Hope Endures-A book Review

During my blogging break I read a very challenging book written by a former Nun who joined the Missionaries of Charity. Not only did this Nun leave Mother Teresa's Order she also lost her faith, which is incredibly sad.

The book is titled 'Hope Endures' by Colette Livermore but it should be re-titled 'Hopeless and Lost'.

The great tragedy of Colette is her lack of calling and the fact that her Superiors including Blessed Mother Teresa failed to pick up on this integral part of any religious journey. Every Sister when asked why they joined a particular Religous Order nearly always state they felt an 'inner calling' this did not happen to Colette, instead she saw a documentary on the television called 'Something Beautiful for God' and decided then that she wanted to help the poor.

Colette Livermore failed to understand that a Religous life has nothing to do with social work and everything to do with Vocation and the most serious of Vows, Obedience.

There is only one area where I agreed with the authors perspective and that is in the area of humiliation. To me humiliation has nothing to do with humility.

Where in our Lords Ministry did Jesus humiliate and demean his disciples and those he met on his journey? Where did Our Lady humiliate and demean others? It never happened.

We are all in need of correction but this should always be done in a spirit of gentleness, compassion and love in the full knowledge that we are ourselves, imperfect.

I do not agree with the theory that humiliating and degrading another person somehow makes them more humble, if anything it creates resentment and can lead to severe psychological abuse on both sides.

It is a challenging book but I came away from it feeling depressed and frustrated that noone picked up on this young girls lack of calling. This young woman would have served mankind better if she had pursued her medical career or taken a course to become a social worker.

I pray that she will return to her faith and once again embrace her Catholic heritage and the Sacraments.

But I would like to know what you think about this need to humiliate others in an attempt to engender humility? I feel it does the opposite. What are YOUR thoughts?

Written by Marie