Do Something Beautiful for God: The Essential Teachings of Mother Teresa 365 Daily Reflections

Product Description

Do Something Beautiful for God is Mother Teresa’s enduring invitation and challenge to the world. This is not an abstract invitation but a deeply personal and intimate one. There is so much happening in the world and so much happening within our own hearts, minds, and souls. All this makes it is easy to lose sight of what matters most and get absorbed in what matters least.

Mother Teresa is an icon of goodness, one of the most beloved women in history. How did she become so much to so many people? Little by little. Small acts performed with great love. You become an icon of goodness by striving to be good and by consistently doing good.

On these pages, you will find the essential teachings of Mother Teresa. They provide remarkable insight into the depths of her heart, mind, soul, and life. They will comfort you in your affliction and afflict you in your comfort. But most of all, in the midst of all this activity and noise of your life, you will hear Mother Teresa encouraging you by gently saying: Do something beautiful for God with your life!

From the Back Cover

Do Something Beautiful for God is Mother Teresa’s enduring invitation and challenge to the world. This is not an abstract invitation but a deeply personal and intimate one. There is so much happening in the world and so much happening within our own hearts, minds, and souls. All this makes it is easy to lose sight of what matters most and get absorbed in what matters least.

Mother Teresa is an icon of goodness, one of the most beloved women in history. How did she become so much to so many people? Little by little. Small acts performed with great love. You become an icon of goodness by striving to be good and by consistently doing good.

On these pages, you will find the essential teachings of Mother Teresa. They provide remarkable insight into the depths of her heart, mind, soul, and life. They will comfort you in your affliction and afflict you in your comfort. But most of all, in the midst of all this activity and noise of your life, you will hear Mother Teresa encouraging you by gently saying: Do something beautiful for God with your life!

About the Author

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Bojaxhiu in Serbia on August 26, 1910. Agnes grew up in Albania, surrounded by wealth and prosperity. Despite their wealth, her parents were models of virtue. They loved each other deeply, and that love overflowed to Agnes and her sister. At the age of eighteen, Agnes left home to join an Irish order of nuns. Later that year, in December 1928, she set sail for India to begin her work as a novice for the Loreto Order. Now Sister Teresa, she spent most of the next twenty years teaching. In 1937, she made her permanent vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and as was customary adopted the title of Mother.

By 1943, India was torn by war and famine. Mahatma Gandhi’s great success in freeing India from British rule had become tainted by civil war between Muslims and Hindus living in India. More people than ever descended upon Calcutta. It finally became necessary for the Loreto Convent to move the children and the school outside the city. At this time, many nuns and whole orders decided to leave India and close their schools, but Mother Teresa stayed and worked tirelessly. As others left, she taught more and more classes, eventually teaching two subjects to eight grades.

She was happy in her work and well liked. By the mid-1940s, her mere presence already had a power that had been born through hours of prayer and reflection. Soon Mother Teresa was appointed headmistress, and she wrote to her mother, “This is a new life. Our center here is very fine. I am a teacher, and I love the work. I am also head of the whole school, and everybody wishes me well.” Her mother s reply was a stern reminder of her original intentions for going to India: “Dear child, do not forget that you went to India for the sake of the poor.”

Kipling described Calcutta