MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA WAS A LIVING SAINT IN OUR MIDST.


Fr. J. Anthony Andrade
Kemmannu News Network, 05-09-2016 19:15:47


Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print


MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA WAS A LIVING SAINT IN OUR MIDST.

On September 4th  our beloved Blesses  Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be canonized as a saint  by our Holy Father Pope Francis  in Vatican , Rome.  To celebrate this great event many devotees of Blessed Mother Teresa, from around the world, will gather in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Being declared a saint was not important to Mother Teresa, however we know she certainly has made her home with God among His saints in heaven.

Mother Teresa was a model of humility and love. She served the poorest of the poor with great love and compassion, just as Jesus did. People of every religion and faith were her brothers and sisters irrespective of their race, color or cast. She lived the gospel as Jesus said, “whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sister, you have done unto me.” (Matthew 25:40-41). On this special occasion it is appropriate for us to reflect on the life of this great and holy person who lived among us just a few years ago. I hope this reflection on her life will enlighten us as we come to know her life and mission that was entrusted to her by God.

Three decades ago, a five foot tall Roman Catholic sister, in her early thirties, walking among the crowded street people of Calcutta, came upon a dying, unconscious woman lying in filth her body half wasted by feasting rats and maggots. She took this helpless woman to her own flat, bathed and cared for her, the woman managing only a smile of gratitude before she died. This particular event began her extraordinary ministry to the worlds “poorest of the poor” which later brought the Noble Prize for peace to Mother Teresa.

Born on August 26, 1910, at Skopje, Yugoslavia, to an Albanian grocer and his wife she was baptized Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhier. At age 18 she joined the Irish Sisters of Loretto to become a missionary to India. For the next twenty years Sister Teresa taught affluent Indian girls at St. Mary’s school in Calcutta.

Responding to a second call from God in 1948 she won the Vatican’s reluctant permission to leave her comfortable life at St. Mary’s to start a new order of sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, devoted to the diseased and dying street dwellers of Calcutta. She promptly shed her shoes and adopted, as her habit, the rough cotton sari worn by India’s poorest women. Today, her community numbers 1,800 sisters and 1,200 co-workers who maintain an international network of hospitals, orphanages, schools and leprosariums. There are ninety-three branches of this community in India and sixty others around the world.

Our Archdiocese is truly blessed with the presence and service of Mother Teresa’s sisters. They are presently serving at Sacred Heart parish in Robbinsdale. Archbishop Flynn will be celebrating Mass and preaching on the life of Mother Teresa on October 23 at Sacred Heart church. All are invited to celebrate with him this great event of Mother Teresa’s beatification.

Inspite of their hard way of life or perhaps due to the providence of God the Missionaries of Charity are said to have more vocations than any other woman’s religious order. They are also prospering through gifts and donations even though they have a strict vow of poverty. “God is my banker and He provides whatever I need at anytime”, said Mother Teresa.

She had a great sense of humor! On one occasion speaking with a group of seminarians, that I was a part of, she told a joke. She said, “the other day I dreamed that I was at the gates of heaven, and St. Peter said, “go back to earth, there are no slums up here!” ....and then she laughed.

As a seminarian I personally had the opportunity to meet Mother Teresa in Calcutta. I was very impressed with her prayer life and faith in God. One could see that her life, words, and deeds went hand in hand with God’s will. She taught what she believed in: “to trust in God totally.” She encouraged us to strengthen our prayer life and remain focused in our goals towards priesthood. Her joy in serving the poorest of the poor inspired me and my fellow seminarians very much. Mother Teresa once said: “what you can do I cannot do, what I can do you cannot do, but together we can do something beautiful for God.” In serving the very poor and abandoned children she said, “I see God in the life of these people whom I serve.”

Let us take her words seriously and do something extraordinary for God. By loving and serving the poor and less fortunate people in our midst we will also see God’s face in the life of those we serve.

By Fr. J. Anthony Andrade
Pastor of  St. Thomas Aquinas church.
St. Paul Park  MN 55071 (USA)

Comments on this Article
Jossey Saldanha, Jersey City Tue, September-6-2016, 7:00
St. Mother Teresa Pray for us ...
Agree[0]
Oswin DSouza, Kemmannu - Kallianpur Mon, September-5-2016, 9:54
"Mother Teresa Jivi Santin" heared this throghout my Childhood from my parents. Thank you Kemmannu.com for spreading this beautiful message of Fr. Anthony.
Agree[1]
Vincent, Udupi Sun, September-4-2016, 9:12
Thank you Fr. Antony, St. Teresa pray for all....
Agree[3]
James Fernandes, Barkur Chicago Sun, September-4-2016, 6:35
I am doubly blessed to read this article written by a person (from Barkur) who had met mother St. Teresa in person personally.

Wish she is back as there are no lepers up there! Thank you Fr. Tony.

Agree[3]
Ronnie D’Souza, Mumbai/Kemmannu Sun, September-4-2016, 12:28
Oh God how great thou art.

St. Mother Teresa was a living Saint. She was a nun in action showing us what Jesus wants us to do.

Love God and Love your neighbor.

Agree[7]
Write your Comments on this Article
Your Name
Native Place / Place of Residence
Your E-mail
Your Comment   You have characters left.
Security Validation
Enter the characters in the image above
    
Disclaimer: Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Kemmannu.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.
Please note that under 66A of the IT Act, sending offensive or menacing messages through electronic communication service and sending false messages to cheat, mislead or deceive people or to cause annoyance to them is punishable. It is obligatory on kemmannu.com to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request. Hence, sending offensive comments using kemmannu.com will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Kemmannu.com be held responsible.
Similarly, Kemmannu.com reserves the right to edit / block / delete the messages without notice any content received from readers.




Symphony98 Releases Soul-Stirring Rendition of Len
View More

Way Of Cross on Good Friday 2024 | Live From | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu, Udupi | LIVEWay Of Cross on Good Friday 2024 | Live From | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu, Udupi | LIVE
Good Friday 2024 | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | LIVE | UdupiWay Of Cross on Good Friday 2024 | Live From | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu, Udupi | LIVE
2 BHK Flat for sale on the 6th floor of Eden Heritage, Santhekatte, Kallianpur, Udupi2 BHK Flat for sale on the 6th floor of Eden Heritage,  Santhekatte, Kallianpur, Udupi.
Maundy Thursday 2024 | LIVE From St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | Udupi |Maundy Thursday 2024 | LIVE From St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | Udupi |
Kemmennu for sale 1 BHK 628 sqft, Air Conditioned flatKemmennu for sale 1 BHK 628 sqft, Air Conditioned  flat
Symphony98 Releases Soul-Stirring Rendition of Lenten Hymn "Khursa Thain"Symphony98 Releases Soul-Stirring Rendition of Lenten Hymn
Palm Sunday 2024 at St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | LIVEPalm Sunday 2024 at St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu | LIVE
Final Journey of Patrick Oliveira (83 years) || LIVE From KemmannuFinal Journey of Patrick Oliveira (83 years) || LIVE From Kemmannu
Carmel School Science Exhibition Day || Kmmannu ChannelCarmel School Science Exhibition Day || Kmmannu Channel
Final Journey of Prakash Crasta | LIVE From Kemmannu || Kemmannu ChannelFinal Journey of Prakash Crasta | LIVE From Kemmannu || Kemmannu Channel
ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಮಹಿಳಾ ಮಹಾ ಸಂಘ | ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯಾಂಚ್ಯಾ ದಿಸಾಚೊ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ್ 2024 || ಸಾಸ್ತಾನ್ ಘಟಕ್ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಮಹಿಳಾ ಮಹಾ ಸಂಘ | ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯಾಂಚ್ಯಾ ದಿಸಾಚೊ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ್ 2024 || ಸಾಸ್ತಾನ್ ಘಟಕ್
Valentine’s Day Special❤️||Multi-lingual Covers || Symphony98 From KemmannuValentine’s Day Special❤️||Multi-lingual Covers || Symphony98 From Kemmannu
Final Journey of Lionel John Lewis (74 years) | LIVE from Milagres Cathedral | Kallianpur | UdupiFinal Journey of Lionel John Lewis (74 years) | LIVE from Milagres Cathedral | Kallianpur | Udupi
Rozaricho Gaanch December 2023 issue, Mount Rosary Church Santhekatte Kallianpur, UdupiRozaricho Gaanch December 2023 issue, Mount Rosary Church Santhekatte Kallianpur, Udupi
An Ernest Appeal From Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of UdupiAn Ernest Appeal From Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi
Diocese of Udupi - Uzvd Decennial Special IssueDiocese of Udupi - Uzvd Decennial Special Issue
Final Journey Of Canute Pinto (52 years) | LIVE From Mount Rosary Church | Kallianpura | UdupiFinal Journey Of Canute Pinto (52 years) | LIVE From Mount Rosary Church | Kallianpura | Udupi
Earth Angels Anniversary | Comedy Show 2024 | Live From St. Theresa’s Church | Kemmannu | UdupiEarth Angels Anniversary | Comedy Show 2024 | Live From St. Theresa’s Church | Kemmannu | Udupi
Vespers 2024 | St. Theresa’s Church, KemmannuVespers 2024 | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu
Annual Church Feast 2024 | St. Theresa’s Church, KemmannuAnnual Church Feast 2024 | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu
Confraternity Sunday | St. Theresa’s Church, KemmannuConfraternity Sunday | St. Theresa’s Church, Kemmannu
Kemmannu Cricket Match 2024 | LIVE from KemmannuKemmannu Cricket Match 2024 | LIVE from Kemmannu
CHRISTMAS MASS-2023 | St. Theresa’s Church | Live from Kemmannu | UdupiCHRISTMAS MASS-2023 | St. Theresa’s Church | Live from Kemmannu | Udupi
Annual Day 2023 | Carmel English School, Live From KemmannuAnnual Day 2023 | Carmel English School, Live From Kemmannu
Naturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOWNaturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOW
New Management takes over Bannur Mutton, Santhekatte, Kallianpur. Visit us and feel the difference.New Management takes over Bannur Mutton, Santhekatte, Kallianpur. Visit us and feel the difference.
Easter 2023 - Milrachi Lara From Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, UdupiEaster 2023 - Milrachi Lara From Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi
Focus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, UdupiFocus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, Udupi