Blessed Teresa of Calcutta : The Early Years

Welcome to INSPIRING LIVES, a series on lives of the Saints in the catholic church from around the world. Saints are holy people who lived ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. These saints are examples of great holiness and virtue, and they invite us to follow their paths to holiness. Their unique stories inspire us to be rooted in our faith. God calls each one of us to be a saint.
In this month of September especially in the first week, hundreds of thousands of people converge on the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in the Indian city of Kolkata, to pay homage to its founder, Mother Teresa of Calcutta. People from all walks of life streams into her tomb in the mother house to pray to her.
Mother Teresa used to say, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.
Mother Teresa left a testament of unshakable faith, invincible hope and extraordinary charity. Her response to Jesus’ plea, “Come be My light,” made her a Missionary of Charity, a “mother to the poor,” a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the thirsting love of God.
Less than two years after her death, in view of Mother Teresa’s widespread reputation of holiness and the favours being reported, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of Canonization. On 20^th December 2002, the Pope approved the decrees of her heroic virtues and miracles.
Pope John Paul II beatified her on 19^th October 2003, just six years after her death.
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Today let us listen to the early years of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
During the solemn liturgical celebration, on the occasion of the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta at St. Peter’s square in Rome, Lucas Sircar, sdb, then Archbishop of the Calcutta Archdiocese, introduced Mother Teresa thus:
Audio of the ABP Lucas Sirkar introducing Mother Teresa
N: At a very young age, Agnes was aware of the needs of others. Her mother, Drane, was a shining example of charity.
N: Mother Teresa herself spoke about her mother in 1974
Mother Teresa speaks (audio)
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Agnes inherited piety and other religious values from her mother who took her three children to church daily. Every evening the family gathered in the living room to recite the rosary. While Agnes was in High School, she first felt the call of God at the age of 12. She pondered over it for a long time. One day she went to her parish priest at the Sacred Heart parish, to ask for help on how to she could discern her vocation. He told her when you feel that God is calling you, you should feel joy in contemplation of serving God and your neighbor.
Later Agnes told her mother her desire to become a missionary. Drane initially refused to give her permission, but after a while she give in to her daughter saying ‘put your hand into his hand and walk all the way with him.
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N: Archbishop Lucas Sircar told about the vocation of Mother Teresa at her beatification ceremony in Rome.
Voice of Archbishop
N: Later years Mother Teresa spoke of the poor and poverty. She said…
Mother Teresa speaks (audio)Listen to the ‘On Demand and podcast’ for the complete programmeBy P.J. Joseph SJ