Dear friends in Christ,
It is with a heart full of reverence that we turn our gaze today toward a figure who, though small in stature, cast a shadow of love that covered the entire globe. To speak of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta is not merely to recount the life of a Nobel Peace Prize winner or a famous humanitarian; it is to encounter the Gospel lived out with radical, shattering simplicity. She was a pencil in the hand of God, a woman who taught us that holiness does not always roar like a lion—sometimes, it whispers in the quiet comfort given to the dying. In a world often obsessed with power and prestige, she invites us to look down, to the streets and the gutters, to find the hidden face of Jesus waiting for our love.
Profile of Holiness: St. Teresa of Calcutta
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu |
| Birthplace | Skopje, Ottoman Empire (Modern North Macedonia) |
| Service Period | Founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950; Served until death in 1997 |
| Feast Day | September 5 |
| Patronage | World Youth Day, Missionaries of Charity, The Poor & Destitute |
| Key Virtue | Radical Charity & Faithfulness in Spiritual Darkness |
The Early Call: A Thirst for Souls
Long before the world knew her as “Mother,” she was young Anjezë, growing up in a devout Albanian family where the door was always open to the poor. Yet, the true ignition of her soul occurred not in the comfort of home, but in the silence of prayer. By the age of eighteen, she had left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, eventually setting sail for India—a land that would become the canvas for her sanctity. For nearly twenty years, she taught geography and history within the safe, high walls of St. Mary’s School in Calcutta. She was happy there, serving the Lord in education, but God had a different, more demanding plan for His daughter.
It was on September 10, 1946, during a train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, that she experienced what she later described as the “call within a call.” In the clattering noise of the railway, she heard the silent, piercing cry of Jesus echoing from the Cross: “I thirst.” She realized that Christ was not just thirsting for water, but for love and for souls. He was hiding in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor—those dying in the streets, unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. It was a summons to leave the convent and enter the slums, to serve the “poorest of the poor” and to quench the infinite thirst of God.
The Great Work: A Drop of Love in the Ocean
Stepping out of the convent and exchanging her European habit for a simple white cotton sari bordered with blue—symbolizing Mary and purity—Mother Teresa walked into the slums of Motijheel. She had no funds, no helpers, and no government support, only a rosary and a relentless trust in Divine Providence. She began by teaching children in the open air, writing in the dirt. Soon, she established the Home for the Dying, Nirmal Hriday, a place where those who had lived like animals could die like angels—loved and wanted. Her ministry was a living exegesis of Matthew 25: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
As we reflect on her work here at Christian Way, we see that her mission was never merely social work; it was deeply theological. She did not serve the poor simply to alleviate poverty, but to adore Christ. The Missionaries of Charity grew rapidly, spreading from the humid streets of Calcutta to the Bronx, Rome, and Venezuela. Whether she was pulling a leper from the gutter or speaking to the United Nations, her message remained the same: we have been created for greater things, to love and to be loved. She challenged the conscience of the world, reminding us that the greatest poverty is not hunger for bread, but the hunger for love and dignity.
The Cross and the Crown: The Light in the Darkness
While the world saw her radiant smile and the Nobel Peace Prize in her hands, Mother Teresa carried a profound secret, a heavy cross known only to her spiritual directors. For nearly fifty years, she experienced a “dark night of the soul”—an agonizing sense of God’s absence and a spiritual dryness that mirrored the abandonment Jesus felt on the Cross. She wrote, “The silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.” Yet, this was her crown. She did not flee from this darkness; she offered it as a share in Christ’s redemptive suffering. She loved God not for the consolation He gave, but for who He was.
When she passed into eternal life on September 5, 1997, the entire world mourned. But her legacy was only just beginning. She had shown us that sanctity is accessible, that it is found in doing “small things with great love.” Pope Francis canonized her in 2016 during the Jubilee of Mercy, sealing her place as a Titan of charity. She stands today as a beacon for us, proving that faith is not a feeling, but a choice—a choice to love even when the heart feels dry, and to serve even when the body is weary.
Spiritual Gems for Daily Life
- The Gospel on Five Fingers: Mother Teresa would often hold up her hand and repeat the words of Jesus, “You-Did-It-To-Me” (Matthew 25:40), assigning one word to each finger. It is a simple way to remember Christ’s presence in others.
- The Power of a Smile: She taught that peace begins with a smile. Even when we have nothing material to give, we can give the joy of our countenance to a stranger.
- Love Begins at Home: Before trying to save the world, she urged people to love their own families. “Go home and love your family,” she famously said, knowing that the hardest people to love are often those closest to us.
- Calculated Love vs. Radical Love: We are not called to be successful, but to be faithful. God does not ask for big numbers, but for a big heart.
A Prayer for a Heart of Service
Oh, St. Teresa of Calcutta, you who allowed the thirst of Jesus on the Cross to become the driving force of your life, hear our prayer. We live in a world that is often cold and indifferent, yet you showed us that a single drop of love can create an ocean of mercy.
Teach us to see the face of Jesus in the annoying neighbor, the difficult family member, and the stranger on the street. When we feel spiritually dry or abandoned, help us to remain faithful, just as you did. Give us the courage to do small things with great love, and to be a light in the dark corners of our own communities. Pray for us, dear Mother, that we may answer God’s call with a joyful “Yes.” Amen.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
