Doing Small Things With Great Love

This week, I reviewed the acceptance speech of Mother Teresa as she received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. As speeches go, this one is not fancy or particularly well crafted. It is simply moving. The life and words of Mother Teresa demonstrate that one does not have to be the owner of wealth, beauty or superior intelligence to change the world. Here are a few excerpts from her incredible speech:

"We have been created to love and to be loved."

"Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried, and there are difficult days for everybody. Are we there? Are we there to receive them?"

"I think that we in our family, we don't need bombs and guns, to destroy or to bring peace - just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world… Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do."

"I had the most extraordinary experience with a Hindu family who had eight children. A gentleman came to our house and said: "Mother Teresa, there is a family with eight children; they have not eaten for so long; do something". So I took some rice and I went there immediately. And I saw the children - their eyes shining with hunger. I don't know if you have ever seen hunger. But I have seen it very often. And (their mother) took the rice, she divided the rice, and she went out. When she came back I asked her: "Where did you go, what did you do?" And she gave me a very simple answer: "They are hungry also". What struck me most was that she knew - and who are they? a Muslim family - and she knew. I didn't bring more rice that evening because I wanted them to enjoy the joy of sharing. But there were those children radiating joy, sharing the joy with their mother because she had the love to give. And you see this is where love begins - at home."

"I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people. And find out about your next-door neighbor. Do you know who they are?"

"If we could only remember that God loves us, and we have an opportunity to love others as he loves us, not in big things, but in small things with great love."