Mother Teresa of Calcutta to the Suffering: You Can Do the Most!

In Minneapolis, a woman in a wheelchair, suffering continuous convulsions from cerebral palsy asked me what people like her could do for others. I told her: You can do the most. You can do more than any of us because your suffering is united with the suffering of Christ on the Cross and it brings strength to all of us. There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through this continual sharing, praying together,

suffering together and working together.

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

St. Teresa of Calcutta: Mothers, Heart of the Home

Mothers are the heart of the home; they build family life by wanting, loving and taking care of their children. . . . 

Recently, in L——, a young woman of twenty-one years, who had been scolded in the morning, attempted suicide later in the day by swallowing kerosene. Taken to the hospital, she said to the priest: “My mother chased me out of the house and I did not know where to go; so I thought the best thing would be to kill myself.” 

Much suffering of young people is attributable to the family and particularly to mothers. Mothers make the home a center of love. Their role is sometimes hard, but there is the example of the Blessed Virgin, who teaches us to be good with our children. We Missionaries of Charity also have to be mothers and make our communities happy homes (LC, 24).

~ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

St. Teresa of Calcutta: No Time to Enjoy

I think the world today is upside down, and is suffering so much, because there is so very little love in the homes and in family life. We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other; there is no time to enjoy each other. If we could only bring back into our lives the life that Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, if we could make our homes another Nazareth, I think that peace and joy would reign in the world.

~ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Why faith is lacking

Faith is lacking because there is so much selfishness and so much gain only for self. But faith, to be true, has to be a giving love. Love and faith go together. They complete each other.

People don't know they have lost their faith. If they were convinced that the person lying in the dirt is their brother or sister, I believe they would do something for that person. People don't know what compassion is. They don't know people. If they understood, they would immediately realize the greatness of the people lying in the street and would simply love them. And the love would surely lead them to place themselves at their service.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Fruit of faith

Faith in action is love and love in action is service - therefore "the way of life" is but the fruit of faith - faith has to be put in action of love if it has to live - and love to be true and living - to be God's love in action - must be service . . .

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Become a child in God's hands

"Unless you become a little child . . . " I am sure you will understand beautifully everything if you would only "become" a little child in God's hands. Your longing for God is so deep, and yet He keeps Himself away from you. He must be forcing Himself to do so, because He loves you so much - as to give Jesus to die for you and for me. Christ is longing to be your Food. Surrounded with fullness of living Food, you allow yourself to starve. The personal love Christ has for you is infinite; the small difficulty you have regarding His Church is finite. Overcome the finite with the infinite. Christ has created you because He wanted you. I know what you feel - terrible longing with dark emptiness. And yet, He is the one in love with you.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Faith is a gospel of love

Our holy faith is nothing but a gospel of love, revealing to us God's love for men and claiming in return man's love for God.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: To see Christ in the poor

We need the eyes of deep faith to see Christ in the broken body and dirty clothes under which the most beautiful One among the sons of men hides. We shall need the hands of Christ to touch those bodies wounded by pain and suffering.

How pure our hands must be if we have to touch Christi's Body as the priest touches Him in the appearance of bread at the altar. With what love and devotion and faith he lifts the sacred Host! These same feelings we too must have when we lift the body of the sick poor.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Not called to be successful

We do nothing. He does everything. All glory must be returned to Him.

God has not called me to be successful. He called me to be faithful.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Faith is a gift of God

Faith is a gift of God. Without it there would be no life. And our work, to be fruitful, and to be all for God, and to be beautiful, has to be built on faith - faith in Christ, who has said, "I was hungry, I was naked, I was sick and I was homeless, and you ministered to Me." On these words of His all our work is based.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa: Believe In God's Love More Than Your Weakness!!

Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.

- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Hunger

There is hunger for ordinary bread, and there is hunger for love, for kindness, for thoughtfulness, and this is the great poverty that makes people suffer so much.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa: The Kiss from the Cross

Suffering has to come because if you look at the cross, he has got his head bending down - he wants to kiss you - and he has both hands open wide - he wants to embrace you. He has his heart opened wide to receive you. Then when you feel miserable inside, look at the cross and you will know what is happening. Suffering, pain, sorrow, humiliation, feelings of loneliness, are nothing but the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close that he can kiss you. Do you understand, brothers, sisters, or whoever you may be? Suffering, pain, humiliation - this is the kiss of Jesus. At times you come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you. I once told this to a lady who was suffering very much. She answered, "Tell Jesus not to kiss me - to stop kissing me." That suffering has to come that came into the life of Our Lady, that came in the life of Jesus - it has to come in our life also. Only never put on a long face. Suffering is a gift from God. It is between you and Jesus alone inside.

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta