About The Poet
The author of this speech, Mother Teresa, was a Roman Catholic nun and missionary known for her deep compassion and commitment to serving the poor and marginalized. Born in Albania in 1910, she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 in Kolkata, India, dedicating her life to providing care for the destitute, sick, and dying. Her work earned her international recognition and numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, for which this speech was delivered.
Mother Teresa’s philosophy was rooted in her belief that each person is a reflection of Christ, especially those who suffer. This perspective shaped her mission and the work of her Sisters, who focused on uplifting the materially poor in impoverished areas like Kolkata, while also addressing the emotional and spiritual poverty she observed in affluent societies. In the text, she shares stories of people from all walks of life who, despite their own challenges, made sacrifices for the welfare of others. These anecdotes reflect her teachings on humility, selflessness, and unconditional love.
Mother Teresa’s work went beyond charity; she sought to inspire others to recognize the humanity in each person and practice love in small, meaningful ways, beginning at home. Her message often emphasized that service to others should be an expression of inner spirituality rather than merely social work, urging people to give with sincerity and sacrifice. This speech captures her ideals of compassion and reflects her lifelong mission to bring peace and dignity to the marginalized, demonstrating her legacy as a symbol of love and hope for millions worldwide.
Summary
In her address, Mother Teresa conveys her belief that her work and that of her Sisters is deeply spiritual rather than just social service. They live a life woven with prayer, continually seeking to embody and share the presence of Christ in the world. This presence enables them to understand and share in the suffering around them, which she views as a modern-day reflection of Christ’s passion. Despite working globally, she observes a particular challenge in Western countries, where emotional poverty—characterized by feelings of being unwanted, unloved, and excluded from society—can be more painful and difficult to alleviate than material poverty. Unlike in poorer nations, where a meal can often satisfy immediate needs, loneliness and emotional isolation require a compassionate, patient approach that cannot be easily solved.
She shares the mission of her Sisters, who work with people in Western societies who feel disconnected and rejected, and emphasizes the importance of prayer from others to support this mission. She calls on people to recognize and address the loneliness and emotional needs within their own homes, suggesting that a simple smile can be a small but powerful start in building love and peace. For her, love begins at home, where acts of kindness like a smile or a moment of attention can establish a basis for compassion in the world.
Mother Teresa recounts inspiring stories to illustrate the power of small sacrifices made with love. She shares an example of a man who, despite being bedridden for twenty years and only able to move one hand, gave up his only enjoyment—smoking—for a week to send money to her for feeding the poor. She also tells of a Hindu family with eight children who shared their meager supply of rice with a hungry Muslim family. These examples reveal the joy that can come from self-sacrifice and the profound humanity of sharing what little one has with others in need.
She emphasizes that the true act of giving involves sacrifice, and encourages people not just to give out of abundance but to give until it feels meaningful. According to her, this form of selfless love, which requires genuine sacrifice, is an opportunity to align one’s own life with Christ’s teachings. She relates this idea to Christmas, urging everyone to keep the joy of loving Jesus in their hearts and to share it actively with everyone they encounter.
In closing, Mother Teresa reflects on her experience with international visitors, recalling a group of American professors who asked her for a piece of advice to remember. She simply advised them to smile at each other and make time for their families, emphasizing that even in close relationships, love can sometimes be challenging. This difficulty, she says, is where true love is proven—by persevering with kindness even when it’s hard. She believes that Norway, as a beacon of peace with the Nobel Prize, could spread this spirit of love worldwide. Finally, she asks for God’s blessings on the audience, hoping they may live a life filled with love and be instruments of peace for others.
Themes
1. Compassion and Service to Humanity
Mother Teresa emphasizes serving the needy, both materially and emotionally, by recognizing the dignity and worth of each person. Her stories illustrate that true compassion involves not only addressing physical needs but also recognizing emotional suffering, especially in Western societies where loneliness and rejection are prevalent.
2. Selflessness and Sacrifice
She discusses the importance of giving not from abundance but from a place of sacrifice, as seen in her anecdotes about individuals who gave up their comforts for the welfare of others. This theme reflects her belief that true giving requires personal cost and dedication, aligning with her own example of selfless service.
3. Love Begins at Home
Mother Teresa asserts that peace and love must first be cultivated within one’s family and close relationships. She suggests that even a simple smile can be a powerful gesture of love, emphasizing that creating a loving home environment can have a ripple effect on broader society.
4. Spiritual Fulfillment Through Service
The text is filled with the idea that serving others is a spiritual act that brings one closer to God. Mother Teresa sees her work and that of her Sisters as a spiritual calling, encouraging others to find God’s presence in acts of kindness toward the poor and marginalized.
5. Universal Brotherhood and Peace
Mother Teresa envisions a world united by compassion, where people of all backgrounds support one another. She views peace as achievable not through grand gestures or policies but through small acts of love and mutual respect, beginning with those closest to us and extending to the wider world.
6. Dignity in Death and Suffering
In discussing her care for the dying, Mother Teresa speaks of ensuring a “beautiful death” for those who suffer. She perceives dignity as crucial, even in moments of despair, and views caring for the dying as a compassionate way to help them return to God with peace and love.
Detail Question Answer
1. Describe how Mother Teresa proposed to address the issue of abortion.
Mother Teresa advocated adoption as an alternative to abortion. She encouraged mothers to bring their children into the world and promised to find loving homes for these children. She believed that every life is precious and worth saving.
2. What actions did Mother Teresa encourage to support mothers considering abortion?
Mother Teresa urged mothers considering abortion to give birth to their children, promising to find homes for them. She offered to care for the children if the mothers could not, aiming to give each child a chance at life.
3. Why did Mother Teresa consider adoption a solution to abortion?
Mother Teresa saw adoption as a way to save unborn children from abortion. She believed that every child deserves love and care, and adoption provides a way for families to welcome a child in need, fulfilling both the child’s right to life and the family’s desire for children.
4. Explain why Mother Teresa believed poor people have great qualities.
Mother Teresa admired the poor because they often showed values like generosity, selflessness, and the ability to share, even when they had little. She felt they could teach society valuable lessons about love and kindness.
5. What values did Mother Teresa observe in poor people that made her admire them?
Mother Teresa noticed that poor people often practiced kindness, gratitude, and sharing. Despite having limited resources, they were willing to help others and showed a strength of character that she deeply respected.
6. What lesson did Mother Teresa learn from her interaction with a young boy who gave up sugar?
Mother Teresa learned about true sacrifice from the young boy who gave up sugar for three days to help her children. This act of giving up something meaningful taught her the power of love and generosity in even the smallest sacrifices.
7. Describe the experience Mother Teresa had with a young boy’s sacrifice during a sugar shortage.
During a sugar shortage in Calcutta, a young boy chose to give up sugar for three days so Mother Teresa could give his share to others. This selfless act showed her the compassion even a small child could have for the less fortunate.
8. How did a four-year-old boy’s action impact Mother Teresa’s view on love and giving?
The boy’s selflessness reinforced Mother Teresa’s belief that giving is not about how much you give but the love and sacrifice behind it. This simple act of giving up sugar was a reminder of pure, heartfelt generosity.
9. Summarize Mother Teresa’s experience at the Old Age Home and her feelings about it.
When Mother Teresa visited an Old Age Home, she observed that the elderly residents had all they needed physically but felt emotionally abandoned. They waited for visits from family members who never came. This experience showed her that loneliness is a profound kind of poverty.
10. What did Mother Teresa learn about loneliness from her visit to the Old Age Home?
Mother Teresa learned that loneliness and being forgotten can be as painful as physical poverty. She saw that people in the Old Age Home had basic necessities but lacked companionship, making them feel unwanted and sad.
11. Why did Mother Teresa believe loneliness is the greatest form of poverty?
Mother Teresa believed loneliness to be the greatest poverty because it creates feelings of abandonment and sadness. Unlike physical poverty, which can be solved with food or shelter, loneliness isolates people emotionally, causing deeper suffering.
12. Explain the significance of a smile, according to Mother Teresa, in promoting love and kindness.
Mother Teresa believed a smile was the start of love. Smiling at someone shows kindness, breaks down barriers, and creates warmth, encouraging people to feel valued and loved.
13. How did Mother Teresa describe the role of a smile in starting relationships within a family?
Mother Teresa felt that a smile could make family bonds stronger. She believed smiling at each other fosters love and happiness at home, making family members feel closer and more supportive of each other.
14. In what ways did Mother Teresa say we could serve God through our actions toward others?
Mother Teresa taught that we serve God by serving others, especially the poor and the needy. Acts of kindness, sacrifice, and love for others reflect our love for God and bring us closer to Him.
15. What message did Mother Teresa share about giving until it hurts?
Mother Teresa encouraged people to give not only from their abundance but until it causes a little sacrifice. She believed that giving becomes meaningful when it involves personal sacrifice, showing true compassion.
16. How did Mother Teresa view the relationship between love and sacrifice?
Mother Teresa saw love and sacrifice as deeply connected. She believed that real love involves giving up something valuable to help others, which brings joy to both the giver and the receiver.
17. Describe an example given by Mother Teresa that shows how true giving involves personal sacrifice.
Mother Teresa shared the story of a man who had been bedridden for 20 years. He gave up his only joy, smoking, for a week and donated the money to her cause. This sacrifice reflected true generosity, inspiring others.
18. What does Mother Teresa’s story about the man who donated money from his only joy, smoking, signify?
The story shows that real generosity is about making sacrifices. The man gave up something he loved to help the needy, showing that even small sacrifices can have a big impact when done with love.
19. What does Mother Teresa suggest about wealth and giving when she discusses the concept of ‘giving from abundance’?
Mother Teresa believed that giving should involve sacrifice, not just from excess. Giving until it is felt shows true compassion and care, rather than simply giving what one has left over.
20. How did Mother Teresa’s interaction with various people shape her understanding of love and compassion?
Mother Teresa learned that love and compassion often come from those who have little. Through interactions with the poor and selfless individuals, she understood that love requires selflessness, sacrifice, and empathy for others.
