Mother Teresa

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"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus" (Pope John Paul II). She was called “mother” by millions though she had no children of her own. This person is Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was baptized on August 26, 1910, given the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu and died on September 5th, 1997 (Gold). Her father, Nikolo, and her mother, Drana, emphasized the importance of caring for others while she, her brother, and her sister were growing up. Mother Teresa is one person of many people who answered their call in life; however, she made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of the poorest people in the world. …show more content…
She left her home, giving up everything she owned except three identical outfits, a pair of sandals, and a tin washing pail to enter religious life (Gold). She joined the Irish branch of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Sisters of Loreto (Slavicek). Mother Teresa took her first vows on May 24, 1931 and final vows on May 24, 1937 (Gold). However, Mother Teresa heard a remarkably unique call from God while on a train ride. She heard God calling her to abandon her sheltered lifestyle as a Loreto sister to go work for and live among the impoverished and outcasted people of Calcutta (Slavicek). On August 12, 1947, Pope Pius XII granted Mother Teresa permission to leave the Loreto convent to work with the poor in Calcutta. In just less than a year, Mother Teresa had moved to the "slums of Calcutta" and opened her first school there to work for and care for the people of Calcutta …show more content…
The Kingdom of God was the center of Jesus’ entire teaching and life. After Jesus’ death, the Church was led by the first pope, Pope Peter. Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth had already been given to Him and that he had the power to do anything (Catholic Bible 101). The Kingdom of God is not simply God’s reign over an individual person or a group of people, it is a gathering of a religious community. We are all called to be a part of this religious community. As a Catholic, baptism is a necessity to enter the Kingdom of God. However, not all those who are baptized will remain in God 's Kingdom. The Kingdom of God belongs to those who have a heart like little innocent children and those who are poor in spirit. Those who live impure, jealous, angry, and envious lives will not enter the Kingdom of God (The Second Coming: The Kingdom of God). Jesus describes the Kingdom of God using many parables. One of the most common comparisons is found in Matthew 13:31-32. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. A mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds yet it has the potential to grow into the greatest tree. Likewise, the Kingdom of God started out with one person, Jesus Christ. But through the Catholic Church, it has grown beyond all imagination and allows all the spiritual children of God to enter the

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