Mother Teresa of Calcutta

At the age of eighteen, moved by a desire to become a missionary, Gonxha Agnes left her home in 1928 to join the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Sisters of Loreto, in Ireland. There she received the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In December, she departed for India, arriving in Calcutta in January 1929. After making her First Profession of Vows in May 1931, Sister Teresa was assigned to the Loreto Entally community in Calcutta and taught at Saint Mary’s School for girls. Sister Teresa made her Final Profession of Vows in 1937, becoming, Mother Teresa, the “spouse of Jesus” for “all eternity.”

Today is the anniversary of her death. A person of profound prayer and deep love for her religious sisters and her students, Mother Teresa’s twenty years in Loreto were filled with profound happiness. Noted for her charity, unselfishness and courage, her capacity for hard work and a natural talent for organization, she lived out her consecration to Jesus, in the midst of her companions, with fidelity and joy.

In September 1946 during the train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, Mother Teresa received her “inspiration,” her “call within a call.” On that day, in a way she would never explain, Jesus’ thirst for love and for souls took hold of her heart and the desire to satiate His thirst became the driving force of her life. Over the course of the next weeks and months, by means of interior locutions and visions, Jesus revealed to her the desire of His heart for “victims of love” who would “radiate His love on souls.”

“Come be My light,” He begged her. “I cannot go alone.” He revealed His pain at the neglect of the poor, His sorrow at their ignorance of Him and His longing for their love. He asked Mother Teresa to establish a religious community, Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor. Nearly two years of testing and discernment passed before Mother Teresa received permission to begin. In August 1948, she dressed for the first time in a white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor.

She renounced everything for Jesus only to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She looked “pro-choice” politicians in the eye and told them that abortion was murder. She passed out prayer holy cards at the United Nations and got ambassadors praying in the UN general assembly room. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta exemplifies the uncompromising loyalty to Jesus.

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta

My pastor knew Mother Teresa and was blessed to meet with her privately. Her words to him, "Be only all for Jesus through Mary."