Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Mother Teresa and I



Mother Teresa and I
- Fr. Cedric Prakash sj *

Like many others, the world over, I have had the privilege to interact closely with Mother Teresa on several occasions.  Each time I was simply overwhelmed by this amazing woman! 

As I reflect on her many characteristics, what struck me most are:

·        Her Compassion
Mother Teresa was compassion personified. She had the extraordinary gift of touching almost anyone with her heart; from the dying man on the street to the President of a powerful country.  Her love was contagious and over the years, she succeeded in opening many doors with this one key.

·        Her Candour
Mother was honest to the core, to the discomfort of many!  She had no hesitation in calling ‘a spade, a spade’.  She was transparent and did not hide the fact that she was able to serve the poorest of the poor only because she loved Jesus and saw him in them.

·        Her Courage
Mother Teresa demonstrated a tremendous courage in whatever she did. She feared only God and not any human.  She was convinced  that what she and her Sisters were doing was very much needed. She was ready to face any amount of obstacles to ensure that the dying, the orphan, the unloved and the rejected had a home to go to.

·        Her Commitment
What Mother has surely shown each one of us is the importance for commitment in order to make our world a better place.  Her unflagging commitment to the poorest of the poor has been her hallmark all along.  Her Missionaries of Charity continue this legacy today.

As we celebrate the memory of this great Saint on her Centenary, a fitting tribute to her would be to try to emulate at least a tiny bit of the characteristics she radiated while on this earth.




(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)
25th August, 2010



Address: PRASHANT, Hill Nagar, Near Kamdhenu Hall, Drive-in Road, Ahmedabad – 380 052
Phone: 79   27455913, 66522333
Fax: 79  27489018
Email: sjprashant@gmail.com     www.humanrightsindia.in




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2 comments:

diana fernandes said...

The 4Cs to living an enriched life. I hope to imbibe these in my life too and work for the better of our nation. Thank you for sharing your insights on Mother Teresa, an inspiring role model for us all!

Francis Aranha said...

Thanks Father for that reminder.... We too often devalue what we do not understand. She was truly an inspiration for our generation.