Feast of Blessed Mother Teresa

September 5:MANILA, Philippines — On October 19, 2003, Blessed Pope John Paul II beatified in India a woman who had devoted her entire life to the service of the needy and the forgotten in the society. Her mission was to proclaim Christ to the world by her deeds for the poorest of the poor. Many people from around the world and of various faiths acclaimed her work. She was Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

This saintly woman was born in what is now known as Skopje, Macedonia (then part of the Ottorman Empire). Her Albanian parents named her Gonxha (Agnes) Bojaxhiu; she was the youngest of the three children who survived.

The family was well off until their father passed away. She attended public school and participated in various religious activities such as the Catholic sodality. She entered the convent of the Loreto Sisters of Dublin at the age of 18.

In 1929, the congregation sent her to Darjeeling, India, for her novitiate years. There Agnes chose the name Teresa and prepared for a life of service. She was assigned to a high school for girls in Calcutta, where she taught history and geography to the daughters of the affluent.

But the poverty, the suffering, and the overwhelming numbers of destitute people affected her so much that she thought of leaving her congregation and forming a new one. While riding a train to Darjeeling for a retreat, the young Sister Teresa heard what she later described as “a call within a call.’’ She said, The message was clear. I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.’’ She took it as a sign that the Lord was calling her to leave the Sisters of  Loreto and, to “follow Christ into the slums to serve him among the poorest of the poor.’’

Thus began a new chapter in her life – the Missionaries of Charity. In the years and decades that followed, she worked for the poor and the sick – making her a true apostle of Christ to the modern world. Because of this, she has been awarded with so many titles but according to Mother Teresa, the greatest recognition is to be able to share in the work of Christ in the world.

As we celebrate her feast today, let us not only acclaim her deeds. The challenge to us on this occasion is to emulate her efforts for the underprivileged to the best of our ability. The work might be very daunting. Mother Teresa, however, reminds us: “We are not called to do great things. We are only called to do small things but with great love.’’ Let us pray for the Missionaries of Charity that the Lord may continue to use them as He used Blessed Mother Teresa in making the poor experience God’s love.

Courtesy: Manila Bulletin Websites and Publications