• Mother Teresa, Woman of the Century by Pato.s of Peru
• Mother Teresa's Wisdom: Her Favorite Sayings
• A Story of Mary as a Girl by Ana 12, of Mexico

Mother Teresa, Woman of the Century

Mother Teresa of Calcuta was born in Albania. At the age of 18, Mother Teresa attended the religious Order called Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland. She received her spiritual training in Ireland and Darjeeling, India. She was born with the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. But in 1931, Mother Teresa took the name of Teresa from the French nun Thérèse Martin, who was canonized in 1927 with the title St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In 1937, Mother Teresa took her vows. She taught for 20 years in Saint Mary's High School in Calcutta, India.

In September 10, 1946, Mother Teresa received another call from God to serve the poorest of the poor who live in the streets. She loved that country so much that she became a citizen of India in 1948, the same year Pope Pious XII granted her permission to leave her duties. Mother Theresa became an independent nun. She began to share her life with the poor, the sick and the hungry of Calcutta. Mother Teresa established a congregation called the Missionaries of Charity.

She began her work in India by teaching the children of the streets how to read. In 1950, Mother Teresa began to also care for lepers. In 1965, Pope Paul VI put the Missionaries of Charity under his protection and gave Mother Teresa permission to expand her Order to other countries. Centers have opened almost everywhere around the world to assist lepers, the elderly, the blind, and people living with AIDS. Mother Teresa also opened schools and homes for the poor and abandoned children. Her vocation was a message of love. Her work demonstrates that a true conviction is always accompanied by action and that love in action is service.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 over her own objections, but she accepted it on behalf of the "poorest of the poor". And in August, 1997 she ended her services and became part of heaven. But for the great job she did, she will always be remembered by all of us.

Written by Pato.s, edited by Lindsay, Angela and Gina

Mother Teresa's Wisdom: Her Favorite Sayings

• I do, because I must do something.
• Calcutta can be found all over the world if you have eyes to see.
• In the developed countries there is a poverty of intimacy, a poverty of spirit, of loneliness, of lack oflove. There is no greater sickness in the world today than that one.
• When you have nothing, then you have everything.
• God loves a cheerful giver. She or he gives best who gives with a smile.
• It is not the magnitude of our actions but theamount of love that is put into them that matters.
• Never lose heart. We always -- thank God...can smile. At least you can smile if nothing else.
• Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.

Mother Teresa also loved The Paradoxical Commandments, by Dr Kent M. Keith.

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

We all know that Mary was Jesus's mother, but just some people know how she lived and why God chose her to be the mother of His son. Even as a girl she was a good and holy person. This is her story as I see it, the story of the most famous mother in the whole world.

In Palestine, the cities are white and shiny, filled with green grass. Skillful artisans and shepherds lived together in peace. When it was quiet, they would sing together in the fields. They would give thanks to God for all the good things they had. They would sing, "You made the flowers and the animals. Thanks to you for the bright stars, and blue heavens above us. Thanks to you for the cool shade where we rest beneath the trees, the water we drink."

In Nazareth, lived a man and a women, named Ana and Joaquin. They didn't have any children, and they were very sad. They told each other: "We are old, and God only sends kids to young people. But if He wants, we'll have a child. We can't give up!"

God rewarded their faith; late, but with such a graceful girl, that everyone loved her. She looked like a gift from Heaven. But God sent her to make the whole Universe happy. Everyone was glad to see her. Everyone loved her. They called her Rose, and Star, because her face shone like a star. "Look at her eyes! We want to be with her all the time!"

Mary laughed and smiled at their compliments. She didn't grow proud, like some girls might. She grew in beauty and goodness. She looked around at all the thing God did and marveled. She loved all that she saw. But she wondered, "Who created the bunnies, and the birds, and the lambs, and the trees? Who made the flowers grow?" Her mother answered, "God, Mary! He gives us all good things." Mary replied, "He is very good, I love Him, mama!" And Mary learned to say thanks for all that God had made.

Mary always helped Ana to bake cookies. All the kids loved Ana's cookies. But Mary always thought about the poor and the homeless before she would eat one. One day she asked, "Mamma, may I visist Isaac? He is sick with a very bad cold. May I give him some cookies?"

"Yes, my dear; and God bless you," her mother answered.

When Issac saw Mary, he was very happy. And so was Mary. She loved giving things and food to the poor. Some people used to tell Mary: "You are so beautiful." And she would answer: "I am the way I am because God wanted me to be this way." Mary used to play with her friends near the river. They liked to made flowers with mud. Mary made such wonderful things that her friends were astonished. They said: "You are great, Mary", and she answered, "I'm not great. God is great. He's all around us. Even in these mud flowers."

I wrote this story about Mary as a girl because I think Mary is a good example for girls. She was kind and good and trusted God no matter what. Lots of people don't know that God exists, even when He is helping them. God, Mary, Jesus, angels and the archangels will always be watching us and helping us.

written by Ana.c 12 yrs old, from Mexico, edited by Lindsay, Angela and Gina