Anybody who helps the poor is delighted. So naturally, they (critics) are not very happy with us.
Mother TeresaBe faithful in little things, for in them your strength lies. To the good God nothing is little, because He is so great and we are so small.
Mother TeresaThe world today is hungry Not only for bread But hungry for love; Hungry to be wanted, Hungry to be loved.
Mother TeresaI must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.
Mother TeresaWhenever you share love with others, you'll notice the peace that comes to you and to them.
Mother TeresaAt the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.
Mother TeresaDo not look for Jesus away from yourselves. He is not out there; He is in you. Keep your lamp burning, and you will recognize him.
Mother TeresaThere is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives--the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them. ---Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart. Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.
Mother TeresaNobody can change your religion unless you want to and God gives you the grace. It's between you and God alone. Nobody can force you.
Mother TeresaThe way to plan the family is natural family planning, not contraception...This (use of contraceptives) turns the attention to self and so it destroys the gift of love in him or her. In loving, the husband and wife must turn the attention to each other as happens in natural family planning, and not to self, as happens in contraception. Once that living love is destroyed by contraception, abortion follows easily . . . And abortion, which often follows from contraception, brings a people to be spiritually poor, and that is the worst poverty and the most difficult to overcome.
Mother TeresaI am sure that all people know deep down inside that the little child in the mother's womb is a human being from the moment of conception, created in the image of God to love and be loved. Let us pray that nobody will be afraid to protect that little child, to help that little child to be born. Jesus said: 'If you receive a little child in my name, you receive me.'
Mother TeresaConversion is not only changing the faith. Conversion is changing the heart and working over there is the grace of God. Then only comes the question of change of faith. Nobody can force you, not even the holy prophets.
Mother TeresaIt's not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts. Life isn't worth living, unless lived for other people.
Mother TeresaI think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot, to share it with the passion of Christ. I think the world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people.
Mother TeresaLove cannot remain by itself - it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.
Mother TeresaI used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.
Mother TeresaIf you hold an anti-war rally, I shall not attend. But if you hold a Pro-Peace rally invite me.
Mother TeresaI can do only one thing, like a little dog follow closely the Master's footsteps. Pray that I be a cheerful dog.
Mother TeresaThe time we spend in having our daily audience with God is the most precious part of the whole day.
Mother TeresaPeople are hungry for God. Do you see that? Quite often we look but do not see. We are all passing through this world. We need to open our eyes and see.
Mother TeresaI realized that I had the call to take care of the sick and the dying, the hungry, the naked, the homeless - to be God's Love in action to the poorest of the poor. That was the beginning of the Missionaries of Charity.
Mother TeresaNothing makes you happier than when you really reach out in mercy to someone who is badly hurt.
Mother TeresaPeople have forgotten what the human touch is, what it is to smile, for somebody to smile at them, somebody to recognize them, somebody to wish them well. The terrible thing is to be unwanted.
Mother TeresaSpread love everywhere you go; first of all in your house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.
Mother TeresaIn our home (for the dying at Kali Ghat) in Calcutta, there is great peace, unity and love. Many Hindu families bring food, clothing nonstop to our home for the dying. This is an act of love. I didn't ask them. They have only heard about what I am doing and they all come.
Mother TeresaThe person who gives with a smile is the best giver because God loves a cheerful giver.
Mother TeresaBe humble and you will never be disturbed. It is very difficult in practice because we all want to see the result of our work. Leave it to Jesus.
Mother TeresaThe dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved-- they are Jesus in disguise.
Mother TeresaServe God joyfully. Let there be no sadness in your life: the only true sorrow is sin.
Mother TeresaThere are some people who, in order not to pray use as an excuse the fact that life is so hectic that it prevents us from praying. This cannot be. Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work, but that we continue working as if it were a prayer. It is not necessary to always be in meditation, nor to consciously experience the sensation that we are talking to God, no matter how nice that would be. What matters is being with Him, living in Him, in His will. To love with a pure heart, to love everybody, especially to live the poor, is a twenty-four hour prayer.
Mother Teresa