Book Review…One Heart Full of Love

I have been reading the book, One Heart Full of Love. I love it so much and it has convicted me so deeply that without even having finished I wanted to share some thoughts.

One Heart Full of Love is a collection of addresses that Mother Teresa has given to different groups around the world. Each address is similar because here message was so simple. I was touched by the amazing stories she shared and I was convicted and called on by many of her teachings.

Below I have shared some of the main points prevalent throughout the book:

The Primacy of Love: Mother Teresa’s main message through out the entire book is Love. Fill every single moment with love. Pour every ounce of love you have into every person you meet. This kind of love will change people and the world. Leave everything else behind and just love.

Total reliance on prayer: Mother Teresa’s entire movement was born of prayer. The sisters were called to be people of prayer first and then action. There was so much work to do but regardless the time for prayer was the most important part of the day. This idea of an intense prayer life is present in almost every page of the book.

Simplicity: Her message was not the least bit complicated. She encouraged people to smile and love those closest to us. Even though she accomplished amazing things she did so through simple loving gestures. She often times would go into the house of a poor person and just clean. This incredibly simple act had profound weight to it because of the love with which it was done. She believed a simple gesture like a smile could change a family or household.

Profound Humility: Mother Teresa and her missionaries of charity were incredibly effective at helping the poor and evangelizing the people of the world but each time she prayed publicly with her sisters or the companions she prayed, “ Lord do not let us get in the way of your work.” This profound humility was the secret to her success. She knew that she was nothing with out God and because of this God continually guided her and filled her with the Holy Spirit

True generosity: Mother Teresa teaches us to give of ourselves before giving our treasure.

The gift of the Bread of Life: Mother Teresa had such a profound understanding of hunger in every sense of the word. Mother Teresa could literally save a persons life, in Calcutta, with a loaf of bread and more importantly she knew that man will starve to death without the living bread, Jesus Himself.

God used Mother Teresa to accomplish incredible things using the most simple means. She was totally surrendered to the will of God. Give yourselves to totally to God. Pour all the love that is inside of you into each person in your home, your neighborhood, your community. Just when you think you have nothing left God will fill you up to overflowing.

Love, Love, Love!!!

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

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