Invasion of privacy--above and beyond

Anyone who picks up The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta" has to wonder how Mother Teresa would view becoming a hot topic ten years after her death. The 2007 book was edited and published by the priest who is serving as postulator of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The reason given for the publication is to show the "depth and intensity of her holiness."

But many of the passages are from letters sent to her spiritual advisers and, while they are not protected as private under the sacred right of confession, she constantly begged her spiritual directors to destroy the correspondence. The letters show her confusion, pain, and sense of desolation, and many were written at the suggestion of her superiors. It is understandable why she not want her deepest thoughts known. And why she would expect repeated requests to be honored.

The purpose of the book is to show the mystical nature of her faith and devotion to service. When I started to post this blog, I was going to quote some of these dark passages. However, reading them again I decided that her wish for privacy should be respected.

Let your light shine

One of the best human traits is the longing for fulfillment. We aspire to achieve. We strive to reach new heights. This allows us to change the world. But this longing is troublesome when fear or doubts interfere with our yearnings. Life experience may have taught that it's better to play safe. Habitual thoughts, fear, or conflict can keep us in the shadows.

So how can we move into the light? The answer is different for each individual, but a great way to start is through creative expression. A fresh, authentic approach is needed. For artists, creativity may be inborn. The rest of us can learn how to tap into the source of creativity. Any of the arts can help, but in this blog we concentrate on writing.

Expressive writing has many benefits. Journals and diaries can remain private, so there is no need to worry about letting go and making a full, honest disclosure. The ideas are fixed on paper or other storage media, making them visible as long as we want. We can go back to them later. See what we expressed when it was especially meaningful to do so. We can see patterns and progress. If necessary, we can take the inner thoughts to a trusted counselor to get help with the process of discovery and wellbeing. Writing is a great way to face and then understand problems, so we can discover way to move forward -- into the light.