It’s hard to disagree with how powerful Mother Theresa’s influence was throughout the 20th century. What’s more amazing is how she gained her notoriety by giving up everything to love everyone, especially those who seemed the least loved. The force of her example brought forth a religious order, the Missionaries of Charity, and has left a lasting mark on the world in that we have a modern example of what living out the love of Jesus looks like in real time.
Along with her profound and beautiful work to love and bring forth God’s goodness to all she meets, Mother Teresa is full of incredible wisdom. I would like to share some of her quotes to show how wildly important this woman was, and why we should listen to her wisdom today.
- “God does not require that we be successful, only that we be faithful.”
Mother Teresa has absolutely nailed it here. Our society has begun to shun failure more and more. Every mistake is laughed at and looked down upon. Those who feel inspired to step out of their comfort zone in order to do something important or big, might not in fear of being viewed in a negative light.
The good news is the Lord never weighs us in terms of success and failure. He does not look at our mistakes as much as He looks at our hearts. He values our loyalty to Him in the smallest ways to be of more worth than our greatest accomplishments that went against His plan.
2. “If we worry too much about ourselves, we won’t have time for others.”
We only have so much energy. If we use up all of it on concern for ourselves, where does that leave our neighbors? This is a great method for those who struggle with anxiety. Look outside of yourself to care for and love others, and you’ll find you worry about yourself less and less.
3.“The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”
This is a good reminder that not all problems are material. Yes, we should help the poor as much as we can, but poverty does not only involve material things. The worst poverty is being without loved ones or a community.
To feel like no one cares about you is excruciating. We should seek to extinguish the flames of loneliness others might be experiencing. Especially during this time of coming out of separation and seclusion due to the pandemic, let us look out for those who were alone often this past year. Look for those whom you think might need someone to talk to, step out of your comfort zone, and reach out to battle the awful condition of loneliness.
If you are experiencing loneliness, seek to overcome it by finding groups that are meeting either online or in person (or check out www.zenithministries.com for our next event!) Step out of your comfort zone to ensure that you are a part of a community where you can love and be loved!
4.“Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore, let us be extremely patient with each other’s faults and failures.”
The Church, much like Mother Teresa’s community, is not an elite club for saints. It is a hospital for sinners. It’s where we are fed and nourished to then be returned to the world for battle against the forces of darkness. Keeping this in mind, we should listen to these words regarding everyone, as we all are working on ourselves and struggling daily to overcome difficulties.
5. “There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter.”
It is such a joy to read these quotes. Each one sparks so much joy with its wisdom and goodness. As we observe evil in the world, we should keep in mind that God is so much bigger. He can fix any problem caused by evil.
No matter what you go through, God can turn it into good. He can bring good out of it to make your life better than before. He can heal your wounds so well that you can become thankful for them because you see through this healing process, His goodness is made known.
6. “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
This is an important reminder to step away from the noise of the world every so often to simply be with God. Let Him nourish you in that silence like the sun does to the plants and flowers.
You cannot hear anything if you are listening to something else. Allow God the opportunity to build you up and shape you by listening to Him as much as you can. If you need to start with just a little bit of time per day, then DO IT. You will find yourself giving Him more as the days go on.
7. “Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.”
Money helps a lot. Give money to good causes, for sure. But when the opportunity arises, give of yourself to those in need of your love. It goes a long way – even farther than money.
8.“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
This is such a true statement. A smile is a physical sign of affirming love. And if you’re afraid that someone does not know how to receive your smile and fear they will reject it, smile anyway. Even if they do reject it, you will still be loving them, and they still need it.
