I Thirst

THE LYRICS OF

I Thirst is my musical meditation inspired by the life and prayers of St Teresa of Calcutta. The world has become familiar with Mother Teresa as an icon of heroic charity. But more important than what she did is the reason she gave her life to God in serving the poorest of the poor. In 1946, Mother Teresa experienced a vision in which she was taken to Golgotha, and stood as a little child next to Mary at the foot of the cross. There, Christ spoke to her of his thirst for souls, and asked if she would be his light to the poor. This became Mother Teresa's sole motivation for serving the poor- to quench Christ's thirst for souls. Perhaps we think that Mother Teresa's holiness was made possible by a constant state of ecstatic union with God. But after her death, we learned the truth of her spiritual struggles. Following her initial visions and the call to found the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa lived in a state of spiritual darkness until her death fifty years later. In other words, Jesus stopped speaking to her. He no longer consoled her as he had done in the past. She felt lonely, abandoned, and even rejected by God. In her agonizing thirst for Jesus, Mother Teresa was united not only to Christ's thirst on the cross, but also to the loneliness and desolation of the poor whom she served.

As you listen to these songs, I pray that you are strengthened by the example of St Teresa of Calcutta. If there is one thing she would want you to know, it is that Jesus thirsts for you. Let us strive to respond to his cry from the cross as she did- by receiving and sharing his love with each person we meet. St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.

5. Small Things with Great Love

6. Holy Family

7. Litany of Humility

8. Love Until It Hurts

9. The Joy of the Lord

I Thirst

1. I Thirst

John 19:28

From the perspective of Christ on the cross. In every chapel of the Missionaries of Charity, the words “I Thirst” are placed next to the crucifix, reminding each sister of her 4th vow to satiate Christ’s thirst for souls through “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.”

I thirst not for water,

I thirst for belief,

I thirst for your gaze

To wash over me

I’m lonely and broken

I’m weary, forsaken

Why have you abandoned me?

I thirst for your hunger

I thirst for your love

I thirst for your body

To drink of my Blood

I thirst for repentance

I thirst for belief

I thirst for you

To come

Let me drink of your tears,

The tears of your soul

Nothing else brings relief

Until you know

I am crying from the cross

I will not come down

I’d do it all over again

So that you could be found in me

Come be my light to the poor.

Come and carry me

I cannot go alone

They don’t know me

They don’t want me

Will you go?

How I long to enter

And grant salvation

To their souls

All who labor and are burdened

Come to me

Drink the living water flowing

Come to me.

Come

Lyrics for "I Thirst" © The Mother Teresa Center, exclusive licensee throughout the world of the Missionaries of Charity for the works of Mother Teresa, used with permission, and Danielle Rose Skorich, published by World Library Publications. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

Of My Free Will

2. Of My Free Will

Luke 9:57

The refrain of this song is the prayer written by Mother Teresa, offered each morning by the Missionaries of Charity as they put on their sandals.

Of my free will

I will follow you wherever you go

In search of souls

At any cost to myself

And out of pure love of you

I will follow you to the desert

I will follow you to the sea

I will follow you, dear Jesus

To your death on Calvary.

Take me to the places

Your love is still unknown

Take me with you, Jesus

That is where I want to go

I’ll search in every valley,

I’ll search through streets and slums

I’ll search for every living soul

Until your kingdom comes.

Take me to the places

Your love is still unknown,

Take me with you, Jesus

That is where I want to go.

Lyrics for "Of My Free Will" © The Mother Teresa Center, exclusive licensee throughout the world of the Missionaries of Charity for the works of Mother Teresa, used with permission, and Danielle Rose Skorich, published by World Library Publications. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

Mary's Heart

3. Mary's Heart

Luke 3:51

This song is a prayer written by Mother Teresa. It is prayed by the Missionaries of Charity to prepare their hearts to receive Jesus in the poorest of the poor.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus,

Give me your heart

That I might receive Jesus.

Give me your heart,

So beautiful, so pure,

So immaculate,

So full of love and humility.

Give me your heart,

To love Him as you loved Him,

And serve Him as you served Him,

In the distressing disguise

Of the poorest of the poor.

In the Bread of Life,

In the poorest of the poor,

In distressing disguise,

In Christ our Lord.

Lyrics for "Mary's Heart" © The Mother Teresa Center, exclusive licensee throughout the world of the Missionaries of Charity for the works of Mother Teresa, used with permission, and Danielle Rose Skorich, published by World Library Publications. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

You Did It To Me

4. You Did It To Me

Matthew 25:35-40

Mother Teresa preached the Gospel of Matthew 25 with her life. When people asked Mother Teresa for advice and wisdom, she would often hold out her hand and point to each finger, saying, “You. Did. It. To. Me.” This photograph was taken at Mother Teresa's Leper colony in Delhi.

I was hungry and you gave me food,

Thirsty and you gave me drink.

I was homeless and you took me in.

You fed me with the bread of love,

You let me drink the cup of peace.

You gave me shelter in your joyful heart.

Truly I say to you,

Whatever you did unto

One of the least

You did it to me.

I was naked and you clothed me,

Sick and you took care of me,

In prison and you came to visit me.

You clothed me with compassion,

You healed me with your gentle touch.

Your presence freed my chains of loneliness.

This is Christ in distressing disguise.

We do it for Jesus.

Small Things with GReat love

5. Small Things with Great Love

Luke 10:21

Mother Teresa was named after St Therese of Lisieux, ‘The Little Flower,’ patron of missionaries, who taught Mother Teresa to do small things with great love.

Not to the learned nor to the kings

But to the little ones

You show the mysteries.

I rejoice when I am weak

For you will give me all I need

Though I cannot fly

You carry me to heaven

You have not called me to be successful

You have called me to be faithful

I can do small things with great love

That is enough

I can do small things with great love

And make my life

Something beautiful for God.

One drop in the ocean

One petal in the garden

One hidden sacrifice

One reason for my life

One dance before your throne

One child to give a home

One step towards Calvary

One touch of empathy

Yesterday is gone

Tomorrow has not yet come

We have only today

Let us begin

Be faithful in small things

For in them our strength lies

Lyrics for "Small Things With Great Love" © The Mother Teresa Center, exclusive licensee throughout the world of the Missionaries of Charity for the works of Mother Teresa, used with permission, and Danielle Rose Skorich, published by World Library Publications. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

Holy Family

6. Holy Family

Matthew 18:20

This is my beloved family! For Christmas of 2004 we spent time serving the poor in India. Although it is a blessing to go around the world to serve those who are in need, Mother Teresa often reminded us that it is more important to love and serve those right next to us, especially our family.

O loving Father, make our home

A Nazareth where you may reign,

A holy family of love

Where Jesus’ manger lays.

Help us to stay together, Lord,

In joy and sorrow as we pray,

Teach us to see Christ in disguise

Upon each other’s face.

Where two or more are gathered

You reside

Mary, be our Mother

Joseph, be our guide

To make your Son

The center of our lives.

Jesus, may your name be glorified.

We gather round our table blessed

To share the Heavenly Bread He gave

To strengthen us that we might serve

Our family with grace.

To love each other as you love,

With humble hearts and patient faith.

And to forgive each other’s faults

As Jesus Christ forgave.

Help us to take whatever you give

And give whatever you take from us,

With smiles upon our faces

As we place our trust in you.

Litany of Humility

7. Litany of Humility

Traditional prayer

The Missionaries of Charity pray this litany each week. May we seek to become humble like little children. This is a photo of my cousin & goddaughter, Amy Sminu, who was adopted from India when i was 12. The gift of her life in our family led to my first journey to India when i was 17, where i volunteered with the missionaries of charity.

From the desire of being esteemed,

From the desire of being loved,

From the desire of being extolled,

From the desire of being honored,

From the desire of being praised,

From the desire of being preferred,

From the desire of being approved,

From the desire of being consulted,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,

From the fear of being despised,

From the fear of suffering rebukes,

From the fear of being calumniated,

From the fear of being forgotten,

From the fear of being wronged,

From the fear of being ridiculed,

From the fear of being suspected,

Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others be loved more than I,

Others esteemed more than I,

Others increase and I decrease in the world’s eyes,

That others be chosen and I set aside,

Others praised and I unnoticed,

Others be preferred in everything,

That others become holier than I,

Provided that I may become as holy as I should,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Meek and humble of heart, Jesus.

Meek and humble of heart, hear us.

Meek and humble of heart, Jesus.

Love Until It Hurts

8. Love Until It Hurts

Philippians 2:6-11

each day after receiving holy communion, the missionaries of charity recite the prayer of pope paul vi the verses of this song. this photo was taken at their mother house in calcutta.

Love until it hurts,

Until we feel their pain,

To love the way you love,

And give the way you gave

Your life for us,

To understand our pain,

Emptying yourself,

You became a slave.

Make us worthy, Lord,

To serve our fellow men

Throughout the world

Who live and die

In poverty and hunger.

Give them through our hands

This day their daily bread,

And by our understanding love

Give peace and joy.

Lord, help us.

The Joy of the Lord

9. The Joy of the Lord

Nehemiah 8:10, 2 Corinthians 9:7

Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God. The words from this song are woven together from Scripture and Mother Teresa’s message about the importance of serving Jesus with a smile.

The joy of the Lord is our strength

His love I will deliver

God loves a cheerful giver

The joy of the Lord is our strength

Never let anyone come to you

Without leaving better and happier.

Everyone should see goodness in your face,

In your eyes, in your smile, in your life.

Keep the joy of loving God in your heart

And share this joy with everyone you meet.

We will never know how much a smile can do

To spread love and peace.

Amen, Amen, Amen!

Lyrics for "The Joy of the Lord" © The Mother Teresa Center, exclusive licensee throughout the world of the Missionaries of Charity for the works of Mother Teresa, used with permission, and Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music, www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

If I Touch Him

10. If I Touch Him

Luke 8:40-56; Mark 5:25-43

Mother Teresa reached out to heal the "Untouchable" souls with the love of Christ. This photo was taken at her Leper Colony in Delhi. Just as the woman reached out to touch the hem of Jesus' garment, we too can be healed through the power of His True Presence in the Eucharist.

I was hiding in the crowd,

Hoping no one saw my face.

I wanted to be close to him

I knew that he alone could save.

So I went right up behind him,

Unworthy of his gaze,

Untouchable me

Seeking merciful grace.

I have spent my whole life desperate,

Searching for a cure.

For twelve years I’ve been cast out,

Ashamed, and oh so poor.

If I touch him

He will heal my heart that bleeds.

If I touch him

He will give me all I need.

If I stretch my hand

To touch His garment’s hem,

I believe that

I will be made whole again.

“Who has touched me?” Jesus said,

Then He looked around to see.

“For I know that power has gone

To the one who has believed.”

While everyone denied that

They had taken grace from Him,

I knew I must confess that

He had changed me from within.

In the presence of the people,

I came forward to be known.

Trembling, I fell on my knees

Before the living throne.

When I touched you, Lord,

You healed my heart that bled.

When I touched you, Lord,

You gave me peace instead.

When I stretched my hand

To touch your garment’s hem,

Then your love, oh Lord,

It made me whole again.

When I told him the whole truth,

Then he spoke these words to me:

“Daughter, your faith has saved you.

Now go and live in peace.”

Then the child within my soul

That I had thought died long ago

Was raised again to life

And I felt joy within my bones.

Then I ran to tell the blind, the lame,

The brokenhearted and ashamed,

The rich, the poor, the young, the old,

The truth that must be told.

If you touch him,

He will heal your heart that bleeds

If you touch him,

He will give you all you need

If you stretch your hands

To touch the Bread of Heaven,

Do you believe that

He will make you whole again?

Your Bride

11. Your Bride

Genesis 2:23-24

Mother Teresa's spousal union with Christ was the source of her fidelity in serving the poorest of the poor. Married to Christ, she became the mother of all his children.

Here I am

I offer you my hand.

The hour has arrived

To celebrate our wedding feast.

And I know this was the Father’s plan:

I was born to live for you

Were born to die for me.

Walking down the aisle

I long to come to thee.

You are waiting there

To marry me.

Walking down the aisle

I long to come receive

Your body, blood,

Soul, and divinity.

I am your bride,

I am one

With my Beloved Crucified.

As you offer me your Body,

I offer you my life.

Now and always,

I am your yours

I am your bride.

As you lift the veil

Before my eyes,

You gaze into my soul and say,

“Beloved, you are mine.”

And I know you take me as I am,

Loving me with all my sin

You take me by the hand.

In my vows to you

And yours to me,

Our covenant declared eternally.

Laying down our lives

We consummate our love.

I cleave to you and to the cross.

This one is at last

Bone of my bones.

United as one flesh,

Our love becomes a home

Where every child is welcome

In our love’s embrace.

Their lives reveal

Their Father’s face.

Shine Through Us

12. Shine Through Us

these are the words of the prayer "Radiating Christ" which is recited every day after receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.

Jesus, help us to spread

Your fragrance everywhere we go.

Flood our souls
With your spirit and life.

Penetrate and possess

Our whole being so utterly

That our lives may

Only be a radiance of you.

Shine through us

And be so in us

That every soul we meet

May feel your presence

In our soul

Let them look up and see

No longer us but only Jesus.

Stay with us, then we shall

Begin to shine as you shine,

So to shine as to be

A light to others.

The light, O Jesus,

Will be all from you, n

None from us.

It will be you shining

On others through us.

Let us preach you without preaching,

Not by words but by example.

Let us praise you by shining

On those around us,

By the catching force,

The sympathetic influence

Of what we do,

The evident fullness of the love

Our hearts bear to you.

Lyrics for "Shine Through Us" are based on the words of John Henry Cardinal Newman. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music. www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

Psalm 88

13. Psalm 88

A Despairing Lament

This song represents Mother Teresa's dark night of the soul, because it is the prayer Jesus himself would have prayed in his trials. Mother Teresa was one of a number of holy saints who, in their union with God, fully comprehended Jesus' words, "Father, why have you abandoned me?" To learn more about Mother Teresa's spiritual trials, consult the book by Father Brian Kolodiejchuck, MC, "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light."

Lord, my God, I call by day

I cry aloud at night

Let my prayer before you come

Incline your ear to my cry

For my soul is filled with troubles

My life draws near to the grave

I am reckoned as one in the tomb

I've reached the end of my strength

Like the slain lying in their graves

Like one among the dead

Like those you remember no more

You've laid me in the depths.

Imprisoned I cannot escape

My eyes grow dim with grief

Your wrath lies heavy upon me, Lord

Your waves crash over me

Is your love proclaimed in the grave

Your fidelity in the tomb?

Lord, I call to you for help

I stretch out my hands to you

Why do you reject me, Lord?

Why hide from me your face?

Friend and neighbor you've taken away

My only friend is darkness

Lyrics for Psalm 88: scripture excerpts are adapted from the New American Bible, © copyright 1970 Confraternity of Christine Doctrine, INc, Washington DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright holder. Music written by Danielle Rose, Copyright © 2007 Danielle Rose Skorich, published by GIA Music. www.giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

Memorare

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14. Memorare

Traditional Prayer

Mother Teresa considered this to be her “never-fail novena.” In times of urgent need, she would ask for Mary’s intercession by praying the Memorare 9 times, because she knew that Jesus would not deny the request of His mother.

Remember,

O most gracious Virgin Mary,

That never was it known that anyone

Who fled to thy protection,

Implored thy help

Or sought thine intercession

Was left unaided.

Hear and answer us.

Inspired by this confidence

We fly unto thee,

O Virgin of Virgins,

Our mother,

To thee do we come,

Before thee we stand,

Sinful and sorrowful.

Hear and answer us.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

Despise not our petitions,

But in thy mercy

Hear and answer us.