Mother Teresa-The Saint of the Gutters

It is said that everyone lives for himself in the world, but the one who works for others, leaving behind his selfishness, is called great. The whole life of such people is inspirational, people remember them by heart even after their death. One such great personality is named Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa, an idol of kindness, selflessness, love, devoted her whole life to the service of others.

Mother Teresa is one of the most precious gem of India who was not born here but chose it to be her destined country to work towards the society.

“The Saint of the Gutters”

Mother Teresa was known as “The Saint of the Gutters” when she was alive because of the social work she had done for the poor people of very low community.

She made contribution towards betterment of economy poor people. She is still recognized for her hard work and selfless services. She was also awarded with the highest civilian Indian award, “Bharat Ratana” on account of her services towards humankind. She received this prestigious award in the year 1980.

Early Life of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was not an Indian by birth. She was born in Skopje to catholic parents, Nikole and Dranafile Bojaxhiu who were Albanian descent in the current capital of the Republic of Macedonia on August 26, 1910. She was baptized as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu.

Father of Agnes was a construction contractor and would do trading of medicines. He was very active in politics and local church activities in Macedonia so people doubted he was given a poison by his enemies. She lost her father when she was on 8 years old only.

Agnes was the youngest child of her parents. Her mother was deeply into charity and a very simple woman of compassion. She instilled the values of compassion and sharing in Mother Teresa when she was very young. Agnes would fascinate by stories of missionaries lives in her childhood.

She told many times that how her mother would tell her not to eat a single mouthful unless it is shared with others.

Education of Agnes and Transformation to Mother Teresa

Agnes decided to become a nun at the age of 18 years in 1928. She left her home and never saw her sister and mother again in her entire life. Before this she had attended convent school and a state-run primary school for education. She would sing solo songs in the school. She would often take part in church activities and take part in congregation activities.

When she decided to become a nun, she flied off to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin and there only she took the name Sister Mary Teresa. She had chosen that name after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

After one year of entering into nunhood, Mary Teresa traveled to India for the novitiate period. She reached Darjeeling in May 1931 for this to take the first profession of Vows. From here she was sent to Calcutta to teach Saint Mary’s High School for Girls where girls of very poor family would come for education.

She remained there for a very long time and took on the title of “Mother” and since started knowing as Mother Teresa. She also became the principal there in the year 1944. Mother Teresa knew that language is the barrier of communication with people. So, she learnt Hindi and Bengali for better communication with people of India.

Mother Teresa witnessed Bengal Famine in 1943 and Hindu Muslim Riots of 1946. These two incidences affected her life a lot and she got disturbed with the sufferings of people.

Mother Teresa “The Call within Call”

On 10 September, 1946, while she was traveling to Darjeeling, North-Bengal, for the annual retreat of the Convent, Mother Teresa heard “the call within call”. She felt as if the Jesus was asking her to come out of the walls and serve the down-trodden of the society. Following the Call, on August 17, 1947, Mother left the Convent. Out of reverence towards the Indian culture, she adopted white sari with a blue border.

After starting social work, she preferred wearing white sari with a blue border. Mother Teresa did not have any medical training which was required in this service to the god. Therefore, she applied for a basic medical training from Holy Family Hospital in Patna.

According to the records, it is believed that Mother Teresa experienced a calling on 10 September, 1946 from Jesus Christ. “Call within a call” means, she had words with the lord Christ while she was travelling to Darjeeling for the annual retreat of the Convent in a train.

For the next few years, Mother Teresa lived among the poor, in the slums of Calcutta. She, along with a few fellow nuns, went door to door, begging for food and financial help. Initially she along with few other nuns would go door-to-door to ask for help for the needy. They survived on the bare minimum and used the excess to help people around them. Gradually, her tireless efforts were recognized and help started pouring in from various sources. Later their hard work paid off and people started coming forward to give their support.

She said Christ had asked her to abandon teaching and do work in slum areas of Calcutta for the lowest community and sick people. She asked for permission to leave the teaching from the school to join this social cause. But it took around year and a half for the permission to receive. After getting permission she finally left the Loreto Convent to carry out social work as per the “call within a call”.

Miracles Associated with Mother Teresa, “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta”

• We have heard a lot of miracles happened to her in saving lives of many. According to one such instance in 2002 an Indian woman named Monica Besra claimed in Vatican city that she was cured of her abdominal tumor through Mother Teresa’s intercession. Following this she was entitled with “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta” by Pope John Paul II on 19 October, 2003
• Second famous miracle that happened was on 17 December, 2015. A brazilian man named Marcilio Andrino was diagnosed with a viral brain infection and had gone into coma. His family members prayed Mother Teresa and when the patient was taken to operation theater to carry the surgery, he woke up without pain and all the symptoms of pain and infection had gone.

Death of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa died on 5 September 1997 at the age of 87 years in Calcutta(Kolkatta), West Bengal, India. She had said, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

She was canonized as a saint on September 4, 2016 after 19 years of her death in a ceremony led by Pope Francis held in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican. Thousands of people around the world attended the canonization ceremony of Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa’s Quotes

Mother Teresa is one of the greatest humanists of the 20th century. Mother Teresa used to say, she is a citizen of India, a Catholic nun by faith, but her whole heart belongs to Lord Jesus, she devoted her whole life to God the Father and Lord Jesus.

• If you judge people, you have no time to love them”
• “Peace begins with a smile”
• “We fear the future because we are wasting today”
• “Not all of us can do great things
• “Yesterday is gone
• “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing”