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Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
On August 26, 1910, Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, Yugoslavia.
At the early age of twelve, Mary knew she wished to become a nun. Mary
hoped that becoming a nun would lead her to a life like that described
in the wonderful stories told of missionaries and saints at her local parish.
She left home to follow her dreams, never to see her mother again. In 1950,
after serving fifteeen years as a nun at a place in Bengal, India called
Loreto, Mother Teresa began the Missionaries of Charity.
"I was to give up all, and follow Jesus into the slums.....It was an
order.....And when that happens, the only thing to do is say yes."
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Mother Teresa in Ladies Home Journal, April, 1996, p.146
The mission that Mother Teresa founded was different than others in that
it refused to engage in formal fundraising. Instead, the Missionaries of
Charity both begged for food and money, and relied heavily on the money
raised by word of mouth. Mother Teresa and her organization have been criticized
by many for their lack of preventative, problem-solving programs. The people
who criticize her believe that resources are more wisely used in to try
and solve underlying problems so future people won't be affected by them.
However, members of the mission stand firmly behind their policy of helping
and comforting those dying or in pain right now; they believe the future
will take care of itself. Today, helping the less fortunate is exactly
what the mission is still doing. What started with little money and a handful
of sisters has now become a worldwide organization with over seven thousand
nuns and brothers, in over a hundred different countries. This organization
is dedicated to helping the poor, unwanted, and sick of the world. Although
Mother Teresa died in September, 1997, her organization plans to continue
on for many years to come.
Before her death, Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize, the
Order of Merit (presented by Queen Elizabeth of England), and countless
other awards from various individuals, governments, and organizations around
the world. Her death was mourned by the millions of people for whom she
made life a little better.
Mother Teresa is an example of how one person's dream to make a difference
in the world can blossom into a huge success. She began as just one person,
affecting the lives of a handful of others. She became the inspiration
for the thousands who dedicated their life to her dream, and the light
of love for the millions she comforted.
Colin Drummond
Further Readings
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(1) Chawla, Navin. 1992. Mother Teresa, The Authorized Biography.Element.
Rockport, Mass: Element.
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(2) Raghu, Rai. 1996. Faith and Compassion:The Life and Work of MotherTeresa.
Rockport, Mass: Element.
Related Websites
http://members.tripod.com/~spiritual1/
http://www.ascension-research.org/mother.html
http://members.aol.com/Jeremymp/teresa1.html
http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion/Faiths_and_Practices/Christianity/
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