Mother Teresa - the Nun the World Misses

Mother Teresa; the Nun the World Misses

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Mother Teresa; the Nun the World Misses

Most certainly, Mother Teresa remains one of the most influential women in the history of charity. Even though a teacher by profession, Halamandaris, (2013) argue that the outcomes of the Bengal famine and Hindu/Muslim violence made he rethink her duty as a nun. Mother Teresa worked rigorously to elevate the poverty situation in India by dedicating her life to serving the poor. Her dedication to helping the poor and destitute around the world earned her a Nobel Peace prize in 1979. To Mahmood, (2015), Mother Teresa acts as a symbol of charitable, selfless work. The paper depicts Mother Teresa as an iconic female personality in history given her relentless effort to serve the poor despite the challenges presented by such a calling.

Mother Teresa’s journey of service began in India where she would end up spending most her life. She initially started as a teacher in Calcutta and taught English at a local school (Stanovsky, 1999). Even though she enjoyed her work as a teacher, the poverty state of Calcutta raised several questions in her mind. Further, the Bengal Famine of 1943 coupled with the outbreak of the Hindu/Muslim violence of 1946 made her realize that her calling laid in serving the poor (p. 148).Her simple design and touching style caught the attention of several other like-minded volunteers. Together they laid the foundation for creating a new religious sect inclined towards serving the poorest among the poor (p. 639).

Her work did not just culminate in India; it gradually spread to other nations. For instance, at the core of the Beirut siege in 1982, Mother Teresa managed to broker a cease-fire between the warring sides and consequently saved the lives of 37 children trapped in a front line hospital (Halamandaris, 2013). Further, Mahmood, (2015) posit that despite the open rejection of missionary work by the Communist-Bloc in the late 1980's, Mother Teresa succeeded in expanding her missionary work in these countries. So impressive was her work that by the end of 1996, her work had borne fruit to over 517 missions in over 450 centers globally (p. 641).

However, Mother Teresa faced several challenges in her work. Foremost, at the onset she had no income and had to resort to begging for supplies. Halamandaris, (2013) report that Teresa experienced doubt, loneliness and the temptation to revert to the comfort accorded at the convent. However, her strong faith in the Lord and her self-discipline kept her going. So intense was the pressure that by 1983 Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack while on a mission to Rome to visit Pope John Paul II (p. 48). In the subsequent years, her condition continued to worsen after surviving several malarial attacks, pneumonia, and other heart-related conditions. She had to relinquish her post as the head of missionary charity in 1997 before passing on in the same year.