St. Francis was a radical in his day – was even perceived as a heretic – because he offered a fresh view of the Christian life by living as a beggar, believing in providence, and closely following the teaching of the Gospel. But what was also unusual about him was that he reformed his own religion from within the institutional Church rather than by breaking away from it. Mother Teresa’s life has many similarities to that of Francis.
Her path is also through poverty, simplicity and allowance to the teachings of Christ, and because of this she has been viewed as a progressive in the present fundamentalist framework of the patriarchal Church. Yet she preaches her love and peace on action in a world still lacking in strong female leaders and from one of the largest and poorest and most polluted cities in Asia.
This is an excerpt from a book A Simple Path by Mother Teresa. If you would like to buy this book please click here.