Mother Teresa of Calcuta - Saint
Mother Teresa of Calcuta,
whose name is Agnes Gonxha Bopjaxhiu,
was born 26 of August 1910
in Skopje in the actual Republic of Macedonia, (then belonging to the Otoman Empire)
(Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia until it gained independence
en 1991).
BIOGRAPHY OF MOTHER TERESA
Agnes, born in 1910, was the youngest. Her father died when she was 8.
This proved very difficult for her mother and they were very poor, yet though she was brought up
strictly there was plenty of love. This influenced her character and vocation
Agnes made her first
Holy Communion when she was six,
and received
confirmation
a year later.
From the day of her first Communion she was very devoted and religious.
1928, at 18 years she entered the Sisters of
our Lady of Loreto, in Ireland
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE
1929, She travelled to Calcuta India, where she taught at Saint Mary,’s school for girls. She was 19 years old.
1937, Agnes
made her religous
vows and taught girls and young
women for 20 years.
1931, Agnes took her religious name from St Teresa, a French nun of
Lisieux who was canonized in 1927
Agnes was helped in
her religious
formation by the Jesuit
Parish of the Sacred
Heart
In 1937, Sister Teresa made her perpetual religious profession , becoming Spouse of Christ forever.She continued teaching young women, and became headmistress of the St Mary’s school in 1944
Teresa was always prayerful and dedicated to her sister nuns and students. Always joyful and helpful,
she lived out her consecration to God faithfully and valiently.
A CALL WITHIN A CALL
She was moved by the condition of the poor and destitute who
lived outside the walls of the
convent. In 1946 during a journey
to her annual retreat she
received the inspiration, her calling. The love
of souls took control of her
heart.
In the following months she received visions and interior locutions.
Jesus revealed to her his heart’s desire to find souls who would spread his love.
He showed his sorrow because the poor were abandoned, and did not know him.
- Jesus asked her to found a religious congregation, the Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the
poorest of the poor, those who were rejected, unloved, whom all ignored.
Many years passed before
she received permsission
to begin her work.
It was a time of trial and discernment.
1948, Pope Pius XII Gave her permission to go outside the cloister
to the streets of Calcuta to the poor,
the sick and the starving.
On 17 of August 1948 she wore the sari
(a traditional indian dress) bordered with
blue.
Some of her older past -students began to help her in this mission.
The mother house of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcuta.
Her first apostolic work was helping to teach the poor street children.
In 1950, Mother Teresa began to help the lepers.
Her houses multiplied and extended. There was room for everyone in them.
After only 10 years,in 1960 Mother Teresa began to send her sisters to other parts of India.
Encouraged by Pope Paul VI, she founded a community in
Venezuela. Later her houses extended to the 5
continents, even in Communist countries.
From 1965 on, Mother Teresa founded houses in Italy and Tanzania. Today there are 600 houses in 123
countries.
1965, Pope Paul VI
took the congregation
of the missionaries
of Charity under his direct controland authorized
Mother Teresa to expand
the relgious order to other
countries.
Centres were opened throughout the world for lepers,
the elderly, the blind, and people suffering from AIDS .
Schools and orphanages were set up for the poor and abandoned
In 1980, she came to Leganés (Madrid) to found a house for her Missionaries. By the time of her death in 1997 she
had consecrated almost 4,000 missionaries and had established communities in 123
countries.
1963, Mother Teresa with Bro Joseph Langford founded
the male order “Brothers Missionaries of Charity”
to better help the spiritual and physical needs of the poor.
Fr. Joseph Langford M.C.
FOUNDATIONS
In 1976 she founded the contemplative branch of the sisters,
and in 1979 the contemplative brothers.
In 1981 her same spirit inspired the Lay Missionaries of Charity.
In reply to the petition of many priests, Mother Teresa began in 1981
a Priestly Movement, Corpus Christi, as a small way to holiness
for those priests who wanted to share in her charism and spirit.
In 1984 The
Missionary of Charity
fathers were
founded.
her inspiration
was not limited to those who
felt a religious
vocation.
She formed the Collaborators of Mother Teresa and the Colaborators of the Sick and suffferingPeople of different beliefs and nationalities with whom she sharede her spirit of prayer, simplicity, sacrifice and apostolate, based in works of love.
Mother Teresa was sent as an ambassador of peace to
Lebanon by Pope John Paul II.Through prayer she managed to get a
ceasefire, and entered Beirut to save children
trapped in the hospital.
In1997, Mother Teresa blessed
her newly elected successor
Sor Nirmala, (who had been one of
her past students and helpers right from the start),
as General Superior of her
Missionaries and then made
another foreign mission
1979, She received the Nobel Prize for Peace.
FAME of HOLINESS
At the same
time, the mass media started
to follow her
activities.
Her attitude was that
the prizes and
attention were all “for the Glory of
God and in the name of the poor”
With Queen Elizabeth of England
She folllowed Jesus, often not feeling his presence, only her longing for Him.
The desire to unite herself with the Lord dominated her life.She was heroically faithful even in the simplest daily
chores.
Her dark night of the soul
“The Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve
and give his life as ransom for many” (Mk 10, 45). Mother Theresa shared the passion of the
Crucified Christ in a special way during long years of “interior darkness”
In the darkest hours she prayed more fervently before the Blessed Sacrament. This harsh trial made her identify more with those she served every day,
experiencing their sorrow, and at times their rejection.
“May your mercy fall upons us Lord, come down on us. since we have hoped in You.
Mother Teresa, like the
psalmist , in the moments
of interior desolation,
repeated to the Lord,
“I hope oin you, My God”
After meeting Pope John Paul II for the last time, Mother Theresa returned to Calcutta, where she lived out the last weeks of her life. She spent her last days receiving visits and instructing her sisters.
final days
She died in Calcuta, India, on 5 of Sept. 1997.
The government of India gave her a state funeral.
Her body was buried in the mother house of the Missionaries of CharityHer tomb immediately
became a place of pilgrimage and prayer
for people of faith from all sectors of life, rich and
poor alike.
Barely two years after her death, John Paul II allowed
her cause of canonization to be introduced,
because of her fame of holiness and the favours
that were attributed to her.
20 Dec 2002 he approved
the decrees of heroism of her virtues,
and a miracle obtained
through her intercession.
2003, she was beatified by
Pope John Paul II
and canonized saint by Pope Francis on 5 Sept
2016
Jesus’ cry from the
cross “I thirst”
(Jn 19, 28), expresses
the depth of God’s love for man.
This penetrated her soul
and found a fertile soil
in her heart. JP II
MOTHER TERESA’S
SPIRITUALITY
“whoever would be the first, should be the servant of all” (Mc 10, 44).
“whoever would be great, let him be your servant" (Mc 10, 43).
“I say to you, when you do this to one of these my smallest brothers, you do it to me" (Mt 25,
40).
I try to be a sign of the the
presence and
compassion of God, and thus remind
all ,of the value and dignity of every son
of God, made to
love and be loved”.
“If you hear that
a woman doesn’t want
her son, and wants to
abort, try to
convince her to bring that child to me. I shall love him, seeing
in him the sign of God’s love.
In her total surrender of herself to God and neighbour,
Mother Teresa found her complete realization and lived the noblest qualities of her femininity.
JPii
Mother Teresa “brought the souls to God and God to the souls” and satiated the thirst
of Christ, especially of the most needy, of those who
could not see God in the midst of their suffering and sorrow.
We venerate this small woman who loved God; humble messanger of the gospel, and tireless
benefactor of humanity.We honour in her one of the most important
personalities of our era. Let us receive her message and follow her example.
Virgen Mary, Queen of all saints, help us to be meek
and humble of heart like this intrepid messanger of love.
Help us serve, joyfully, with a smile, all the people we meet.
Help us be Missionaries of Christ, our peace and our hope. Amen.