What has her Vocation Involved? Have there been challenges in living this vocation?
It was at the age of 12 that Mother Teresa first felt a calling to a religious life. Six years later, in 1928, at 18 she decided to become a nun and set off for Ireland to join the Loreto Sisters of Dublin. For her novitiate period she was sent to Calcutta to help teach poor Indian girls. She stayed at the school until 1946, when she experienced a new calling from God while travelling on a train. Christ spoke to her and told her to abandon teaching and to work in the slums of Calcutta aiding the city's poorest and sickest people. "I want Indian Nuns, Missionaries of Charity, who would be my fire of love amongst the poor, the sick, the dying and the little children," she heard Christ say to her on the train that day. Mother Teresa quickly translated this somewhat vague calling into concrete actions to help the city's poor. Both her vocations involved helping the poorest of the poor, and throughout her life she has done just that. However she has been criticised by many for the treatment of the elderly at her elderly homes and for opposing contraception. Mother Teresa has been very successful in fulfilling her vocations, even though she was left unstrengthened at times by many.
How has she lived out this vocation and how has she influenced others?
Mother Teresa was a good woman who inspired the world and people with her unselfish acts of love and dedication. She took a vow of poverty and spent most of her life helping others and serving God. Mother Teresa did what God expects from each of us and that is to do the best that we can, with what we have. She used her position in life to the best of her abilities. She taught the world and people that love will open doors that hate has closed. She taught us that the greatest way to show God's love is to meet the needs of others. She helped those in need and she also helped the poor, the dying, and many abandoned children. She showed them love, compassion, and kindness. She gave them shelter, food and hope and due to all of this she truly was an inspiration. However most importantly she taught us that we must help those who are less privileged than us.