World View: Giving and Serving, Inspired by Mother Teresa

Editor's Note: Silva and Nace Volčič, natives of Slovenia, share this article as they travel as missionaries in Ukraine. --Barb

Mother Teresa lived her saintly life, sourcing from deep loyalty and love of God. We know about her countless acts of love to the most needy and the many prayers and thoughts that are part of her rich heritage to the world.

Now you are invited to meditate on one of her deep thoughts. Maybe it will help you to look at work and service in a new way. Certainly this is something that is very much appreciated nowadays with prevailing rush and materialistic view of the world.

Let her following message touch you:

It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.

(Mother Teresa)

Choose any time period: perhaps a month, a week or just a day of your life and consider how you acted at that time.

Think about your work at home, at work, in your studies. So, what do you pay most attention to? Because we are different, each one’s story, of course, is different.

How much was your work interwoven with love, and how much with other motives – fear, worries, desire to please? How would God look at your actions?

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Similarly to your work, now you may look at your stance on donating. Who were the people who have received your support – did you give them something they needed, or thought that they would need? Did you give them encouragement, which was suitable in that instance? What were your motives for donating? How God looks at your actions?

Listen in silence to hear what God wants to tell you.

Lord Jesus, I ask You to make me do all things with love. Give me wisdom to always make actions that will be of some good for community, and will help build Your kingdom. I ask for a deep awareness that all my inspirations, successes and opportunities come from You.

Thank You to let me grow through my work and through relationships, intellectually and spiritually. Do strengthen my awareness that every job is honorable. Thank you for giving me work – at work and at home. Let me feel and stay in touch with Your presence even while I’m working.

Thank you for all the occasions, when you teach me to donate with unconditional love. Bless my hands so that they will always be able to offer what others need.

Amen.

Holy Mother Teresa, pray for us!

Do you want to read more about Mother Teresa? Our book is full of her wisdom and remarkable stories from her life.

About the authors: Silva and Nace Volčič are a married Catholic couple from Slovenia (Europe) who decided to leave the comfort of their home and business, and began to travel the world, from community to community, from mission to mission, wherever good and honest people do their best to help the poorest among us – marginalized, ignored and pushed aside. Before their departure they established a charitable organization called Operando. The name itself comes from the sentence: Dio sta operando or God is working (right this moment). They want to testify to the work of God, realized especially through the poorest. They write about it on their blog operando.org and endeavor to direct the reader’s attention to good and positive news.