Mother Teresa’s selfless and untiring service to the poor of the poorest, orphaned and sick people on the streets of Kolkata will be remembered by every Indian. It is gratifying to note that Pope Francis, the Head of the Vatican has recognized her charitable services to humanity and declared her a saint on September 4. September 4, 2016 was also Mother Teresa’s 19th death anniversary.
With the canonisation of Mother Teresa as a saint, India now has six saints of her own. They are — St Gonsalo Garcia, St Alphonsa, St Kuriakose Elias Chavara, St Euphrasia Eluvathingal, St Joseph Vaz and St Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa will always be remembered for what she said and what she did during her lifetime. She started her work with no money, depending only on God to help her. Mother Teresa and her followers nursed the sick and dying, taught street children, gave shelter to the homeless, cared for the unloved and the lonely and proclaimed the Word of God to one and all. The rich and the poor alike have felt explicably drawn into the mercy of God’s tender embrace by her example as a follower of Jesus Christ. Her selfless love is a powerful example of what it means to love others as Christ loved us and a sign that God still loves the world today.
Clad in a khadi sari with its three blue line border, Mother Teresa along with her sisters of the Missionaries of Charity became a symbol of love, care and compassion for the world. Mother Teresa was a ray of hope for many, including the aged, the destitute, the unemployed, the diseased, the terminally ill, and those abandoned by their families. Blessed with profound empathy, unwavering commitment and unshakable faith since young, she turned her back to the worldly pleasures and focused on serving mankind ever since she was 18. After years of service as a teacher and mentor, Mother Teresa experienced a call within her religious call, which changed her course of life completely, making her what she is known as today.
Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, with her fervent commitment and incredible organisational and managerial skills, she developed an international organization that aimed towards helping the impoverished. For her service to humanity she was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Mother Teresa, even though she has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church is still a Mother to us. She will be remembered for her good deeds for years to come.
Jubel D’Cruz
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
