I have been inspired by Teresa of Calcutta ever since I was a little girl! Originally, it was because she was my namesake, but as I got older, I became more and more aware of who she was and what she stood for. Although not a Catholic myself, I believe we are all brothers and sisters if we believe in Christ Jesus and this little lady embraced her role as the hands and feet of Jesus in a big way. She was born August 26, 1910, in Albania and knew by the age of 12 years old that she would be committing her life to the Lord. At 18 years of age, she left home to join a nunnery and never saw her mother and sister again. She dedicated her life to teaching and mission work.
By 1948, Teresa felt the call to directly serve the poor of India. She founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950 and in 1952 she opened her first hospice. In Teresa’s own words, she cared for “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.” Because she was fluent in five languages, she was able to facilitate and negotiate in a humanitarian capacity. During the Siege of Beirut in 1982, Teresa helped negotiate the rescue of 37 children trapped in a hospital at the front line. She also served hungry in Ethiopia, radiation victims at Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia. By 1996, the Missionaries of Charity had grown to a total of 517 missions in over 100 countries.
Teresa of Calcutta is an excellent example of the compassion and love Jesus wants us all to have for one another. She truly possessed a servant’s heart and followed Jesus wholeheartedly. She was an amazing woman and a beautiful inspiration to all of us. Although she has many, below are 15 of my favorite quotes:
- Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.
- Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.
- I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
- Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
- It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.
- If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
- God does not require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.
- I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.
- I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.
- Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it.
- If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.
- I do not pray for success; I ask for faithfulness.
- Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.
- Work without love is slavery.
- Joy is a net of love in which you can catch souls.