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Stuck in my mind A Shadow Grander than Kindness
Ashik Kabir
Mother Teresa whenever the name comes up, an image of solidarity, warmth and humanity provides a belief to our mind. A belief that divulges the hope that whenever we fall, whenever the mankind is in distress a saint like soul irrespective of our identity, race or religion will pick us up. Mother Teresa by her devoutness towards the betterment of poor and needy people has proved that humanity will prevail till end and like her; other dedicated souls will aid us in the trail she started.
Mother Teresa has entered the Sainthood recently on September 5, 2016. After 19 years of her passing away the Vatican has finally documented her as a Saint. The ceremony has taken place in Vatican City at St. Peter’s square. The ceremony came 13 years after the beatification of Mother Teresa on October 19, 2003. It is the decree of the Church that one miracle was required for her beatification and another was to attain Sainthood.
A lot of controversies were always related with the activities of Mother Teresa. When in her 1979 Nobel Lecture, she revealed that abortion was the greatest destroyer of peace. Going against the doctrines of Catholic Churches strapped her into criticism. But she was firm in her opinion and it was plucky of her to stand on it. She elevated more controversies in 1995, when she publicly advocated ‘no vote’ for ending the Irish constitutional ban on divorce and remarriage. It was pointed out in many right wings political parties debate that, Mother Teresa’s focal incentive was to aggravate the poor people and convert them. The most severe bout came from Christopher Hitchens book ‘the missionary position: Mother Teresa in theory and practice. In that book, the author contended that Mother Teresa glorified poverty for her own interests and she supported the preservation of institutes and bodies that prolonged sufferings of the poor.
Even after these severe arguments I believe that the cause Mother Teresa dedicated her life to, was an eye opener for our society. Of course converting anyone who is dying against her/his own will might be erroneous, but taking care of dying people, giving them hope after the whole society have abandoned them is more than kindness. Mother Teresa lived for the people sacrificing herself, provided shelter for people who were destitute. She even took care of people who were refused by the hospitals. She dedicated her whole life in the service of her belief and within the parameter of thus she had served the deprived. We can obviously bring out the facts that she did wrong, after all none of the livings are perfect but it’s not possible for us to judge the great soul. I remember, when I was a child reading about her and get to know about her gave me the understanding that I should at least have some kindness towards the penurious. Her activities have created a soft corner for the poor people in many budding hearts I believe. As a layperson it’s not possible for me to judge whether she deserves the Sainthood or not. Or those miracles happened in the name of her true or not, but I was, like many others elated by her achievement.
She was born in Skopje on August 26, 1910. After attaining the age 18, she was swayed that her life’s destination was in the service of missionary in far-off India. When she was a child, her mother was the one who lit humanity in her and made her care for the disadvantaged. Her early fortitude of dedicating life for the faith made her leave her family. She joined the Loreto order of teaching nuns, who were headquartered in faraway Calcutta, India. She taught there for twenty years and then only she got the true call in herself. She was ready to indulge herself in the service of the poor and the helpless. The Vatican tremendously gave her the permission to serve for the poor maintaining her religious vows. She set up her own order Missionaries of Charity in 1948 and started treating the needy. At that time Calcutta was stormed with millions of refugees because of the partition. Because of the Great Bengal Famine people were suffering from hunger, diseases and were homeless. Mother Teresa was alone without any companion wearing the Sari similar to the municipal sweepresses started fighting for them. She had a little medical training with which she began to treat the poor abandoned people even refused by the hospice. She herself was staunchly catholic but she reached out for people of all the faiths. She even took care of the people suffering from diseases like leprosy or AIDS. When someone was suffering, she pushed herself to treat that person as Christ was suffering.
As She said, “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 entirely belong to the heart of Jesus”. She lived her entire life serving the poor and helpless and those believed in her cause were surely enthralled by her crowning.