Since today is the 17^th anniversary of the death of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, known to many around the world as Mother Teresa, I wanted to share with you 17 quotes from the great 20^th century saint. Although her official Canonization is still in the process, there can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that she is in Heaven with Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, the entire army of angels and saints.

The impact that she gave the world, not only in her witness to serve the poor, but also with the order she founded – The Missionaries of Charity – will be felt for decades to come. On nearly every continent, the Missionaries of Charity serve the poorest of the poor by being Jesus Christ to those who are less fortunate. They are essentially “Little Jesuses.” Please pray for the cause of the Canonization of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and for the continued work of the Missionaries of Charity.

The indispensable wisdom of Mother Teresa…

1. “I knew that God wanted something from me. I was only twelve years old, living with my parents in Skopje, Yugoslavia (now Macedonia), when I first sensed the desired to become a nun. At that time there were some very good priests who helped boys and girls follow their vocation, according to God’s call. It was then that I realized that my call was to the poor.”

2. “I am Albanian by birth. Now I am a citizen of India. I am also a Catholic nun. In my work, I belong to the whole world. But in my heart, I belong to Christ.”

3. “True love causes pain. Jesus, in order to give us the proof of his love, died on the cross. A mother, in order to give birth to her baby, has to suffer. If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices.”

4. “I always repeat that we Missionaries of Charity are not social workers. We may be doing social work, but we are really contemplatives right at the heart of the world. We are with Jesus twenty-four hours a day. We do everything for Jesus. We do it for Jesus.”

5. “Today is very fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.”

6. “[To parents]: Try to put in the hearts of your children a love for home. Make them long to be with their families. So much sin could be avoided if our people loved their homes.”

7. “Young people, make a strong resolution today, that we will keep our purity pure, our chastity chaste, our virginity virgin! The greatest gift you can give to each other on the day of your wedding, or to God, on the day when you join the priesthood or religious life, is a pure heart, a pure body.”

8. “Prayer is as necessary as the air, as the blood in our bodies, as anything to keep us alive – to keep alive to the grace of God.”

9. “Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simple duty for you and for me. We have been created for that. So let us be holy as Our Father in Heaven is holy.”

10. “One cannot expect to become a saint without paying the price, and the price is much renunciation, much temptation, much struggle and persecution, and all sorts of sacrifices. One cannot love God except at the cost of oneself.”

11. “Joy is very infectious. We will never know just how much a good simple smile can do. Be faithful in little things. Smile at one another. We must live beautifully.”

12. “The vocation of Our Lady was to accept Jesus into her life. She accepted being the handmaid of the Lord. Then in haste, she went to give Jesus to St. John the Baptist and his mother. Today the same living Jesus comes to us and we too, like Mary, must go in haste to give him to others.”

13. “Abortion destroys the image of God. It is the most terrible plague in our society, the greatest killer of love and peace. Those little children still unborn have been created for bigger things: to love and to be loved.”

14. “Death is the most decisive moment in human life. It is like our coronation: to die in peace with God.”

15. “Penance calls us away from sin and to God. It leads us away from mediocrity and to a life fervor, generosity, and sanctity.”

16. “I do not understand why some people are saying that women and men are exactly the same, and are denying the beautiful differences between men and women. All God’s gifts are good, but they are not all the same.”

17. “Do we believe that God’s love is infinitely more powerful, his mercy more tender than the evil of sin, than all the hatred, conflicts, and tensions that are dividing the world? Than the most powerful bombs and guns ever made by human hands and minds?”

It is my hope that you will share this post with your family and friends as well as copy and paste some of these quotes from this post and use them on your social media sites.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta…Pray for the World and Pray for Us.