All eyes, including mine, were on Mother Teresa of Calcutta, that summer's afternoon about 20 years ago. The world-famous, diminutive nun stood under the bright lights of the sanctuary of the majestic Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., addressing a standing-room-only crowd.
I was fortunate enough to be seated in the second row along with other women religious. A group of my summer school classmates from nearby Arlington, Va., sat many pews behind us.
As Mother Teresa spoke her simple yet profound words, I became distracted by something I saw sparkling around her face. Because of my nearness to her, I was convinced that the "sparkles" were reflections of the bright lights on hair clips, securely holding her veil in place.
Later at the catechetical institute where we were studying, my classmates and I shared our thoughts about Mother Teresa's talk. "Did you see the aura of holiness all around her face?" Tony asked excitedly, eager to share his impressions.
"Oh, that was light shining off of bobby pins," I informed him in a matter-of-fact way.
"No, I saw something supernatural, sparkling around her head," he quickly came back at me. "Those were hair clips!" I confidently said.
It doesn't matter who was right or wrong about the source of the light around her face. This spirited conversation took place between two admirers of Mother Teresa, each of whom saw her in a different light - much as she was portrayed in the recently published book, Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the ‘Saint of Calcutta.'
On the one hand, as her letters to spiritual guides revealed, Mother Teresa lived most of her consecrated religious life in the dazzling spotlight of media attention and the world's admiration. The smiling Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize, met popes and world leaders and traveled around the world, establishing her beloved religious congregation, the Missionaries of Charity, in all corners of the world.
On the other hand, during the same period, God seemed to hide his light from her within her soul. In total interior darkness, she could not see that she was anyone of importance. She truly could identify with those in the greatest spiritual and material darkness, the "poorest of the poor" whom she and her sisters were called to serve.
Thanks to the annual World Day for Consecrated Life, celebrated on Feb. 2, the eyes of the church are fixed on the men and women who have chosen Jesus Christ as their one true love.
Like Mother Teresa and their own founders and foundresses, they are called to let the light of Christ shine brightly through their consecrated lives, to truly be his light so that all may see his glory.
Sister Eva-Maria Ackerman is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, which has its American provincialate in Alton.