Born in Skopje, Yugoslavia in 1910, Mother Teresa had a strong desire to help the poor in her hometown. At eighteen years old, she became interested in missions in India and had planned a mission trip since the age of twelve. To test her vocation, she went to Loreto and searched for a convent but encountered a language barrier. However, during her six-week stay at the convent, she quickly learned English before embarking on a seven-week journey to India where she changed her name from Agnes to Teresa.
After arriving in India, Mother Teresa took her vows and began teaching as a career. During a train ride through a tunnel up the mountain to her retreat, she received a call from God.
Upon returning to India, Mother Teresa quickly realized that her original motive was to assist the less fortunate. She promptly reached out to church officials, requesting permission to be released from her vows. However, her superiors deemed her eccentric and insisted she find 10 nuns willing to accompany her if she wanted to leave. They also warned that if her mission failed, she would not be allowed back. Undeterred, she managed to recruit 10 sisters who joined in her endeavor known as the missionaries of charity, dedicated to aiding the impoverished.
Mother Teresa firmly believed that fully immersing herself in their plight and relying solely on God were necessary for truly assisting the destitute. A year later, a student at the school where she taught expressed readiness to serve in Mother Teresa’s order. Gradually more sisters joined despite facing riots and encountering countless sick individuals. Eventually, recognition came along with several commendations including the Nobel Prize.
Additionally, due to her virtuous actions, the Indian government granted complimentary air travel. However, as time passed Mother Teresa experienced heart attacks and physicians advised delegating responsibilities to other sisters. Nevertheless, driven by dedication to helping the poor, she persisted in her efforts.
Mother Teresa woke up on September 5, 1997, with a stomach infection but still attended mass determinedly. Despite feeling unwell, she carried on with her usual activities throughout the day, including eating with the sisters. However, instead of staying up late as she usually did, she decided to go to bed early. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find comfort and called a sister into her room for help. Despite their efforts, Mother Teresa struggled to fall back asleep and uttered her final words: “I can’t breathe.” In response, the sister quickly summoned the heart doctor who resided in the convent. The doctor tried everything possible to assist Mother Teresa but was unable to save her. As a result, Mother Teresa was honored with a state funeral that drew 14,000 mourners grieving her loss. In my opinion, the author’s intention is to highlight the significance of living life fully and providing assistance to those who are less fortunate.
