MOTHER TERESA
Mother Teresa, an Angel of Mercy, was born to Albanian parents on 27th August, 1910 in Skoplji, Yugoslavia. Then her name was Agnes. Mother Teresa was a symbol and personification of great human qualities like kindness, charity, love and service of the weak and the suffering. Throughout her life she was busy making people happy, bringing cheers to the sick, diseased, orphans and the helpless. The poorest certainly had the first preference in the Mother’s scheme of things but no one was prevented from approaching the Mother’s house. Thus while she preferred visiting the poor, she was quite at home meeting the rich and the famous of this world. She came to India when she was 18.
Mother Teresa had grown feeble in body due to hard work all these years and age, yet her spirit of service was as strong as ever. She has became a living legend. She became a nun at the young age of 12. She worked as a teacher in Calcutta. There were many missionaries who helped her in her work of charity and service. Her homes for the destitute, lepers, sick and abandoned children are well known throughout the world. She became an Indian citizen in 1962. She was awarded Nobel Prize in 1979 for her long and outstanding services to the humanity and Bharat Ratna in 1980. She was the first Indian woman to have been awarded Nobel Prize. Besides these awards she won many more awards like Raman Magasaysay Award in 1962, International Award for Peace 1972, Templeton Foundation
Award 1973, etc.
While receiving the Nobel Prize she declared her love for working in the country of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the unwanted, unloved, uncared for in the society.
She was a great lady, a real mother and angel in the real sense of the terms. Her work and dedication have no comparison. She reminds us of Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp. Mother Teresa’s life is a brilliant example of a life dedicated to a single purpose of service to humanity at large.
Her life was a history of an iron will, a will devoted to charity and compassion. In her compassion she reminds us of the Buddha.
She set up many homes for the poor, helpless children and unfortunate lepers. She was a living example of dedication to a noble cause. We are all very proud of her. And so are others in many countries. In this world of sufferings and miseries she was really an angel of mercy and charity. Her heart throbbed and bled for the suffering humanity.
She visited many countries. To whichever country she went, she was showered upon love, respect and honour. For the world peace, happiness and harmony, her contribution has been matchless. She was a powerful propaganda machine and a public relations guru. Service was her only mission and motto in life. She died in Kolkata on September 5, 1997. The whole world shed tears on the death of the “Saint of the gutter.” She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.