Mother Teresa, winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, is arguably one of the most powerful women to have graced the world.
With Pope Francis declaring Mother Teresa a saint in September 2016, I have been looking for ways to pay tribute to her, to someone who believed that every life matters and every life is valuable.
We often look for ways to become a better person and instil our children with the right qualities. We do not have to look far for inspiration, as Mother Teresa was a true advocate of love, peace and human dignity. Her wisdom and her deep-seated love for every human being, including the poor, the sick, the unborn, and the dying, qualifies her as someone we should use as an example to teach our kids.
Mother Teresa, in her quiet and humble-natured manner. addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on their 40th Anniversary. She had one thing on her mind: Love. In a speech titled ‘One Strong Resolution: I Will Love’, Mother Teresa provided an insight on how we can have world peace; she simply said ‘Go home and love your family’.
Love is the only thing that never fails, if we all do this, teach our children this, then we may just be able to make a difference in this world, making it a kinder place for them, and our grandchildren to live. Extracts from Mother Teresa’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly relates to our own households:
How does peace come? Through works of love. Where does it begin? At home. How does it begin? By praying together. For family that prays together stays together. And if you stay together, you will love one another as God loves each one of you. For Prayer gives a clean heart and a clean heart can see God. And if you see God in each other, if we have the joy of seeing God in each other, we will love one another. That’s why no colour, no religion, no nationality should come between us. For we are all the same children of the same loving hand of God, created for greater things: to love and to be loved. Only we must experience that joy of loving.
Yes, this is what you and I, today, if we really stand for why we have come here today, to begin that year of peace, we must begin at home, we must begin in our own family. Works of love begin at home and works of love are works of peace.
Without learning and understanding love, how can we teach our children to love and love others?
Sources
- Caroline Wyatt (4 September 2016), “Mother Teresa declared saint by Pope Francis at Vatican”, BBC [Online] [Accessed 15 September 2016]
- Editors, “Mother Teresa Biography” Biography.com [Accessed 15 September 2016]
- Editors, “Pope Francis Biography” Biography.com [Accessed 15 September 2016]
- Gass, Bob and Debby, (9 June 2016), “Love: The Winning Strategy”, The UCB Word For Today ubc.co.uk [Accessed 15 September 2016]
- Pierced Hearts, “Blessed Mother Teresa’s Address to the United Nations” piercedhears.org [Accessed 15 September 2016]
- Press Release, (2014) “The Nobel Peace Prize 1979”, Nobelprize.org [Accessed 15 September 2016]
