have to find the leper to help him. Hide the leper under one of the cups, mix them up, and have each student try to find the leper. You can also have each student make their own leper out of a clothespin and give them 3 cups to play the game with each other or at home.

daniellesplace.com- Play A Musical Chairs Thank You Game (scroll down to this)

sermons4kids.com- “U” are in JesUs- Make this a game by finding out who can find the most words that have "U" in them.

Race to Draw Power and Thanks- A fun low energy level game with complete directions, supply list, what to say, and post game discussion questions. Through a drawing race, kids will discover Jesus' power to heal ten lepers and will think of things for which they can thank Jesus. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children's Ministry by Group Publishing, pages 122 & 123).

Praise Phrases- The Really Big Book of Bible Games, page 187.

The Catholic Toolbox- The Lepers file folder game



Puzzles

Ten Men with Leprosy- Follow the directions to color all ten men. (Big Puzzles for Little Hands: Jesus’ Life and Lessons, page 69).

Jesus healed 10 men, but only one said “Thank you.” Find all the mistakes in this picture of the healed man thanking Jesus. On October 28 page from More 365 Activities for Kids.

dltk-bible.com- Jesus Heals the Man with Leprosy puzzles- anagrams, crosswords, cryptogram, maze, word-mining sheets, word searches, etc.

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

joanyedwards.com- Word Search

sermons4kids.com- Decoder

gardenofpraise.com- Word Scramble

catholicmom.com- Crossword

sermons4kids.com- Crossword

gardenofpraise.com- Crossword with word bank

joanyedwards.com- Crossword



Quizzes

sermons4kids.com- Multiple Choice

sermons4kids.com- Fill in the Blanks with word bank

gardenofpraise.com- Fill in the Blanks with word bank

gardenofpraise.com- Fill in the Blanks



Skits & Puppetry

kirkofkildaire.org- Puppet activity with puppet script for the Ten Lepers

Mass Etiquette: Most Frequently Asked Questions

Lots of people are confused by the Do’s and Don’ts during Mass. Here are a few questions with answers that might be of some help.



1- Are Catholics supposed to hold hands during Our Father?

catholic.com- “The Holy See has not ruled directly on this issue. In a response to a query, however, the Holy See stated that holding hands “is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics” (Notitiae 11 [1975] 226, DOL 1502 n. R29). For this reason, no one can be required to hold hands during the Our Father.”

The U.S. Status: People hold hands during the Our Father (p. 161)—Discouraged (Mass Confusion Appendix Three pg. 234) In the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal the only posture specified during the Our Father is standing. GIRM: (paragraphs 43 and 160)



2- Are Catholics supposed to shake hands during the sign of peace?

vatican.va.- General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 82: "As for the sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner."

As for the sign of peace, you are not required to render it in any particular form. The bishops conference has the authority to establish a particular sign as the official form of the rite in the US, but have never done so, leaving the unofficial custom of the handshake in place. You are certainly free to bow to your neighbor and wish him peace, instead, or some other gesture.



3- Do Catholics have to go to Confession first before they receive Holy Communion?

ewtn.com- Both the theology of the Church and her law oblige Confession ONLY when there is mortal sin.



4- How long must a Catholic fast before Holy Communion? Are there any exceptions?

ewtn.com- One who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion. Those who are advanced in age or who suffer from any infirmity, as well as those who take care of them, can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have taken something during the previous hour.



5- Does chewing gum and eating candies, breath mints, lozenges break the fast before Holy Communion?

ewtn.com- Chewing gum does not break the fast, but it is disrespectful of the Sacred Liturgy and once the juice is swallowed the fast is broken. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, candies, breath mints, lozenges and anything that is put into the mouth to be dissolved or chewed meets these conditions once the dissolved contents are swallowed.



6- Can Non-Catholic Christians be admitted to sacramental communion in the Roman Catholic Church?

ewtn.com- Answer



7- Can the Eucharist be carried on their person, in a pocket or purse or even reserved in the home?

ewtn.com- Answer



8- Is talking in Church when not demanded by necessity wrong?

ewtn.com- Answer



9- If people arrive to Mass late due to culpable negligence, and especially if they do so habitually, is it considered a sin?

ewtn.com- Answer



10- What should one do if they drop the Body of Christ or the Blood of Christ? What should one do if they spill the Blood of Christ on their clothes?

buchholzins.com- Answer



11- Does the Body of Christ need to be consumed immediately?

catholiceducation.org- Communion should not be received on the run, as you’re walking back to your place; it should be consumed before you leave the area below the altar.



12- Is it a sin to leave Mass right after receiving communion before the closing prayers?

fathercarroll2009.blogspot.com- Answer

courageouspriest.com- Answer



13- If a Catholic comes late to Mass can they receive Holy Communion?

ewtn.com- Answer



14- Why must we kneel on our knees during Mass without leaning back on the pew? Are there any exceptions?

catholic.org- Respect for the Eucharist demands that we kneel on our knees without leaning back on the pew. If you are ill or disabled, it is acceptable to sit instead of kneeling.



15- Is it considered a sin if we do not go to Mass?

scborromeo.org- The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin (CCC 2181).



16- Do I commit a mortal sin if I do not attend Mass on Holy Days of obligation?

catholichome.webs.com- Yes. On Holy Days of obligation Catholics are obliged to go to Mass as on Sundays. The Holy Days of obligation which fall on days other than Sunday are Christmas, New Years, The Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) the Ascension Thursday (though many Bishops have transferred it to Sunday), the Assumption of Mary into heaven (Aug. 15).

Given how precious the Mass is plus the Old Testament precedent which was rightly adapted by the Church, the Code of Canon Law (#1246) proscribes, "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church." Moreover, "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass..." (#1247). Therefore, the Catechism teaches, "Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit grave sin" (#2181), and grave sin is indeed mortal sin. Recently, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, repeated this precept in his apostolic letter Dies Domini (Observing and Celebrating the Day of the Lord, #47, 1998).


Are there any other questions that you can think of that I could add to this list?

Bell Work

Bell Work is class work that students are doing when the bell rings. It is always the first task the students do. Many teachers use Bell Work to keep students busy and occupied when they first come into the classroom. It can also be used when students have finished their regular work a little early. It will help these students not to rush through their work when they have a challenging activity.


Rules of Bell Work:

• Keep Bell Work simple.

• Make sure it serves a purpose in getting the day's instruction started. Use it as a warm-up activity.

• You should not have to write more than a simple instruction on the board to have the students get busy.

• Bell Work is done every day. When you describe Bell Work to your students on the first day of class, instruct them never to ask you whether there is Bell Work today. There is Bell Work every day.

• Bell Work will always be posted in the same place in the classroom.




What To Do For Bell Work:

• Review previously learned material. (Use questions, worksheets, quizzes, puzzles, etc.)

• Review today’s Gospel Reading (Use questions, worksheets, quizzes, puzzles, etc. You can get ideas from FREE Children's Worship Bulletins and/or Mass Worksheets

• Journal Writing

• Mass Journals

• Silent reading.

• Word games or mind benders.

• Give them a situation and ask them “What would Jesus do?”

• Have a passage reference that relates to today’s lesson on the board. Students must summarize the passage in their own words.

• Have the students write the connection between the First Reading and the Gospel Reading from today’s Mass.

• Have the students do Spelling and Vocabulary Worksheets for review or to help the students with new spelling and vocabulary words from today's lesson.

• thereligionteacher.com- Bell Work Activities



*Early in the year, your students may not be able to read, but you can point them to an activity as they enter the classroom.

• Activity Tubs: Have tubs of any kind of material for them to sort. Let each student decide if they are sorting by color, by shape, etc. They can work as individuals or in groups.

• Coloring Tubs: Coloring sheets or students can “Draw a picture of _______” (make it specific).

• Activity areas: Most Pre K and Kindergarten teachers have activity areas such as a block areas, fine motor, book, etc. or a play kitchen that you already use for activities, letting the children chose the area they want to explore. Use these same areas and activities for Bell Work.

• Handwriting Sheets/Copy Work: Have the students do manuscript handwriting sheets pertaining to today’s lesson or review previously learned material. Here is a list of Bible Alphabet Handwriting Sheets you can print out for FREE for your classroom or home. To learn various prayers, liturgical objects used in Mass, and other church activities, having the students write it down is a good way for them to remember. Here are a few of my favorite Handwriting/Copy Work Worksheet Makers that are FREE so you can make personalized handwriting worksheets for your students.



What kind of Bell Work do you do in your classroom?

Service Dog at All Saints

All Saints Catholic School is committed to welcoming students with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal. This letter is to inform you that there will be a new service dog in our school assisting one of our students in Grade 7.  The certified service dog is highly trained and is intended to support the student in their learning experiences. The dog is identified by a red working jacket and is working at all times while on school property.

While children are encouraged to speak to the student about his service dog, it is important they do not talk to, touch or feed him. As the dog is engaged in supporting a student, we are asked to ensure that the animal is not distracted as it completes its duties.  These expectations have been reviewed with our full staff, and will be shared with all students as part of our grade level assemblies later this week.  Additional information can be found at the board’s website at: http://ocsb.ca/accessibilityocsb.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the school.  Thank you for your understanding and support.

All Saints Blog

Week of September 8th, 2015

First Week of School!

Following numerous student registrations over the last few weeks, classrooms clean and set and an eager staff ready to go, we welcome you to the first day of school.  Our staff spent last week preparing for our start, focusing on a review of our School Innovation Plan and looking at priorities for the year.  Our Board theme, Sent to Be the Good News provides us with a challenge as we interact with those in our wider community.  I am looking forward to sharing my own goals in person with you, however, I will let our students know that I am focusing on the following areas this year:

1. Facilitate innovative student and staff learning and opportunity.

2. Participate in staff/student faith development, wellness and safety initiatives.
3. Network with other educators and share our All Saints learning approaches

Our school administration team and student services personnel will meet with all of our grades individually this week to review common expectations and provide direction for support if students need assistance.  

First Day of School Procedures

Grade 7 students will go to the Cafetorium and their teacher will call their names and bring the

class to their room.  Grade 8 students  will go down towards the 7/8 wing on the first floor and their names and homerooms will be posted on the wall on the right side of the hall just before entering the 7/8 wing.  Student peer helpers will be on hand to help direct students.

Grade 9 & 10 students will check the lists posted in the atrium for the room number of their

homeroom.  They will go to their homeroom where they will receive their schedule.  

Grade 11 students will check the lists posted on the windows in the hall on the second floor (front and back of school) for the room number of their homeroom.  They will go to their homeroom where they will receive their schedule.  

Grade 12 students will check the lists posted on the windows in the hall on the third floor (front and back of school) for the room number of their homeroom.  They will go to their homeroom where they will receive their schedule.

Peer Helpers will be on hand to help students find their homerooms.

A verification sheet will be sent home with each student on Tuesday - it needs to be carefully checked over and signed by parents and returned on Wednesday.

If your child has asthma please note the Ministry requires you to complete a medical form for your child.  Please e-mail the school at AllSaints.High@ocsb.ca to obtain this form as it cannot be attached to this message.  It will also be on the website as of Tuesday, September 8th.

Parents are asked to create an on-line payment account for each of their children at All Saints.  The option to use credit cards is now available at https://ocsb.schoolcashonline.com/   You will get a receipt for all payments made.  The student fee ($30 per student with a maximum of $60 per family) is due as soon as possible this week and may be paid online. If you have two or more students you just choose one child at a time and choose the option for (first, second, third…) child.  

Students eligible for Presto cards who did not pick them up prior to school starting will be called to the office, however, will need to make their own way to school on Tuesday.  

Friday, September 9th is our school photo day.  Information for ordering pictures will come home ahead of this date.  Students are reminded that even if you aren’t ordering pictures, your photo is required for student identification as well as our yearbook.

Communications:

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our

website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Coming Up:

Thursday, September 22nd: Meet the staff BBQ (4:30 to 6:30 more details to follow)

Monday, September 26th: All Saints School Council meeting (7:00 Learning Commons)

Decorating & Organizing Your Classroom: Considerations For Children With Sensory Processing Disorders

Every teacher wants a beautiful classroom which stimulates their students to want to learn. Having colorful and stimulating classrooms seems to be the norm today, but is it the right thing?

Teachers need to take in mind that some students would find their classroom sensory alluring, but others with sensory processing challenges would find it a bit too much and could not handle your classroom. Behavior problems would result and children in your classroom would not be learning to their fullest potential.

Some children process sensory stimulation (sounds, taste, smells, touch, and what they see) differently than others. Some over react while others seem oblivious to the goings on around them. As a parent of a special needs child, teachers need to take into consideration all the senses and structure the classroom to meet children’s sensory needs.

For many students sensory overload is one of the most detrimental and critical problems in the classroom. An over-stimulating environment can cause some students to shut down, become excited, inappropriate behavioral problems can arise and may escalate which could lead to major meltdowns. Examples of an over sensory environment is: buzzing and flickering lights, clutter, decorations that are vivid in color and different kinds of patterns, loud sudden noises (fire alarm, timers, bells, etc.), students too close or brushing up against you, loud and noisy surroundings, various smells (certain foods, dry erase board markers, cleaning supplies, carpet, mold, etc.), crowded and chaotic classrooms, etc.

When designing children’s environments, it is important to consider the needs of children with sensory processing disorders and to think through the space as an experience. What will the children possibly see, hear, smell, taste, and feel? Are there things that could be designed differently in critical areas so as not to interfere with a child’s ability to learn?


Considerations for the Classroom:

slideshare.net- Sensory Considerations When Teaching And Setting Up The Classroom

sensory-processing-discorder.com- Problem Behavior In The Classroom: Dealing With Children And Sensory Processing Disorders At School

abilitypath.org- Sensory Awareness In Your Classroom

brighthubeducation.com- Activities for Hypersensitive Tactile Teens in the Classroom

sensorysmarts.com- Working with Schools from Raising a Sensory Smart Child

"May She Be Your Model of Holiness!" – With The World Watching, Mother Teresa Declared Saint

In each standard Holy Year of the last century, the Popes have successively used the quarter-century observance to yield the church's biggest stage to a lone woman, recognizing in her a spirit of sanctity which has captivated her age and beyond.

Indeed, all but one were contemporary figures – and, even now, each remains widely celebrated across the generations to follow: in 1925, Pius XI highlighted the figure of Therese of Lisieux, canonizing the 24 year-old "Little Flower" all of 28 years after her death; in 1950, Pius XII elevated the Italian "martyr of purity" Maria Goretti within a half-century of her stabbing, before the most massive crowd ever seen for a rite of the kind, the first ever to be held outdoors (and before a throng famously led by the saint's own mother); in 1975, Blessed Paul VI aimed to honor both the United States and the ecumenical movement by making Mother Elizabeth Seton the country's first daughter raised to the altars, and in the Great Jubilee of 2000, John Paul II – now, of course, a saint himself – capped his personalization of the papacy with the sainting of Sister Faustina Kowalska on the Second Sunday of Easter, the core feast of the Polish nun's visions of the Merciful Jesus, which generations of the Curia had held as suspect and aimed to suppress until Karol Wojtyla's own ascent to Peter's Chair.

And so today, amid an Extraordinary Jubilee dedicated to the Father's mercy, the line continued with Pope Francis' formal pronouncement of what the world long ago determined about one of the most admired and recognizable figures of the 20th century....


(Translation of formula:)

For the honor of the Blessed Trinity,
the exaltation of the Catholic faith and
the increase of the Christian life,
by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul,
and our own;
after due deliberation
and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and
having sought the counsel of many of our
brother Bishops: 
We declare and define
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
to be a Saint
and we enroll her among the Saints,
decreeing that she is to be venerated as such
by the whole Church.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit.

* * *

On the eve of the 19th anniversary of the Albanian-born missionary's death, Italian reports estimated the crowd in St Peter's Square at 120,000, a smaller-than-expected figure likely owed to the security fears hanging over this Jubilee Year. In any case, even for the passage of time, few canonizations have attracted the level of attention today's rite has received across the globe, and given the moment's significance as affirming the new saint's universal veneration among the faithful, it'd be hard to think of a recent moment that reflects the concept as clearly as this.

In Rome, the four-day festival of prayer, concerts and speeches wraps up with a Mass tomorrow in St Peter's to mark the first feast of Saint Teresa – an observance which, to date, has only been added to the liturgical calendar in her adopted India, but may be generally celebrated elsewhere each 5 September upon petition to the Holy See by the relevant episcopal conference.

That said, considering the massive focus on today's event – not to mention the enduring, widespread affection for the new saint – pastors may, at their discretion, deem it suitable to bring this special edition of the feast-day to their communities at Monday's daily Masses: the Common of Virgins (white vestments) is used, with the following proper Collect....

God,
who called Saint Teresa, virgin
to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross
with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor,
grant, we beseech you,
by her intercession,
to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

* * *

And here, the on-demand video of this morning's Canonization Mass (worship aid, with translations):



With the English text of the Pope's homily, in which he predicted that – even for her sainthood – "we'll just keep spontaneously calling her 'Mother Teresa'":

“Who can learn the counsel of God?” (Wis 9:13). This question from the Book of Wisdom that we have just heard in the first reading suggests that our life is a mystery and that we do not possess the key to understanding it. There are always two protagonists in history: God and man. Our task is to perceive the call of God and then to do his will. But in order to do his will, we must ask ourselves, “What is God’s will in my life?”

We find the answer in the same passage of the Book of Wisdom: “People were taught what pleases you” (Wis 9:18). In order to ascertain the call of God, we must ask ourselves and understand what pleases God. On many occasions the prophets proclaimed what was pleasing to God. Their message found a wonderful synthesis in the words “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6; Mt 9:13). God is pleased by every act of mercy, because in the brother or sister that we assist, we recognize the face of God which no one can see (cf. Jn 1:18). Each time we bend down to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we give Jesus something to eat and drink; we clothe, we help, and we visit the Son of God (cf. Mt 25:40). In a word, we touch the flesh of Christ.

We are thus called to translate into concrete acts that which we invoke in prayer and profess in faith. There is no alternative to charity: those who put themselves at the service of others, even when they don’t know it, are those who love God (cf. 1 Jn 3:16-18; Jas 2:14-18). The Christian life, however, is not merely extending a hand in times of need. If it is just this, it can be, certainly, a lovely expression of human solidarity which offers immediate benefits, but it is sterile because it lacks roots. The task which the Lord gives us, on the contrary, is the vocation to charity in which each of Christ’s disciples puts his or her entire life at his service, so to grow each day in love.

We heard in the Gospel, “Large crowds were travelling with Jesus” (Lk 14:25). Today, this “large crowd” is seen in the great number of volunteers who have come together for the Jubilee of Mercy. You are that crowd who follows the Master and who makes visible his concrete love for each person. I repeat to you the words of the Apostle Paul: “I have indeed received much joy and comfort from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” (Philem 1:7). How many hearts have been comforted by volunteers! How many hands they have held; how many tears they have wiped away; how much love has been poured out in hidden, humble and selfless service! This praiseworthy service gives voice to the faith – it gives voice to the faith! – and expresses the mercy of the Father, who draws near to those in need.

Following Jesus is a serious task, and, at the same time, one filled with joy; it takes a certain daring and courage to recognize the divine Master in the poorest of the poor and those who are cast aside, and to give oneself in their service. In order to do so, volunteers, who out of love of Jesus serve the poor and the needy, do not expect any thanks or recompense; rather they renounce all this because they have discovered true love. And each one of us can say: “Just as the Lord has come to meet me and has stooped down to my level in my hour of need, so too do I go to meet him, bending low before those who have lost faith or who live as though God did not exist, before young people without values or ideals, before families in crisis, before the ill and the imprisoned, before refugees and immigrants, before the weak and defenceless in body and spirit, before abandoned children, before the elderly who are on their own. Wherever someone is reaching out, asking for a helping hand in order to get up, this is where our presence – and the presence of the Church which sustains and offers hope – must be”. And I do this, keeping alive the memory of those times when the Lord’s hand reached out to me when I was in need.

Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defence of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded. She was committed to defending life, ceaselessly proclaiming that “the unborn are the weakest, the smallest, the most vulnerable”. She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity; she made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt for the crime – the crimes! – of poverty they created. For Mother Teresa, mercy was the “salt” which gave flavour to her work, it was the “light” which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and suffering.

Her mission to the urban and existential peripheries remains for us today an eloquent witness to God’s closeness to the poorest of the poor. Today, I pass on this emblematic figure of womanhood and of consecrated life to the whole world of volunteers: may she be your model of holiness! I think, perhaps, we may have some difficulty in calling her “Saint Teresa”: her holiness is so near to us, so tender and so fruitful that we'll just keep spontaneously calling her “Mother Teresa”. May this tireless worker of mercy help us increasingly to understand that our only criterion for action is gratuitous love, free from every ideology and all obligations, offered freely to everyone without distinction of language, culture, race or religion. Mother Teresa loved to say, “Perhaps I don’t speak their language, but I can smile”. Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey, especially those who suffer. In this way, we will open up opportunities of joy and hope for our many brothers and sisters who are discouraged and who stand in need of understanding and tenderness.

-30-