I read a very sad article from TIMES magazine recently. You can click here (times article) to read it if you haven't. It was on Mother Theresa's crisis of faith.  I am sure many read the article and were touch by it, but I am afraid many don't really understand what was probably wrong.  I am going to say somethings that will probably surprise, even shock, some. 

First understand it is possible to be truly saved and not feel saved. Salvation is NOT by feelings - it is through the Lord Jesus Christ alone. In Mother Theresa's case though, I am afraid it more likely that she couldn't find God because she was looking in the wrong places. Let's look at some statements of hers quoted in the article :

a) Did I make a mistake in surrendering blindly to the Call of the Sacred Heart?  (What is this "sacred heart" - It is suppose to be some representation of Jesus, but it is an invention of a woman who is now called Saint Margaret Mary. You can read the catholic representation and prayers on this page (Sacred Heart)  You will not find any of it has foundation in the Word of God, the Bible!

b) she frequently bemoaned an inability to pray: "I utter words of Community prayers--and try my utmost to get out of every word the sweetness it has to give--But my prayer of union is not there any longer--I no longer pray." By community of prayers I am sure she is talking about the different prayers the Catholic church has that are to be regularly repeated, such has ones from the page above, or the rosary. She could have prayed those all day long and never found God.  Jesus himself warned against such praying in Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. God doesn't not want to hear us say the same things over and over till we can do it without thought - He wants honest communication from our hearts.

c) Next we see Teresa prayed to the deceased Pope Pius XII  for a "proof that God is pleased with the Society." And "then and there," she rejoiced, "disappeared the long darkness ... that strange suffering of 10 years."  According to her words the only time she got respite was after doing something we are NOT to do. No man or woman can hear our prayers after they die. They can not answer our prayers. We are NEVER told to come to God through dead people, not even Mary.  In fact what the Bible says is -1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus and in John 14:6 Jesus said, "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

d) another statement of Theresa's is : "I just have the joy of having nothing--not even the reality of the Presence of God [in the Eucharist]." Once again she could have looked forever for God in the Eucharist and she would have NEVER found HIM there.  God is not in the unbloody sacrifice the Catholic church offers up. The Bible tells us, Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.  There is no other sacrifice accepted or needed. Communion is only a symbol, a remembrance - Read Luke 22 and 1 Corinthians 11, you will see He says "this do in remembrance of me"  It is clearly symbolic. The bread does not become His flesh nor does the "wine" become His blood. To eat flesh and drink blood would be to violate the law and Jesus NEVER broke the law. Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. Jesus used the breaking of the bread to show how He would be broken on the cross for our sin and shed His blood in sacrificial payment for our sin. We have to personally partake through faith by receiving the risen Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour to be saved. THAT is what Jesus was talking about!

Unfortunately I am not sure Therea ever figured it out - I am afraid she died trusting the lies of the Catholic church and is paying for it in eternity. I hope somewhere she found the truth, but I am afraid she didn't. She was a good woman, but good won't save anybody. Only accepting the FINISHED work of Jesus Christ on our behalf will save us. Have you done that? or Are you trying to be good enough to make it to Heaven? You will never make it. We can never be good enough, not even a "mother theresa" is good enough. We are all sinners.  Jesus payed for that sin on the cross. He died, shedding His blood to cleanse it away then the third day He arose from the dead in victory. He wants to hear from you today. If you will repent of your sins and trust Him alone as your Saviour ( not your works or church) He will save you and keep you for eternity.   May you find the peace Theresa missed!

Wow! You brave girl! My eldest sister is a devout Catholic and I am sure she would be quite upset about this.

However, I completely agree. You can pray all the hail Mary's and go to confession and still you will not receive salvation. Jesus is the only way, period.

Good for you!

The Bible speaks clearly about women preaching, so I try not to Bible thump/preach. But your hatred never seems to abate. "Vain repetitions" are those that have no meaning and are done for show. The rosary is not "vain" anymore than you prayers would be should you say them 2o times a day. And, to your responder, confession is VERY Biblical.

Jesus IS the only way and the WAY is through the church HE founded. The one that GAVE you that Bible you bradish around.

You blaspheme against our Lord and His Sacred Church. Anyone who says that Mother Teresa is burning in hell is a liar and the truth isn't in them. You profess to know "truth" when what you are fostering is a desire for divisions and the beliefs of Protestantism. Furthermore, you feel inclined to tout that you know who is or ISN'T in heaven or going to heaven.

Read what the Holy Bible says in Titus 3:10-11.

Pam, I do not hate Catholics. I care enough about them to speak the truth in love. The Catholic church is lying to millions of people and taking them to an eternity of Hell. I want to see them delivered.
Vain repetition is exactly what it says - something said over and over that is useless. God never gave us that example of praying. When Jesus gave them an example of praying He never said pray this prayer over and over - it was only an example of how to pray. We are to pray from our hearts in Jesus name only.
As far as your attempt to use Scripture you did what most do who want to support a lie you twisted it to fit what you want it to say. The verse says - Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. It does not say by a church - it is through Jesus alone.
Jesus NEVER founded the Catholic church and the Catholic church did not give us the Bible - God did (the Catholic church just tried to pervert what God had given)
As far as your last paragraph- I do not know for sure if Theresa is in Hell or not, maybe she came to the truth before she died but if she died trusting the Catholic church for her salvation she is in big trouble. It can't save her or anyone else. As far as me know who is and isn't going to heaven I can answer that I know based on the Word of God -1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
If a person has never repented of their sin and trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour they are lost and going to Hell according to God's own Word!

Pray tell, Kerri, from whence did the Bible come, then, if not the Catholic Church? There certainly weren't any Protestants around to do the job. There certainly weren't any non-Catholic at the Synod of Hippo or the Council of Carthage when the official canon was gathered and set. Over 1,000 years later the Prots denigerated the text, removing books and allowing a homosexual king to issue his own "version." Gosh, this is basic European history, Kerry! I learned this in the 9th grade!

You have nothing more than your own personal interpretation of Scripture and a self-righteous attitude. You think that YOUR interpretation is right and all other wrongs and that YOU know who is who isn't a *real* Christian as well as who will or will not make it to heaven.

Perhaps you should remember that WOMEN are NOT allowed to be preachers of the word. You have sinned against the Holy Church, The Holy Scriptures, and Christ Himself over and over again. I am done. Christ is love ... not hatemongering, which is all that you are interested in.

I will remember you in my prayers, vain as you think they might be.

Pam, I could go through several things on Bible history, but why should I when someone has already compiled much info. Once source that will deal with Catholic influence on the Bible and on the nonsense about King James is connected to my name on this post. Another resource people might want to read is Sam Gipp's book "An Understandable History of the Bible" at this site -http://www.samgipp.com/history/Gipp_history_index.html

Now to your other statement where you try to quote a verse, but what the verse actually says is - 1 Tim 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. The verse is talking about positions in the church - I am not to be nor do I wish to be a pastor in a church in authority over men. I am however to be a witness and that is what I am.

The link to my name on this post is another great resource to find the true history of the Bible. In fact you may want to read it first before the others

I have found a great chart on the Bible history. When you get to the link connected to my name - there is a menu to the left. Scroll down to #5 and under it is a Bible History chart that draws out the history of the Bible.

The "dark night", like the Cross, is a scandal. So Mother Theresa has become a lot more controversial.

Your post is understandable given your presuppositions (i.e. your Fundamentalism). though it's not going to be persuasive to any informed Catholic. But it is interesting to see where non-Catholics go with Mother Theresa now. Some see the evidence of her life, the great beauty of her sanctity, her perseverance in great trial, and it begins to challenge their presuppositions about Catholicism. Others will look at her Cross and say she could've escaped it, by looking for "what she did wrong".

Jesus gave us apostles, not books. He never told anyone to write anyone down because "the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" as shown by how divided Christianity is now. I urge all Christians, for the good of their own souls, to give up the man-made religion built in the 16th century by Luther & Calvin and embrace the living truth of Catholicism!

I think the "cross" she was carrying was NOT one that the Lord gave her. I think the lady had a deep desire to know the Lord, but she was looking in the wrong places and trying the wrong things. God gave us His Word so that we could know Him and His truth. Her own words show she was looking in the wrong places. Many of the teachings of the RCC are in opposition to what God has said in the Bible. I feel sorry for the lady. We, as humans, complicate the simplicity of the salvation the Lord has provided.

Actually RJ, the Lord did have different ones write things down and so we have the Bible. The Lord gave apostles to the early church with signs and wonders, because we did not have a fully written Bible at that time and because at first salvation was to the Jews and the Jews look for signs. An apostle is one who saw Jesus so that pretty well limits an apostle to the ones with Jesus and Paul who saw Him later. Today we have pastors and teachers and the complete Word of God.2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

I do believe that the Lord uses the spoken word -1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
BUT the key is the subject - the cross.
Salvation is through Jesus alone NOT a church.

Kerri, an apostle isn't just one who knew Christ, for any true Christian "knows" Him. Yes, Christ gave a church and it still stands today. You link above to the article by David Daniels is laughable. Perhaps you should look up the Councils of Hippo and Carthage. The mantra of these rubes seems to be: "When you can't find history to back your claims -- make it up! Most people are too gullible to research your 'facts' anyway!"

I think this explains apostle pretty well -
It was characteristic of the apostles and necessary (1) that they should have seen the Lord, and been able to testify of him and of his resurrection from personal knowledge (Joh 15:27; Ac 1:21,22; 1Co 9:1; Ac 22:14,15). (2.) They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ (Lu 6:13; Ga 1:1). (3.) It was essential that they should be infallibly inspired, and thus secured against all error and mistake in their public teaching, whether by word or by writing (Joh 14:26; 16:13; 1Th 2:13).
(4.) Another qualification was the power of working miracles (Mr 16:20; Ac 2:43; 1Co 12:8-11). The apostles therefore could have had no successors. They are the only authoritative teachers of the Christian doctrines. The office of an apostle ceased with its first holders.

If you don't like the David Daniels article I still refer you back to the Bible chart which shows clearly the way the Catholic Bible came and the KJV. I know you would like to change history but just because it doesn't support the RCC doesn't mean it is wrong.