Today somebody is suffering, today somebody is in the street, today somebody is hungry. ... We have only today to make Jesus known, loved, served, fed, clothed, sheltered. Do not wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow we will not have them if we do not feed them today.
Mother TeresaUnless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see him in the distressing disguise of the poor.
Mother TeresaFaith in action is love, and love in action is service. By transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself, with Jesus our Lord.
Mother TeresaChrist prays in me, Christ works in me, Christ thinks in me, Christ looks through my eyes, Christ speaks through my words, Christ works with my hands, Christ walks with my feet, Christ loves with my heart. As St Paul's prayer was: I belong to Christ and nothing will separate me from the love of Christ. It was that oneness, oneness with God in the Holy Spirit.
Mother TeresaThe poor are great! The poor are wonderful! The poor are very generous! They give us much more than what we give them.
Mother TeresaThere is much suffering in the world - physical, material, mental. The suffering of some can be blamed on the greed of others. The material and physical suffering is suffering from hunger, from homelessness, from all kinds of diseases. But the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.
Mother TeresaThese concerns (for orphan children in India and elsewhere in the world) are very good, but often these same people are not concerned with the millions that are killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers.
Mother Teresaeven God could do nothing for someone already full. You have to be completely empty to let Him in to do what He will.
Mother TeresaPeace begins with a smile. I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.
Mother TeresaWhatever our religion, we know that if we really want to love, we must first learn to forgive before anything else.
Mother TeresaIn light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth, a life full of the most atrocious tortures on earth, will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.
Mother TeresaThere is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through sharing together, praying together, suffering together, and working together.
Mother TeresaThe family that prays together stays together, and if they stay together they will love one another as God has loved each one of them. And works of love are always works of peace.
Mother TeresaI prefer to make a mistake because I am too kind than to perform miracles without any kindness.
Mother TeresaBy abortion the Mother does not learn to love, but kills her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women to the same trouble. So abortion leads to more abortion.
Mother TeresaWe must love one another as God loves each one of us. To be able to love, we need a clean heart. Prayer is what gives us a clean heart. The fruit of prayer is a deepening of faith and the fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.
Mother TeresaI don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all do like that.
Mother TeresaWhat will we answer to Him about that child, that old father and mother, because they are His creation, they are children of God.
Mother TeresaLord give me this seeing faith, then my work will never be monotonous. I will find joy in humoring the fancies and gratifying the wishes of all poor sufferers. O beloved sick, how doubly dear you are to me, when you personify Christ; and what a privilege is mine to be allowed to tend you.
Mother TeresaIf we were humble, nothing would change us-neither praise nor discouragement. If someone were to criticize us, we would not feel discouraged. If someone would praise us, we also would not feel proud.
Mother TeresaPlease choose the way of peace.. In the short term there may be winners and losers in this war that we all dread. But that never can, nor never will justify the suffering, pain and loss of life your weapons will cause.
Mother TeresaI have told everybody that what we are doing is for the love of God and works of love are always to accept and respect others.
Mother TeresaWe are already taking care of people from jail. Hundred and ten non-criminal women are already with us in Shantidhan (abode of peace).
Mother TeresaDuty is a very personal thing. It is what comes from knowing the need to take action and not just a need to urge others to do something.
Mother TeresaYou who have received so much love, share it with others. Love others the way that God has loved you, with tenderness.
Mother TeresaPrayer feeds the soul - as blood is to the body, prayer is to the soul - and it brings you closer to God.
Mother TeresaWhen Mother Teresa received the Nobel Prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" She answered "Go home and love your family.
Mother TeresaOur progress in holiness depends on God and ourselves - on God's grace and on our will to be holy.
Mother TeresaThen we have the silence of the eyes which will always help us to see God. Our eyes are like two windows through which Christ or the world comes to our hearts. Often we need great courage to keep them closed. How often we say, I wish I had not seen this thing, and yet we take so little trouble to overcome the desire to see everything.
Mother Teresa