401 Inspiring Mother Teresa Quotes on Love, Kindness & Charity

Mother Teresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in present-day North Macedonia, felt a divine call to spread Christ’s love through missionary work.

She joined the Sisters of Loreto and was sent to India, where she initially taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta.

However, moved by the suffering and poverty around her, she left the convent school in 1948 to work among the city’s poorest.

Despite having no funds, she started an open-air school for slum children, supported by voluntary helpers and financial contributors.

Mother-Teresa-Quotes

In 1950, she established her own order, “The Missionaries of Charity,” dedicated to caring for those neglected by society.

This international organization expanded across the globe, providing relief work following natural disasters and caring for the disadvantaged.

Related: Catherine Booth Quotes from Mother of the Salvation Army and Saint Teresa of Avila Quotes for Inspiration

Co-Workers and lay Missionaries followed Mother Teresa’s spirit, aiding in their work.

Mother Teresa, acclaimed worldwide, received numerous awards, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and the Nehru Prize.

She passed away on September 5, 1997.


Mother Teresa Quotes on Love

Mother Teresa Quotes on Love, Kindness & Charity

1. “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

2. “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

3. “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

4. “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

5. “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

6. “Life is a game, play it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

7. “Peace begins with a smile.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

8. “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

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

10. “Work without love is slavery.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Top Mother Teresa Quotes

11. “Each of us is merely a small instrument; all of us, after accomplishing our mission, will disappear.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

12. “We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose; for great things: to love and be loved.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

13. “Every human being in that case resembles Christ in his loneliness; and that is the hardest part, that’s real hunger.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

14. “If you are looking for vocations, as a community have adoration every day. Once the Missionaries of Charity started daily adoration, their vocations doubled.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

15. “The poor are great! The poor are wonderful! The poor are very generous! They give us much more than what we give them.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

16. “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

17. “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

18. “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

19. “Together we can do great things.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

20. “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

21. “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

22. “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

23. “We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

24. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Best Mother Teresa Quotes

25. “God speaks in the silence of the heart.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

26. “Helping hands are better than Praying Lips.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

27. “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

28. “Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

29. “Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

30. “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

31. “God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

32. “If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

33. “People are unrealistic, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

34. “I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

35. “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

36. “Some people come in our life as blessings. Some come in your life as lessons.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

37. “Love to be real, it must cost – it must hurt – it must empty us of self.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

38. “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

39. “Never be so busy as not to think of others.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

40. “Your true character Is most accurately measured by how you treat those who can do ‘Nothing’ for you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Powerful Mother Teresa Quotes

41. “Intense love does not measure, it just gives.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

42. “If we pray, we will believe; If we believe, we will love; If we love, we will serve.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

43. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

44. “Give, but give until it hurts.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

45. “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones – the ones at home.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

46. “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

47. “The greatest science in the world; in heaven and on earth; is love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

48. “Let’s do something beautiful for God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

49. “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

50. “We need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

51. “There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone’s house. That says enough.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

52. “God didn’t call me to be successful, He called me to be faithful.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

53. “It’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 Teresa).

54. “Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

55. “My secret is simple – I pray.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

56. “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

57. “The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

58. “Faith 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 Teresa).

59. “Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

60. “There is no key to happiness; the door is always open.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

61. “Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

62. “One thing that I ask of you: Never be afraid of giving. There is a deep joy in giving, since what we receive is much more than what we give.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Kind Mother Teresa Quotes

63. “If each of us would only sweep our own doorstep, the whole World would be clean.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

64. “Do not worry about your career. Concern yourself with your vocation, and that is to be lovers of Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

65. “The problem with the world is that we draw the circle of our family too small.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

66. “If I ever become a Saint – I will surely be one of “darkness.” I will continually be absent from heaven – to light the light of those in darkness on earth.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

67. “I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

68. “The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

69. “When you know how much God is in love with you then you can only live your life radiating that love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

70. “I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

71. “Saints are only sinners who keep trying.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

72. “Gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

73. “I think it is very good when people suffer. To me that is like the kiss of Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

74. “It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

75. “Life is not worth living unless it is lived for others.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

76. “Speak tenderly; 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 Teresa).

77. “Be a living expression of God’s kindness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

78. “We do not need guns and bombs to bring peace, we need love and compassion.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

79. “Love until it hurts. Real love is always painful and hurts: then it is real and pure.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

80. “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service. Whatever form we are, able or disabled, rich or poor, it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing; a lifelong sharing of love with others.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

81. “I am nothing; I am but an instrument, a tiny pencil in the hands of the Lord with which He writes what he likes. However imperfect we are, he writes beautifully.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

82. “Only humility will lead us to unity, and unity to peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

83. “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

84. “Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

85. “To love others as God loves you, that is the measure of success.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

86. “I am Albanian by birth. Now I am a citizen of India. I am also a Catholic nun. In my work, I belong to the whole world. But in my heart, I belong to Christ.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

87. “Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being’s entitlement by virtue of his humanity.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Mother Teresa Quotes on Charity

88. “The openness of our hearts and minds can be measured by how wide we draw the circle of what we call family.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

89. “The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

90. “The greatest good is what we do for others.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

91. “Prayer is the breath of life to our soul; holiness is impossible without it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

92. “At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving the others with God’s own love and concern.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

93. “A smile is the beginning of peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

94. “Be faithful in the little things.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

95. “Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

96. “Be humble like Mary so that you can be holy like Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

97. “Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

98. “The child is the beauty of God present in the world, that greatest gift to a family.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

99. “Don’t expect your friend to be a perfect person. Help your friend to become a perfect person. That is true friendship.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

100. “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

101. “We have only today. Let us begin.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

102. “Listen in silence because if your heart is full of other things you cannot hear the voice of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

103. “We must know that we have been created for greater things, not just to be a number in the world, not just to go for diplomas and degrees, this work and that work. We have been created in order to love and to be loved.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

104. “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

105. “Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

106. “What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight; build it anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

107. “Jesus said love one another. He didn’t say love the whole world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

108. “I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

109. “A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves. Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in his love than in your weakness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

110. “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

111. “I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

112. “May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

113. “The person who gives with a smile is the best giver because God loves a cheerful giver.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

114. “Joy is a net of love in which you can catch souls.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

115. “Never travel faster than your guardian angel can fly.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

116. “Spread the love of God through your life but only use words when necessary.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Wise Mother Teresa Quotes

117. “There are many people who can do big things, but there are very few people who will do the small things.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

118. “In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

119. “When you don’t have anything, then you have everything.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

120. “God gives us things to share, God doesn’t give us things to hold…” ~ (Mother Teresa).

121. “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

122. “Do you want to do something beautiful for God? There is a person who needs you. This is your chance.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

123. “Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

124. “Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus – a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

125. “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

126. “Smile at each other. Smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other – it doesn’t matter who it is – and that will help to grow up in greater love for each other.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

127. “The true way and the sure way to friendship is through humility-being open to each other, accepting each other just as we are, knowing each other.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

128. “Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

129. “To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

130. “Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

131. “It is a kingly act to assist the fallen.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

132. “The Simple Path Silence is Prayer Prayer is Faith Faith is Love Love is Service The Fruit of Service is Peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

133. “I 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 Teresa).

134. “Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same – with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

135. “The way you help heal the world is you start with your own family.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

136. “Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

137. “I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

138. “How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

139. “Whatever religion we are, we must pray together.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

140. “Hungry for love, He looks at you. Thirsty for kindness, He begs of you. Naked for loyalty, He hopes in you. Homeless for shelter in your heart, He asks of you. Will you be that one to Him?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

141. “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

142. “Faith keeps the person who keeps the faith.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

143. “Profound joy of the heart is like a magnet that indicates the path of life.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

144. “Prayer is the mortar that holds our house together.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

145. “In vocal prayer we speak to God; in mental prayer he speaks to us. It is then that God pours Himself into us.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

146. “If I look at the mass I will never act.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

147. “Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

148. “One thing will always secure heaven for us – the acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives. We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

149. “A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. She gives most who gives with joy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

150. “The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

151. “Charity isn’t about pity, it is about love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

152. “God loves the world through us.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

153. “If you hold an anti-war rally, I shall not attend. But if you hold a Pro-Peace rally invite me.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

154. “Life is a promise; fulfill it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

155. “Do not let the past disturb you, just leave everything in the Sacred Heart and begin again with joy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

156. “People are not hungry just for bread, they are hungry for love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

157. “Everybody has something good inside them. Some hide it, some neglect it, but it is there.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

158. “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you will trust God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

159. “There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

160. “A joyful heart is like the sunshine of God’s love, the hope of eternal happiness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

161. “Every day I see Jesus Christ in all his distressing disguises.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

162. “We are all pencils in the hand of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

163. “Do not allow yourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

164. “Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking but reflects your choice of what you want to see. If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

165. “Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration with exposition needs a great push. People ask me: ‘What will convert America and save the world?’ My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in holy hours of prayer.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

166. “I see God in every human being.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

167. “I will not pray clarity for you. Clarity is the crutch of the Christian. But I will pray trust for you, that your trust will increase.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

168. “Be faithful in the little things, for in them our strength lies. To the good God nothing is little, because He is so great and we are so small.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

169. “I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

170. “Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other-that man, that woman, that child is my brother or my sister. If everyone could see the image of God in his neighbor, do you think we would still need tanks and generals?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

171. “Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Love until it hurts, and then love more.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

172. “It is not enough for us to say: “I love God,” but I also have to love my neighbor. St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don’t love your neighbor. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

173. “Do you want to be great? Pick up a broom and sweep the floor.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

174. “A day lived without doing something good for others is a day not worth living.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

175. “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

176. “Life is beauty admire it!” ~ (Mother Teresa).

177. “Where does love begin? In our own homes. When does it begin? When we pray together. The family that prays together stays together.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

178. “Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

179. “Like Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

180. “Abortion kills twice. It kills the body of the baby and it kills the conscience of the mother. Abortion is profoundly anti-women. Three quarters of its victims are women: Half the babies and all the mothers.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Meaningful Mother Teresa Quotes

181. “Holiness grows so fast where there is kindness. The world is lost for want of sweetness and kindness. Do not forget we need each other.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

182. “Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

183. “I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence-we need to listen to God because it’s not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

184. “When Christ said: “I was hungry and you fed me,” he didn’t mean only the hunger for bread and for food; he also meant the hunger to be loved. Jesus himself experienced this loneliness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

185. “It is not the magnitude of our actions, but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

186. “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

187. “I fear just one thing: Money! Greed was what motivated Judas to sell Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

188. “We are not social workers. We are contemplatives in the heart of the world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

189. “I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

190. “People who love each other fully and truly are the happiest people in the world. They may have little, they may have nothing, but they are happy people. Everything depends on how we love one another.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

191. “If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

192. “Prayer to be fruitful must come from the heart and must be able to touch the heart of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

193. “Life is love, enjoy it. Life is mystery, know it. Life is a promise, fulfill it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

194. “I am only a little pencil in the hand of our Lord. He may cut or sharpen the pencil. He may write or draw whatever and whenever he wants. If the writing or drawing is good, we do not honor the pencil or the material that is used, but rather the one who used it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

195. “There’s nothing more calming in difficult moments that knowing there’s someone fighting with you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

196. “We belong to each other.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

197. “You can pray while you work. Work doesn’t stop prayer and prayer doesn’t stop work. It requires only that small raising of the mind to him: I love you God, I trust you, I believe in you, I need you now. Small things like that. They are wonderful prayers.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

198. “Loneliness is the leprosy of the modern world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

199. “It’s only a drop in the ocean – but the ocean wouldn’t be the same without that drop.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

200. “Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

201. “Spread love whenever you go…” ~ (Mother Teresa).

202. “The fruit of faith is love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

203. “Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

204. “If you ever feel distressed during your day – call upon our Lady – just say this simple prayer: ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.’ I must admit – this prayer has never failed me.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

205. “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

206. “As far as I am concerned, the greatest suffering is to feel alone, unwanted, unloved. The greatest suffering is also having no one, forgetting what an intimate, truly human relationship is, not knowing what it means to be loved, not having a family or friends.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

207. “It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

208. “Doctors can heal the body, but it is music that uplifts the spirit.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

209. “Joy is very infectious; therefore, be always full of joy!” ~ (Mother Teresa).

210. “Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

211. “The ocean is made of drops.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

212. “Every act of love is a work of peace no matter how small.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

213. “We 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 Teresa).

214. “It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

215. “Be kind to each other. It is better to commit faults with gentleness than to work miracles with unkindness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Insightful Mother Teresa Quotes

216. “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

217. “Joy is strength.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

218. “You are greater than you know.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

219. “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

220. “There is no greater sickness in the world today than the lack of love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

221. “Joy is prayer; joy is strength, joy is love. God loves a cheerful giver. The best way we can show our gratitude to God and the people is to accept everything with joy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

222. “Our progress in holiness depends on God and ourselves – on God’s grace and on our will to be holy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

223. “Purity is the fruit of prayer.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

224. “We do our work for Jesus and with Jesus. It’s not a matter of praying sometimes and working others. We pray the work.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

225. “You can find Calcutta anywhere in the world. You only need two eyes to see. Everywhere in the world there are people that are not loved, people that are not wanted nor desired, people that no one will help, people that are pushed away or forgotten. And this is the greatest poverty.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

226. “We have very little, so we have nothing to be preoccupied with. The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have, the more free you are.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

227. “No matter how tired you are, no matter how physically exhausting this work may be, it’s beautiful to bring a smile into someone’s life, to care for someone in need. What greater joy can there be?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

228. “True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts, and yet brings us joy. That is why we must pray to God and ask Him to give us the courage to love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

229. “Justice without love is not justice. Love without justice is not love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

230. “The trees, the flowers, the plants grow in silence. The stars, the sun, the moon move in silence. Silence gives us a new perspective.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

231. “We serve life, not because it is broken, but because it is holy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

232. “People crave attention and appreciation more than they do bread.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

233. “It takes a checkbook to change the world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

234. “Failure is merely feedback that there is something blocking the path of the emergence and expansion of the greatest version of yourself.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

235. “I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. Just one, one, one.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

236. “Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

237. “The 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 Teresa).

238. “No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

239. “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

240. “To fear is to expect punishment. To love is to know we are immersed not in darkness, but in light.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

241. “Peace begins with a smile. I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

242. “The woman is at the heart of the home. Let us pray that we women realize the reason for our existence: to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in the world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

243. “The world today is hungry Not only for bread But hungry for love; Hungry to be wanted, Hungry to be loved…” ~ (Mother Teresa).

244. “If you can’t do great things, do little things with great love. If you can’t do them with great love, do them with a little love. If you can’t do them with a little love, do them anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

245. “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

246. “Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

247. “Just show up and things will happen.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

248. “Prayer is as necessary as the air, as the blood in our bodies, as anything to keep us alive-to keep us alive to the grace of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

249. “You know my God. My God is called love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

250. “My key to heaven is that I loved Jesus in the night.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

251. “Real prayer is union with God, a union as vital as that of the vine to the branch…” ~ (Mother Teresa).

252. “There are no great acts, only small acts done with great love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

253. “I belong to Jesus. He must have the right to use me without consulting me.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

254. “What you are doing I cannot do, what I’m doing you cannot do, but together we are doing something beautiful for God, and this is the greatness of God’s love for us, to give us the opportunity to become holy through the works of love that we do because holiness is not the luxury of the few.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

255. “We must never be afraid to be a sign of contradiction for the world.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

256. “I begin each day with holy Mass, receiving Jesus hidden under the appearance of a simple piece of bread. Then I go out into the streets and I find the same Jesus hidden in the dying destitute, the AIDS patients, the lepers, the abandoned children, the hungry, and the homeless. It’s the same Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

257. “In loving one another through our works we bring an increase of grace and a growth in divine love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

258. “My television is the tabernacle.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

259. “The first requirement for prayer is silence. People of prayer are people of silence.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

260. “Let’s not pray long, drawn-out prayers, but let’s pray short ones full of love. Let us pray on behalf of those who do not pray. Let us remember, if we want to be able to love, we must be able to pray!” ~ (Mother Teresa).

261. “Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

262. “Failure is nothing but the kiss of Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

263. “To God there is nothing small. The moment we have given it to God, it becomes infinite.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

264. “If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

265. “Peace and war begin at home. If we truly want peace in the world, let us begin by loving one another in our own families. If we want to spread joy, we need for every family to have joy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

266. “Peace begins with a smile-smile five times a day at someone you really don’t want to smile at. Do it for Peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

267. “Keep your heart pure. A pure heart is necessary to see God in each other. If you see God in each other, there is love for each other, then there is peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

268. “Never Let Anyone Come to You Without Coming Away Better and Happier.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

269. “The first step to becoming is to will it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

270. “Bring love into your home, for this is where our love for each other must start.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

271. “I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

272. “Sometimes people can hunger for more than bread. It is possible that our children, our husband, our wife, do not hunger for bread, do not need clothes, do not lack a house. But are we equally sure that none of them feels alone, abandonded, neglected, needing some affection? That, too, is poverty.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

273. “The more we can give in our silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

274. “A beautiful death is for people who have lived like animals to die like angels.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

275. “Love – the more you share with others, the more you have.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

276. “All works of love are works of peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

277. “Joy is the characteristic by which God uses us to re-make the distressing into the desired, the discarded into the creative. Joy is prayer-Joy is strength-Joy is love-Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

278. “Unless a life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

279. “The more you forget yourself, the more Jesus will think of you.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

280. “The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes, our touch, in what we write and say, in the way we walk and the way we receive and in the way we serve.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

281. “We should not serve the poor like they were Jesus. We should serve the poor because they are Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

282. “If you give what you do not need, it is not giving.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

283. “I don’t claim anything of the work. It is his work. I am like a little pencil in his hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

284. “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

285. “Let us remain as empty as possible so that God can fill us up.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

286. “Religion has nothing to do with compassion; it is our love for God that is the main thing because we have all been created for the sole purpose to love and be loved.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

287. “The other day I dreamed that I was at the gates of heaven. And St. Peter said, ‘Go back to Earth, there are no slums up here.’” ~ (Mother Teresa).

288. “The trouble is that rich people, well-to-do people, very often don’t really know who the poor are; and that is why we can forgive them, for knowledge can only lead to love, and love to service. And so, if they are not touched by them, it’s because they do not know them.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

289. “There are only two ways: either we love-and love in action is service – or we put hatred into action and destroy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

290. “What you do to these men on California’s Death Row, you do to God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

291. “The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

292. “People 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 Teresa).

293. “God made the world for the delight of human beings.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

294. “Prayer makes your heart bigger, until it is capable of containing the gift of God himself. Prayer begets faith, faith begets love, and love begets service on behalf of the poor.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

295. “There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through sharing together, praying together, suffering together, and working together.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

296. “I 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 Teresa).

297. “People 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 Teresa).

298. “Hungry not only for bread – but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing – but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks – but homeless because of rejection.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

299. “Success will win you false friends and true enemies – succeed anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

300. “There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

301. “The way to plan the family is natural family planning not contraception. In destroying the power of giving life, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self, and so it destroys the gift of life in him or her.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

302. “In the end, dear friend, it is always between us and God, not between us and them.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

303. “The fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace, and peace begins with a smile.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

304. “There is a famine in America. Not a famine of food, but of love, of truth, of life.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

305. “The coming of Jesus at Bethlehem brought joy to the world and to every human heart. may His coming this Christmas bring to each one of us that peace and joy that He desires to give.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

306. “There is so much love in us all, but often we are too shy to express our love, and keep it bottled up inside us. We must learn to love, to love until it hurts, and we will know how to accept love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

Famous Mother Teresa Quotes

307. “My secret is a very simple one: I pray. To pray to Christ is to love him.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

308. “The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

309. “Everything that is not given is lost.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

310. “What we need is love without getting tired.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

311. “Suffering is nothing by itself. But suffering shared with the passion of Christ is a wonderful gift, the most beautiful gift, a token of love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

312. “You should never lose heart. God is merciful and kind- he has endowed you with the best gift- smile, which can make millions happy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

313. “The most important medicine is tender love and care.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

314. “Holiness is not the luxury of a few people, but a simple duty for you and me.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

315. “Love has a hem to her garment that reaches to the very dust. It sweeps the stains from the streets and lanes, and because it can, it must.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

316. “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

317. “God is everywhere and in everything and without Him we cannot exist.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

318. “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

319. “I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

320. “Words lead to deeds, they prepare the soul, make it ready, and move it to tenderness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

321. “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

322. “We must make our homes centers of compassion and forgive endlessly.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

323. “When I was crossing into Gaza, I was asked at the checkpost whether I was carrying any weapons. I replied: Oh yes, my prayer books.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

324. “Gandhi felt fascinated at knowing Christ. He met Christians, and felt let down.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

325. “You who have received so much love, share it with others. Love others the way that God has loved you, with tenderness.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

326. “Prayer feeds the soul – as blood is to the body, prayer is to the soul – and it brings you closer to God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

327. “People are generally irrational, unreasonable and selfish. They deserve to be loved, anyway.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

328. “We cannot condemn or judge or pass words that will hurt people. We don’t know in what way God is appearing to that soul and what God is drawing that soul to; therefore, who are we to condemn anybody?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

329. “You may be exhausted with work, you may even kill yourself, but unless your work is interwoven with love, it is useless. To work without love is slavery.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

330. “We need prayer to understand God’s love for us. If we really mean to pray and want to pray we must be ready to do it now. These are only the first steps towards prayer but if we never make the first step with determination, we will not reach the last one: the presence of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

331. “Let us be very sincere in our dealings with each other, and have the courage to accept each other as we are. Do not be surprised or become preoccupied at each other’s failures – rather, see and find in each other the good, for each one of us is created in the image of God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

332. “Let us not use bombs and guns to overcome the world. Let us use love and compassion. Peace begins with a smile.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

333. “Suffering will come, trouble will come – that’s part of life; a sign that you are alive. If you have no suffering and no trouble, the devil is taking it easy. You are in his hand.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

334. “If you ask children in the west where’s God, they’d point to the sky. If you ask children in India, they point at themselves.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

335. “My mother and sister must be very happy to be home with God, and I am sure their love and prayers are always with me. When I go home to God, for death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

336. “In this world, there is no clarity. There is only love and action.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

337. “The Cross will be for us as it was for Christ: proof of the greatest love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

338. “I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

339. “The simplest way of becoming his light is by being kind and loving, thoughtful, and sincere with others: ‘By this they will know that you are his disciples.’” ~ (Mother Teresa).

340. “Abortion is profoundly anti-women.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

341. “Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

342. “Give! Give the love you have received to those around you. You must love with your time, your hands, and your hearts. You need to share all that you have.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

343. “A Christian is the dwelling place of the living God. He created me, he chose me, He came to dwell in me, because he wanted me. Now that you have known how much God is in love with you it is but natural that you spend the rest of your life radiating that love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

344. “It is more difficult to fight poverty in a rich country than in a poor one.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

345. “We need to realize that poverty doesn’t only consist of being hungry for bread, but rather it is a tremendous hunger for human dignity. We need to love and to be someone for someone else.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

346. “Keep Giving Jesus to the people, not by words but by your example, by being in love with Jesus, by radiating holiness and spreading his fragrance of love everywhere you go. Just keep the joy of Jesus as your strength, be happy and at peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

347. “The less we have, the more we give. Seems absurd, but it’s the logic of love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

348. “Holiness is doing God’s will with a smile.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

349. “If you are joyful, do not worry about lukewarmness. Joy will shine in your eyes and in your look, in your conversation and in your countenance. You will not be able to hide it because joy overflows.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

350. “If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

351. “We are not here to be successful, we are here to be FAITHFUL.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

352. “We must free ourselves to be filled by God. Even God cannot fill what is full.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

353. “We learn humility through accepting humiliations cheerfully.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

354. “Though we are involved in social work, our goal is to be contemplatives at the heart of the world. We are with Jesus twenty-four hours a day. We do everything for Jesus. We do it all unto Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

355. “Am I ever angry or frustrated? I only feel angry sometimes when I see waste, when things that we waste are what people need, things that would save them from dying. Frustrated? No, never.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

356. “From the moment a soul has the grace to know God, she must seek.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

357. “Silence gives us a new way of looking at something.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

358. “God doesn’t ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithful. However beautiful our work may be, let us not become attached to it. Always remain prepared to give it up, without losing your peace.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

359. “Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus.”~ (Mother Teresa).

360. “Holy Angels, our advocates, our brothers, our counselors, our defenders, our enlighteners, our friends, our guides, our helpers, our intercessors – Pray for us.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

361. “At the hour of death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into the doing.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

362. “There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in – that we do it to God, to Christ, and that’s why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

363. “If you have not the experience, ask. There is no shame in asking, but do not pretend you know when you don’t.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

364. “I know I am touching the living body of Christ in the broken bodies of the hungry and the suffering.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

365. “Love: A fruit always in season.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

366. “The highest form of worship is to find the least among you and treat them like Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

367. “The purpose of guilt is to bring us to the Lord, after that it has no purpose.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

368. “We must become holy, not because we want to feel holy, but because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

369. “Cheerfulness is a sign of a generous and mortified person who forgetting all things, even herself, tries to please her God in all she does for souls. Cheerfulness is often a cloak which hides a life of sacrifice and a continual union with God.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

370. “Why can’t there be love that never gets tired?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

371. “Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation, spirit of prayer, and sacrifice, by an intense inner life.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

372. “The poorest of the poor are those who feel that they are unloved.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

373. “We must never get into the habit of being preoccupied with the future. There is no reason to do so. God is there.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

374. “Maybe if I didn’t pick up that one person, I wouldn’t have picked up forty-two thousand…” ~ (Mother Teresa).

375. “If you are hungry to hear the voice of God, you will hear. To hear, you have to cut out all other things.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

376. “A direct killing of the innocent child, ‘Murder’ by the mother herself.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

377. “Love is repaid by love alone!” ~ (Mother Teresa).

378. “I remember I picked up a person from the street who was nearly eaten up with maggots, and he said, I have lived like an animal, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

379. “Sometimes it is harder for us to smile at those who live with us, the immediate members of our families, than it is to smile at those who are not so close to us. Let us never forget: love begins at home.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

380. “Do we know our poor people? Do we know the poor in our house, in our family? Perhaps they are not hungry for a piece of bread. Perhaps our children, husband, wife, are not hungry, or naked, or dispossessed, but are you sure there is no one there who feels unwanted, deprived of affection?” ~ (Mother Teresa).

381. “All of us must be saints in this world. Holiness is a duty for you and me. So let’s be saints and so give glory to the Father.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

382. “Love should be as natural as living and breathing.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

383. “The success of love is in the loving – it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

384. “I feel called to help individuals, to love each human being. I never think in terms of crowds in general but in terms of persons. Were I to think about crowds, I would never begin anything.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

385. “Joy is strength- Joy is love – Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. She gives most who gives with Joy.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

386. “Perfect prayer does not consist in many words, but in the fervor of the desire which raises the heart to Jesus.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

387. “Prayer is in all things, in all gestures.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

388. “Do 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 Teresa).

389. “I don’t think there is anyone who needs God’s help as much as I do. Sometimes I feel so helpless and weak. I think that is why God uses me. Because I cannot depend on my own strength, I rely on Him twenty-four hours a day.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

390. “Faith is a gift from God and he gives it to whomever he chooses.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

391. “Each time people come into contact with us, they must become different and better people because of having met us. We must radiate God’s love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

392. “When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

393. “You have to do that here in your country. You must come to know the poor. Maybe our people here have material things, everything, but I think that if we all look into our own homes, how difficult we find it sometimes to smile at each other, and that the smile is the beginning of love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

394. “It is only by frequent deaths of ourselves and our self-centered desires that we can come to live more fully.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

395. “The time we spend in having our daily audience with God is the most precious part of the whole day.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

396. “We do not strive for spectacular actions. What counts is the gift of yourself, the degree of love you put into each of your deeds.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

397. “Do small things, with great love.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

398. “Without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

399. “Live simply so others may simply live.” ~ (Mother Teresa).

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

401. “If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.” ~ (Mother Teresa).



Other Famous People


Short Biography of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa, born in 1910 in what is now North Macedonia, dedicated her life to helping the needy after moving to India.

Mother Teresa

She founded the Missionaries of Charity, which spread globally, offering care for the ill and underprivileged and running various community services.

Full Name Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu MC
Birth Name Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu
Born 26 August 1910, Üsküp, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died 5 September 1997 (age 87 years), Calcutta(Now Kolkata), West Bengal, India
Place of burial The Mother House Of The Missionaries Of Charity, Kolkata
Parents Dranafile Bojaxhiu, Nikollë Bojaxhiu
Awards Nobel Peace Prize, Bharat Ratna, MORE
Education Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham (1928–1928)
Venerated in Catholic Church
Beatified 19 October 2003, Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Canonized 4 September 2016, Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope Francis
Major shrine Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Feast 5 September
Patronage World Youth Day, Missionaries of Charity, Archdiocese of Calcutta (co-patron)
Title Superior general
Religion Catholicism
Nationality Ottoman subject (1910–1912),
Serbian subject (1912–1915),
Bulgarian subject (1915–1918),
Yugoslavian subject (1918–1943),
Yugoslavian citizen (1943–1948),
Indian subject (1948–1950),
Indian citizen(1950–1997),
Albanian citizen(1991–1997),
Honorary American citizenship (awarded 1996)
Denomination Catholic
Institute Sisters of Loreto (1928–1948),
Missionaries of Charity (1950–1997)
Period in office 1950–1997
Successor Sr. Nirmala Joshi, MC

Canonized as a saint in 2016, she was both praised for her humanitarian work and critiqued for her conservative views.

Despite controversies, she remains a significant figure in charitable work, honored with notable awards like the Nobel Peace Prize.


Quick Facts about Mother Teresa

  • Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Ottoman Empire.
  • Her Birth name was Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu.
  • She moved to Ireland at 18, then to India, where she lived most of her life.
  • Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950.
  • The congregation grew to over 4,500 nuns and was active in 133 countries by 2012.
  • They managed homes for people dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, among other services.
  • Mother Teresa was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta on September 4, 2016.
  • She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize in 1962.
  • Her feast day is celebrated on September 5, the anniversary of her death.
  • She was the youngest child in her family and felt a calling to religious life by age 12.
  • Mother Teresa first went to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto at Loreto Abbey.
  • She arrived in India in 1929 and began her novitiate in Darjeeling.
  • She took her religious vows in 1931, choosing the name Teresa.
  • She served in Calcutta and was disturbed by the surrounding poverty.
  • In 1946, she felt a call to serve the poor of India directly.
  • The Missionaries of Charity’s habit is a white sari with blue borders.
  • They opened their first house outside India in Venezuela in 1965.
  • The congregation includes Missionaries of Charity Brothers and Sisters, and Lay Missionaries of Charity.
  • By 2007, the Missionaries of Charity operated in 120 countries with around 5,000 sisters.
  • Mother Teresa spoke five languages: Bengali, Albanian, Serbian, English, and Hindi.
  • She was involved in humanitarian work during the Siege of Beirut in 1982.
  • She visited Armenia after the 1988 earthquake and met with Soviet Premier Nikolai Ryzhkov.
  • Mother Teresa’s health declined in her later years, leading to her death on September 5, 1997.
  • She received a state funeral from the Indian government.
  • Mother Teresa was named co-patron of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta on September 6, 2017.
  • Her work led to both admiration and criticism, particularly regarding her views on abortion and contraception.
  • Mother Teresa’s authorized biography was published by Navin Chawla in 1992.
  • She considered her spiritual “dark night” as a test of faith, similar to other saints.
  • The Vatican recognized a miracle attributed to her, leading to her beatification in 2003.
  • She was officially canonized by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016.

Top Questions about Mother Teresa

Q: Who was Mother Teresa and what is she renowned for?

A: Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun known for founding the Missionaries of Charity and dedicating her life to serving the poor, sick, and dying around the world, particularly in India.

Q: When and where was Mother Teresa born, and where did she spend most of her life?

A: Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, part of the Ottoman Empire at the time (now North Macedonia). She spent most of her life in India, where she established the Missionaries of Charity.

Q: What was the Missionaries of Charity, and what kind of work did they do under Mother Teresa’s guidance?

A: The Missionaries of Charity is a religious congregation founded by Mother Teresa. It grew to include over 4,500 nuns working in 133 countries, managing homes for people dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, running soup kitchens, mobile clinics, children’s and family counseling programs, orphanages, and schools.

Q: What were some of the criticisms faced by Mother Teresa during her life and posthumously?

A: Mother Teresa faced criticism for her views on abortion and contraception, as well as for the poor conditions in some of her houses for the dying. Critics also questioned her handling of funds and her association with controversial figures.

Q: What significant awards did Mother Teresa receive for her humanitarian work?

A: Mother Teresa received numerous awards, including the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize in 1962 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, recognizing her extensive charitable work and contributions to peace.

Q: When was Mother Teresa canonized as a saint, and what is her feast day?

A: Mother Teresa was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by the Catholic Church on September 4, 2016. Her feast day is observed on September 5, the anniversary of her death.

Q: What sparked Mother Teresa’s decision to found the Missionaries of Charity?

A: Mother Teresa’s decision to found the Missionaries of Charity was influenced by what she described as “the call within the call” during a train journey to Darjeeling on September 10, 1946, compelling her to serve the poor while living among them.

Q: How did Mother Teresa’s early life in Skopje influence her future mission?

A: Growing up in Skopje in a devout Catholic family, Mother Teresa was inspired by stories of missionaries from an early age. By 12, she felt a strong calling to dedicate her life to religious service, setting the foundation for her future work with the poor and sick.

Q: What was the significance of Mother Teresa’s choice of sari for the Missionaries of Charity?

A: Mother Teresa chose a simple white cotton sari with a blue border for the Missionaries of Charity, symbolizing purity and dedication to the poor. This modest attire became a symbol of the order’s commitment to serving the “poorest of the poor.”

Q: How did Mother Teresa’s congregation respond to her declining health and eventual death?

A: Despite her declining health in her later years, Mother Teresa continued her work with the support of her congregation. Upon her death on September 5, 1997, she was mourned worldwide, and her legacy was celebrated with a state funeral in India and tributes from global leaders.

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Chandan Negi
Chandan Negi

I’m the Founder of InternetPillar.com and InboxQuotes.com - I love sharing inspirational quotes and motivational content to inspire and motivate people - #quotes #motivation #internetpillar #inboxquotes