Who Was Mother Teresa? by Jim Gigliotti

 Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings incredible woman – Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic religious sister who tended to the poor of India and became the beloved missionary by millions.

Agnes Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, now capital of Macedonia, north of Greece. The family was Albanian. She grew up in atmosphere where father told stories from his travels at a table where other people sat; people that Agnes didn’t know. Later, she discovered they were the poorest people in Skopje. Agnes learned early on to help the needy.

At Sacred Heart, Agnes helped the priests, and that’s where she learned about Catholic Missions. She loved the stories of people traveling to faraway places to help people in need.

At eighteen, she made up her mind to become a missionary nun. She received her mother’s support, but her brother Lazar, military officer, wasn’t as understanding. He claimed – how could she give up everything.

Agnes responded, “Lazar, you say that you are important because you are an officer serving the king of two million people. But I am serving the King of the whole world!”

Agnes was accepted to Loreto Order in Calcutta, India. When she took her first vows, she became Sister Teresa, known for simplicity and practicality.

For the next sixteen years, she taught the girls at St. Mary’s. Then, she took over the Mother Superior’s duties and became Mother Teresa.

She loved teaching but Loreto was a place of cloistered nuns, and she knew what was going on outside the convent walls. Then, she heard her next calling to live and work among the poor.

After receiving permission from the Catholic Church, in 1948, she walked out of Loreto Convent into the slums of Motijhil. Then, more nuns followed in her footsteps.

While helping the poor, she encountered many obstacles but she refused to take no for an answer. The word about her work spread outside India.

She received many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. It was for her work “in bringing help to suffering humanity.”

She worked until her last days. She said, “She had all eternity to rest.” She died at the age of eighty-seven.

She was an ordinary woman who with her great love and compassion for another human being became an extraordinary saint.

This biography is a touching and tear-dropping story of an incredible woman who never sought fame. Instead, others started seeking her story due to her charitable work.

This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts.

Published in 2015 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Give a Helping Hand

 

Traits:

·         She followed her heart’s calling

·         She didn’t chase fame and status

·         She chased love and compassion for another human being

 

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa

 

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” – Mother Teresa

 

“Peace begins with a smile.” – Mother Teresa

 

“We fear the future because we are wasting today.” – Mother Teresa

 

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” – Mother Teresa

 

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa

 

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa

 

“A life not lived for others is not a life.” – Mother Teresa

 

“I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.” – Mother Teresa

 

“If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.” – Mother Teresa