Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu had a loving family living at Skopje, Macedonia (former Yugoslavia). Nikola was a successful merchant and Drane was a loving mother and a good wife. It was 1910, and they were happy and content with their three daughters, youngest one Agnes being 3 months old. She was born on August 27 of that year.
In 1916, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu received her First Communion at the age of five and a half. The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. Since her family was roman catholic, this ceremony was extremely important. Sadly, when she was eight years old, her father passed away. Her family started facing financial difficulties. Her mother was a pillar of strength and loved her children dearly even in difficult times. This made Agnes a highly devoted and a compassionate person specially toward the poor people.
At a tender age of 12 years, Agnes decided that she wanted to be a missionary. By the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of Loretto, an Irish society of nuns with missions in India. She learnt English and got a new name, Sister Mary Teresa.
Can you guess who this young girl was? Probably yes, if you have read the title of the story.
But how did a young nun named Sister Mary Teresa become the legendary “Mother” Teresa?
She got the name “Mother Teresa” when she vowed to devote herself to service of Jesus forever. She taught geography and catechism(principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers) in Calcutta for almost seventeen years. Then she contracted tuberculosis, and she was sent to Darjeeling to rest. Over there she realized that she wanted to work for the poor and devote her life in improving the quality of life of the poor people.
Mother Teresa was looked upon and respected for her charity, unselfishness and her hard work by all her peers. After finding her true calling, she took permission from Vatican to leave the Sisters of Loretto and join under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Calcutta. Once there, she started her work by teaching poor children. Sick people that were left on the streets were taken care of by Mother Teresa and her helpers. She built a home named “Nirmal Hriday” for such people.
Mother Teresa created shelter for dying and the unwanted not only in Calcutta where she resided but across the world. Her work was borderless. She took comfort in caring for the people that nobody else wanted. She was awarded the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She only found happiness in the awards because they helped her help the poor. She became world famous for her tireless efforts to do good for people.
She died on September 5, 1997, just 9 days after her 87th birthday. She is deeply respected by the entire world, and her tomb is a place of pilgrimage in India.
Do you believe in God? I believe that it is the goodness of people that brings God to life.