Quotes, aphorisms and phrases of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, poems, twenty-four questions and twenty-four answers with useful considerations to use as a spiritual guide to better live your life.
Quotes from Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Find the time
Find time to think, find time to pray, find time to laugh: it is the source of power, it is the greatest power on Earth, it is the music of the soul. Find time to play, find time to love and be loved, find time to give: it is the secret of eternal youth, it is the privilege given by God; the day is too short to be selfish. Find time to read, find time to be friends, find time to work: it is the source of wisdom, it is the path to happiness, it is the price of success. Find time to do charity: it is the key to Heaven.
Live
Always keep in mind that the skin wrinkles, the hair turns white, the days turn into years. But what is important does not change; your strength and your conviction are ageless. Your spirit is the glue of any spider web. Behind each finish line there is a starting line. Behind every success there is another disappointment. As long as you are alive, feel alive. If you miss what you were doing, go do it. Do not live on yellowed photos ... insist even if everyone expects me to abandon. Don't let the iron inside you rust. Make sure that instead of compassion, they bring you respect. When you can't run because of the years, walk fast. When you can not walk fast, walk. When you can't walk, use the stick. But never hold back!
Twenty-four questions and twenty-four answers
The most beautiful day? Today. The biggest obstacle? Fear. The easiest thing? Being wrong. The biggest mistake? Give up. The root of all evil? Selfishness. The best distraction? The job. The worst defeat? Discouragement. The best teachers? The children. The first need? To communicate. The greatest happiness? Be useful to others. The biggest mystery? The death. The worst fault? The bad mood. The most dangerous person? The one that lies. The worst feeling? The grudge. The most beautiful gift? Forgiveness. The indispensable one? The family. The best route? The right way. The most pleasant feeling? Inner peace. The best welcome? The smile. The best medicine? Optimism. The greatest satisfaction? The duty accomplished. The greatest force? Faith. The most necessary people? Priests. The most beautiful thing in the world? The love.
Hymn to life
Life is an opportunity, take it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, savor it. Life is a dream, make it a reality. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, fill it out. Life is a game, play it. Life is precious, keep it. Life is a wealth, keep it. Life is love, enjoy it. Life is a mistery, discover it! Life is promised, fulfill it. Life is sadness, overcome it. Life is a hymn, sing it. Life is a struggle, live it. Life is a joy, enjoy it. Life is a cross, hug it. Life is an adventure, risk it. Life is peace, build it. Life is happiness, deserve it. Life is life, defend it.
Loves
Love until it hurts you, and if it hurts you, it will be better for this. Why complain? If you accept suffering and offer it to God, it will give you joy. Suffering is a great gift from God: those who welcome it, those who love with all their hearts, those who offer themselves know its value.
The goodness
Never let anyone come to you and leave without being better and happier. Be the expression of the goodness of God. Goodness on your face and in your eyes, goodness in your smile and in your greeting. You always offer a joyful smile to children, the poor and all those who suffer in the flesh and spirit. Give them not only your care but also your heart.
Send me someone to love
Lord, when I'm hungry, give me someone who needs food; when I'm thirsty, send me someone who needs a drink; when I'm cold, send me someone to warm up; when I feel sorry, offer me someone to console; when my cross becomes heavy, let me share another's cross; when I am poor, lead me to someone in need; when I don't have time, give me someone I can help for a few moments; when I am humiliated, let me have someone to praise; when I am discouraged, send me someone to encourage; when I need the understanding of others, give me someone who needs mine; when I need you to take care of me, send me someone to take care of; when I think only of myself, it draws my attention to another person.
Rays of God's love
Help me spread your perfume everywhere, O Jesus. Wherever I go.Flood my soul with your Spirit and your life. Become master of my being so completely that my whole life is an irradiation of yours. So that every soul I approach can feel your presence inside me. Because looking at me you do not see me, but You in me. Stay in me. Thus I will shine with your own splendor and I can be light to others.
Aphorisms of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
I felt your heart beat
I have found you in many places, Lord. I felt your heart beat in the perfect quiet of the fields, in the dark tabernacle of an empty cathedral, in the unity of heart and mind of an assembly of people who love you. I found you in joy, where I look for you and often find you. But I always find you in suffering. Suffering is like the ringing of the bell that calls the bride of God to prayer. Lord, I found you in the terrible greatness of the suffering of others. I saw you in the sublime acceptance and inexplicable joy of those whose life is tormented by pain. But I have not been able to find you in my little evils and in my trivial sorrows. In my effort I let the drama of your redemptive passion pass unnecessarily, and the joyful vitality of your Easter is suffocated by the grayness of my self-pity. Lord I believe. But you help my faith.
In a moment of honesty
Lord, when I believe that my heart is overflowing with love and I realize, in a moment of honesty, that I love myself in my loved one, free me from myself. Lord, when I believe I have given everything I have to give and I realize, in a moment of honesty, that I am receiving, free me from myself. Lord, when I am convinced that I am poor and I realize, in a moment of honesty, that I am full of pride and envy, free me from myself. And, Lord, when the Kingdom of heaven is falsely confused with the kingdoms of this world, let me find happiness and comfort only in You.
- Phrases of St. Dominic of Guzman: biography
- Phrases of Santa Gemma Galgani: quotes and aphorisms
- Phrases of Saint Anthony of Padua: quotes, aphorisms
- Phrases of San Filippo Neri: famous aphorisms from the writings
- Phrases of San Camillo de Lellis: quotes and thoughts
Teach me love
Lord, teach me not to speak like a resonant bronze or a ringing harpsichord, but with love. Make me capable of understanding and give me the faith that moves the mountains, but with love. Teach me that love that is always patient and always kind; never jealous, conceited, selfish or touchy; love that feels joy in truth, always ready to forgive, believe, hope and endure. Finally, when all the finished things dissolve and everything will be clear, that I may have been the weak but constant reflection of your perfect love.
You want my hands
Lord, do you want my hands to spend this day helping the poor and sick who need it? Lord, today I give you my hands. Lord, do you want my feet to spend this day visiting those who need a friend? Lord, today I give you my feet. Lord, do you want my voice to spend this day talking to those who need words of love? Lord, today I give you my voice. Lord, do you want my heart to spend this day, loving every man just because he is a man? Lord, today I give you my heart.
Open our eyes
Open our eyes, Lord, because we can see You in our brothers and sisters. Open our ears, Lord, so that we can hear the invocations of those who are hungry, cold, afraid, and those who are oppressed. Open our heart, Lord, because we learn to love one another as you love us. Give us your Spirit again, Lord, because we become one heart and one soul, in your name. Amen.
Invitation to holiness
Man is unreasonable, self-centered: it doesn't matter, love him! If you do good, they will give you selfish ends: it doesn't matter, it does good! If you achieve your goals you will find false friends and real enemies: it does not matter, achieve them! The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow: it doesn't matter, do good! Honesty and sincerity make you somewhat vulnerable: never mind, always be frank and honest! What you've built for years can be destroyed in an instant: it doesn't matter, build! If you help people, they will be affected: it doesn't matter, help them! Give the world the best of you and they'll kick you: it doesn't matter, keep going!
Never leave
Never let your worries grow to the point of making you forget the joy of the risen Christ. We all yearn for paradise, but we can be with Jesus right now and communicate his joy. This means: to love as he loves; to help as he helps; to give as he gives; to serve as He serves;
save as he saves. It means to be with him twenty-four hours a day and touch him in his most shabby aspect.
Love life
Love life as it is, love it fully, unpretentious; love it when they love you or when they hate you, love it when nobody understands you, or when everyone understands you. Love it when everyone abandon you, or when they exalt you like a king.Love it when they steal everything from you, or when they give it to you. Love it when it makes sense
or when it seems not to have it even a little. Love her in full happiness, or in absolute solitude. Love it when you are strong, or when you feel weak. Love it when you are afraid, or when you have a mountain of courage. Love her not only for great pleasures and enormous satisfactions; love it also for the smallest joys. Love it even if it doesn't give you what it could, love it even if it is not what you would like it. Love her every time you are born and every time you are going to die. But never love without love. Never live without life!
Phrases of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
- There is only one God, and it is God for all; this is why it is important for everyone to appear equal before Him. I have always said that we must help a Hindu to become a better Hindu, a Muslim to become a better Muslim and a Catholic to become a better Catholic. We believe that our work should be an example to people. Around us we have 475 souls: of these, only 30 families are Catholic. The rest are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs ... They are all of different religions, but all of them come to our prayers.
- We know that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if this drop did not exist, the ocean would be missing.
- Important is not what we do, but how much love we put into what we do; you have to do small things with great love.
- What matters is not the quantity of the gift, but the intensity of the love with which we give it.
- May God make you love all the love you have given or all the joy and peace that you have sown around you, from one end of the world to the other.
- We must not be afraid, because God is love. If God loves us, since he is a loving Father, he will not stop helping us.
- Life is made to love and to be loved.
- I don't think I have special qualities, I don't demand anything for the work I do. It is His work. I am like a small pencil in your hands, nothing else. It is he who thinks. It is he who writes. The pencil has nothing to do with all this. The pencil must only be used.
- The works of love are always works of peace. Whenever you share your love with others, you will notice the peace that comes to you and them. Where there is peace there is God, this is how God pours peace and joy into our hearts.
- The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace.
- May you always be happy to know that you are a child of God ... Let this presence take root in your bones, and allow your soul to sing freedom, to dance, to glorify, and to love. It is there for each of you!
- May there be peace within you today. May you believe in your highest power: That you are now exactly in the place where your destiny wanted you to be. May you always keep in mind the infinite possibilities that arise from faith. May you use the gifts you have received, and transmit the love that has been given to you ...
- We know that if we want to truly love, we must learn to forgive. Forgive and ask to be forgiven; sorry instead of accusing. Reconciliation occurs first in ourselves, not with others. Start with a pure heart.
- The worst disease today is not feeling wanted or loved. Feeling abandoned. There are many people in the world who die of hunger, but an even greater number who die from lack of love. Everyone needs love. Everyone must know that they are desired, that they are loved and that they are important to God. There is a hunger for love and there is a hunger for God.
