Book Review /// A Call To Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve by Mother Teresa



About A Call To Mercy


Published to coincide with Pope Francis's Year of Mercy and the Vatican's canonization of Mother Teresa, this new book of unpublished material by a humble yet remarkable woman of faith whose influence is felt as deeply today as it was when she was alive, offers Mother Teresa’s profound yet accessible wisdom on how we can show mercy and compassion in our day-to-day lives.
 
For millions of people from all walks of life, Mother Teresa's canonization is providentially taking place during Pope Francis's Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This is entirely fitting since she is seen both inside and outside of the Church as an icon of God's mercy to those in need. 
 
Compiled and edited by Brian Kolodiejckuk, M.C., the postulator of Mother Teresa’s cause for sainthood, A Call to Mercy presents deep yet accessible wisdom on how we can show compassion in our everyday lives. In her own words, Mother Teresa discusses such topics 
as:
        the need for us to visit the sick and the imprisoned
        the importance of honoring the dead and informing the ignorant
        the necessity to bear our burdens patiently and forgive willingly
        the purpose to feed the poor and pray for all
        the greatness of creating a “civilization of love” through personal service to others
 
Featuring never before published testimonials by people close to Mother Teresa as well as prayers and suggestions for putting these ideas into practice, A Call to Mercy is not only a lovely keepsake, but a living testament to the teachings of a saint whose ideas are important, relevant and very necessary in the 21st century.



My Thoughts On A Call To Mercy


I'm kind of embarrassed to admit how long it has taken me to read through A Call To Mercy (ahem, let's just say a couple months and leave it at that, 'kay!?), as I've been going through a few incredibly rough life challenges + changes that required compassion and mercy, yes, even for myself. That said, this book was just what I needed to pick up and read off and on for the last few months -- there is hope and love and compassion and mercy to be found in these pages; stories full of hope and humanity and suffering and redemption and grief and horror and sacrificial love and what it looks like to show compassion in everyday life. It was an amazing read about an amazing woman and an amazing God. And, yeah, it was a hard read, especially for those like myself who are empaths (super-feelers), but it was such an amazing, moving -- life and faith altering, truly -- and challenging read, nonetheless. This is a book I will be keeping on my bookshelf, and pulling out for when I need to intimately become reacquainted with hope and suffering and faith and mercy towards others, and myself, again and again and again.

My Favorite Lines from A Call To Mercy (so far...)

"The pain of hunger is terrible and that is where you and I must come and give until it hurts. I want you to give until it hurts. And this giving is love of God in action. Hunger is not only for bread, hunger is for love." [pg. 4]

"Let us not use bombs and guns to overcome the world but let us radiate the peace of God and extinguish all hatred and love of power in the world and in the hearts of men." [pg.14]

"Give whatever you can, and if you have nothing, do not worry; give your hands to serve and hearts to love. By helping others, you will be rewarded with peace and joy." [pg. 22]



Stars In The Vast Sea of Books!? FIVE WHOLE STARS! *****

  About the Author


MOTHER TERESA was born in Skopje (present-day Macedonia) in 1910, and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin in 1928.  She left the Loreto order in 1948 to begin the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.  Her service to the poorest of the poor became her life’s work.  She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She died in 1997 and was beatified in 2003. 

FATHER BRIAN KOLODIEJCHUK, M.C. the editor of the New York Times bestseller, Come Be My Light met Mother Teresa in 1977 and was associated with her until her death in 1997.  He is postulator of the cause of the beatification and canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Director of the Mother Teresa Center.

Big shout out to Blogging for Books, as I received this book from them for this review.