Unconditional Love of Mother Teresa
Healthful Vitality | 10/29/2021 | Unconditional Love of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa is perhaps regarded as the greatest symbol of unconditional love in modern human history. She dedicated all her life to caring for those who were abandoned by society. These were often people living with contagious diseases, weakened, and starving.
Mother Teresa and the poorest of the poorest
She took the poorest of the poorest to her care centers. These were people that no one would even come close to. Many of these people were living with a severe illness like leprosy, which was not possible to treat in those days. She would take care of beggars, homeless, older people living on the streets. These were people who often died without dignity. She provided them with love and hope. In exchange, she did not expect anything.
The remarkable mission of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia, but then it was part of the ottoman empire. At the age of 12, she heard the divine voice and decided to join the Sisters of Loreto. Thus, she arrived in one of the largest, yet poorest cities in India, Calcutta, in 1931.
She, at first, taught in a high school. However, she understood that it was not exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to serve the poor and sick people, take their care and provide them with unconditional love. In 1948, she got permission from her superiors to start her independent journey.
She gave up the rest of her life serving the ill, depressed, and poor people. She founded the organization called “The Missionaries of Charity.”
Initially, it was pretty difficult for her, as she had no funds. However, with time things changed. She set an example for others, and charities started pouring in. She motivated a great number of people to join her efforts in helping others, providing unconditional love to those left out of society.
Her efforts did not go unnoticed. For her work, she received The Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was also declared a saint in 2016 by Pope Francis.
What is unconditional love?
Love is one of the most widely used words and yet poorly understood. It is because the words mean different things to different people. Generally, unconditional love is when one loves the other without expecting anything in return. However, it is vital not to confuse unconditional love with behavior, as these are two different things. Thus, Mother Teresa is not just an example of unconditional love but also a person of high morality and good conduct.
Researchers have tried to explain the phenomenon of unconditional love in various ways. There is undoubtedly a religious side to it. However, there are psychological aspects, neurological aspects, too. For example, a mother’s love is regarded as one of the best examples of unconditional love. However, it is less related to religion than neurology, hormones, instincts, and psychology.
Whatever be the scientific basis of unconditional love, but it is clear that Mother Teresa remains its best example. She not just helped, provided love to people she was not related to in any way. She did not expect anything in return.
(Related Article: How Do You Feel Loved?)