Mother Teresa is the definition of mercy and an epitome of humanity who lived the whole of her life in the service to enhance the lives of people in miserable and afflicted conditions all around the world. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu is believed to be Mother Teresa, whose life has been spent in a service to serve people in need by founding the Missionaries of Charity. Through her contributions, she garnered much enlightenment and many rewards, some of which include the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Personal Information
| Born | 26 August 1910, Skopje, North Macedonia |
| Died | 5 September 1997, Kolkata |
| Place of burial | The Mother House Of The Missionaries Of Charity, Kolkata |
| Education | Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham |
| Awards | Nobel Peace Prize, Bharat Ratna, Padma Shri |
| Nationality | Albanian, Indian, Yugoslavian |
Early Life and Family Background
Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, now part of North Macedonia. She came from a family with deep Albanian ethnicity and grounds for deep faith. Agnes displayed an early interest in religious studies and concern for less privileged people. She was highly motivated by missionary testimonies serving overseas in India.
Mother Teresa Education
She studied in her hometown, Skopje, Macedonia, in a nearby primary school. She then prepared to be a missionary by attending the school run by the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. No formal university education, but spiritual training is observed with regard to becoming a nun.
Religious Calling and Decision to Become a Nun
Joining the Sisters of Loreto
At 18 years of age, Agnes was drawn strongly to a spiritual call and joined the Sisters of Loreto, a Catholic congregation with a significant record of overseas missionary work. She left home and moved to Ireland for a start in religious life.
Arrival in India
After her first formal training, she was dispatched to India, where she adopted the name Sister Teresa, in honor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. In 1931, she moved to Calcutta, which was to be her both home and the place where all her humanitarian works were established in her lifetime.
Life in Calcutta and Working with the Poor
Teaching at St. Mary’s School
Sister Teresa started her teaching career at St. Mary’s School in Calcutta, teaching girls coming from weak backgrounds. She was dedicated to her students but never forgot the unrelenting poverty and misery outside the school walls.
First Encounter with Poverty
Being confronted with the realities of life among the poor, the sick, and the dying, Calcutta streets threw sister Teresa into a very strong call to leave her teaching career completely for serving the most vulnerable sections of society.
Founding the Missionaries of Charity
Inception of the Order
In 1950, following permission from the Vatican, Sister Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation dedicated to caring for the “poorest of the poor.” From then on, she came to be known as Mother Teresa, a name signifying her as a mother to the needy.
Vow to Serve the Poorest of the Poor
The Missionaries of Charity, along with its members, pledged not to refuse any treatment for his sickness and spiritual poverty. They vowed to provide selfless service to the forsaken people of God, such as patients, homeless people, and those awaiting death. Their work began in the slums of Calcutta but soon spread all over the world.
Mother Teresa’s Work with the Destitute
Caring for the Sick and Dying
One of the great missions of Mother Teresa was to serve the dying. She prepared homes wherein people in their final sickness could die with dignity and love. Her belief was that no one should die unloved or unwanted.
Establishing Homes for the Needy
She initiated orphans’ homes, shelters for the homeless, and care centers for those suffering from more deadly diseases, such as leprosy. The shelters became safe havens for people and offered food, accommodation, and proper care.
Global Recognition and Humanitarian Efforts
Expansion of the Missionaries of Charity
She was such a strong leader that, under her watch, the Missionaries of Charity flurried rapidly in many areas. By the 1960s, the order had homes and care centers in most countries worldwide—the United States, Africa, and Europe. Her mission became a global effort to lift human suffering from earth.
Awards and Honors
Mother Teresa was modest, but she won many accolades for her humanitarian efforts, including the
Nobel Peace Prize (1979): Awarded for her efforts to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India, and for her commitment to peace and dignity.
Bharat Ratna (1980): India’s highest civilian award, given to her in recognition of her tireless work with the poor and ill in India.
Order of the Smile (1981): An international honor awarded to adults who have distinguished themselves in their love, care, and aid for children.
Order of Merit (1983): A prestigious British honor given by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of distinguished service.
Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985): The United States’ highest civilian award, presented by President Ronald Reagan.
Gold Medal of the Soviet Peace Committee (1987)—an award recognizing her global impact on peace efforts.
Congressional Gold Medal (1997): One of the highest honors in the United States, presented posthumously to recognize her outstanding contributions to humanity.
Mother Teresa’s Poem: Do It Anyway
Do It Anyway
by Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway
Mother Teresa’s Philosophy of Compassion
Living a Life of Service
Mother Teresa once believed that only through the true service of others, especially those unable to do anything for themselves, would real happiness emerge. Her life was a testament in itself for believing in selfless service, as she used to say that if one could help a few people, it would eventually make a difference.
Belief in Love and Charity
Mother Teresa believed in the philosophy of love. To her, the smallest act of love could do most in the greatest way possible. She goes out and declares to the entire world that every human was created to be part of changing the world into a better place by providing love and charity.
Challenges and Criticisms Faced by Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa faced some criticism on the methodology she adopted towards her goals. Some people claim that the quality of treatment provided in her homes was questionably good and inadequate. Other detractors really did not share her views on issues like birth control, but the latter upheld her faith, going ahead with her mission of spreading comfort in times of need.
Mother Teresa’s Health and Later Life
Although she was laid low by many illnesses in her later years, Mother Teresa continued to maintain the hard work that had gained her so much respect and adoration from so many for the poor. In 1997, she resigned as head of the Missionaries of Charity but remained identified with the organization until her death. It was on September 5, 1997, that Mother Teresa died, yet her legacy lives on in compassion and service.
Canonization and Recognition as a Saint
She became canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016. After all her work in life was followed with a validation of miracles ascribed to her life after death, her sainthood made her one of the most revered figures in modern history.
Also read Swami Vivekananda Biography
Legacy of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa stands out for her tremendous commitment toward helping the poorest of the poor and the most marginalized sections of society, particularly in Calcutta, India. Her organization, the Missionaries of Charity, founded by her in 1950, stands tall today as an institution across more than 130 countries, offering homes for the destitute, care for the sick, orphanages, schools, and hospices. Her work emphasizes compassion, human dignity, and service to others—more so to the people that society steps upon.
Her legacy is also in her philosophy about love and service. She believed she was to serve each individual as serving Christ himself because one held the conviction that every person deserved compassion and dignity. This very simple yet profound approach to love and charity continues to inspire countless people, humanitarian organizations, and charitable efforts around the world.
Mother Teresa was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by Pope Francis in 2016. She had a far-reaching influence on the Catholic Church and beyond. What she spoke about was in line with the desire of many laymen, simple and without pretence, to challenge and encourage people from all walks of life living lives that continually demonstrate compassion, understanding, and care to make the lives of others easier.
Continuing the Work of Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity, through over 130 countries, carry out Mother Teresa’s work. The institution of nuns continues to care for the poor, the sick, and the homeless in her mission of love and service.
Inspiration to Humanitarian Workers
Her life inspires millions to focus on humanitarian work. In such selfless service and belief in the dignity of each human life, Mother Teresa is an inspiration to those working hard to erase suffering from earth.
Mother Teresa’s Impact on the World
Mother Teresa spread her influence far beyond the direct result of her work. She taught love, compassion, and service and inspired people in ways she could not even imagine who knew nothing about her religion or culture. Her work proved small acts of kindness can hope and change the world.
Mother Teresa’s Quotes and Teachings
Mother Teresa’s words of wisdom continue to inspire people. She once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” She said that it is just by doing small things with great love that even the small thing becomes great in itself. Here are some inspiring quotes by Mother Teresa:
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
“Peace begins with a smile.”
“Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”
“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.“
Conclusion: A Life of Selfless Service
Mother Teresa’s life was an example of selfless service and love for fellow human beings. She dedicated all her endeavors to caring for the poorest and most degraded sections of society, drawing no earthly reward for it. Countless lives that she touched and humanitarian efforts still in action in her name stand as a testament to her legacy. She explained to the world how true greatness is not in wealth or power but in the ability to love and take care of others.
What are 5 interesting facts about Mother Teresa?
1. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Macedonia, in 1910.
2. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 to care for the poor.
3. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work.
4. Mother Teresa worked in Kolkata, India, for most of her life, caring for the sick and destitute.
5. She was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016.
Why was Mother Teresa called Mother?
Mother Teresa was called “Mother” because of her role as the head of the Missionaries of Charity, where she cared for and nurtured the poor and sick like a mother would. Her deep compassion and selfless service earned her this affectionate title.
In which country was Mother Teresa born?
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, which is now part of North Macedonia, in 1910.
What is Mother Teresa famous for?
Mother Teresa is revered for her selfless work with the poor, the sick, and the dying in Kolkata, India. She started the order of Missionaries of Charity for such service to the “poorest of the poor,” and in 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in humanity.
What did Mother Teresa do in India?
In India, Mother Teresa dedicated her life to the help extended to the sick, dying, and poor, mainly in Kolkata. She founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950; it opened homes, clinics, and shelters, offering love and dignity to the poorest.
