Mother Teresa’s 114th Birth Anniversary, Observed on August 26

Context:

August 26, 2024marks the114th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa, a divine figure whose legacy of love and compassion continues to inspire the world.

ØBorn on26 August 1910 in Albania, she became one of the most revered figures of the 20th century, recognized globally for her selfless service to humanity.

ØMother Teresa was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize, and India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, among many others.

About:

Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia.

From a young age, she was deeply influenced by her Catholic upbringing.

At just 12 years old, she felt a divine call to become a missionary.

As a child, she spent a lot of time in church, which sparked her interest in the lives of missionaries.

At 18, in 1928, she left her home and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish order of nuns with missions in India and never returned or met her family again.

In 1950, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, a religious congregation dedicated to serving “the poorest of the poor.”

Mother Teresa was deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence. She was also greatly influenced by his ideas and beliefs.

Mother Teresa was fluent in five languages: Albanian, Serbian, English, Hindi, and Bengali. She believed learning these languages helped her connect with and understand the pain of others better.

She started her charitable work as a headmistress at Loreto Convent School in Kolkata. However, she felt a calling to do more for the needy, homeless, and poor.

In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her dedication to helping the poor and sick. She lived her life among those in need, dedicating herself to their care.

Mother Teresa strongly opposed contraception and abortion, believing there was no difference between killing a human being and ending a life in the womb.

From 1931 to 1948, she taught geography, arithmetic, and religion at Mary’s High School in Calcutta and later became the headmistress.

In 2015, Pope Francis declared her a saint, and she is now known as Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa also had the rare opportunity to speak at prestigious places like the Vatican and the United Nations.