Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose birth name was Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, now the capital of North Macedonia. She was an Albanian Catholic nun and missionary who dedicated her life to serving the poorest and most needy. She founded the Missionaries of Charity congregation, known for their humanitarian work worldwide.
At the age of 18, she left her home in Skopje and moved to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin. After completing her religious training, she moved to India in 1929 and taught at a school in Calcutta for nearly 20 years. However, as she spent time with the poorest and most marginalized people in the city, she felt called to a life more dedicated to service.
In 1950, she received permission from Pope Pius XII to start her own congregation, the Missionaries of Charity. Their mission was to care for the “poorest of the poor” and provide help to those considered outcasts by society. Her work focused on Calcutta and quickly expanded to other parts of India and around the world.
Mother Teresa and her followers provided medical care, homes for the terminally ill, orphanages, and other services to those in need. Their main focus was to bring love, compassion, and dignity to people in extreme poverty and suffering.
For her tireless humanitarian work, Mother Teresa received numerous awards and recognitions. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of the poor. However, she always remained humble and dedicated to her mission, never seeking personal recognition.
Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997, in Calcutta, but her legacy of love and service lives on through the Missionaries of Charity and her influence on global awareness of the need to help the less fortunate. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2016. Her life and example continue to inspire millions of people around the world.
Values of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Mother Teresa of Calcutta was known for her dedication to serving the most needy, and this reflected the fundamental values on which her life and work were based. These values include:
- Love and Compassion: Mother Teresa firmly believed that love and compassion were the foundation of selfless service. She considered that every person deserved to be loved and treated with dignity, regardless of their social, economic, or health condition.
- Solidarity: For Mother Teresa, being in solidarity with the poor meant not only offering material help but also understanding and sharing their struggles and suffering. She sought to empower the marginalized and give them a voice.
- Sacrifice and Humility: Mother Teresa led an austere life and refused to receive personal recognition or rewards for her work. She believed in the power of sacrifice and humility as forms of genuine service to others.
- Faith and Spirituality: As a Catholic nun, Mother Teresa found her strength in faith and her relationship with God. Her work was rooted in a deep spirituality that guided her in serving others.
- Respect for Life: Mother Teresa considered that every life had inherent value, from the moment of conception to natural death. This led her to work tirelessly for the most vulnerable, including the unborn, the sick, and the elderly.
- Generosity and Total Dedication: Mother Teresa was an example of generosity and total dedication to others. She dedicated her entire life to serving the most needy, renouncing her own comfort and personal well-being.
These values of love, compassion, solidarity, sacrifice, humility, faith, respect for life, generosity, and total dedication are the pillars that supported the life and work of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and continue to inspire people around the world to this day.
Famous Quotes by Mother Teresa of Calcutta
These are some of her famous quotes:
- “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.”
- “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
- “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
- “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for.”
- “We cannot do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
- “Peace begins with a smile.”
- “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
- “The greatest act of faith is when someone is willing to give up their life, not for their friends, but for their enemies.”
- “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.”
- “Be humble because you are made of earth. Be noble because you are made of stars.”
These quotes reflect Mother Teresa’s perspective and her focus on love, humility, dedication, and service to others. They are a testament to her wisdom and commitment to changing the world through small acts of kindness and compassion.