St. Teresa of Calcutta: Loving Others Through Small Acts of Charity
Feast Day: September 5
There are some saints whose lives remind us that holiness can be found in the simplest acts of love.
Sometimes, holiness looks like serving someone who has been forgotten.
It looks like sitting beside someone who is suffering.
It looks like offering a meal, a smile, a helping hand, or simply your presence.
It looks like loving someone who has nothing to give in return.
Few saints embodied this kind of humble, selfless love more beautifully than St. Teresa of Calcutta, lovingly known around the world as Mother Teresa.
Her Feast Day is celebrated on September 5, the anniversary of her death in 1997. Each year, the Church remembers St. Teresa of Calcutta and her extraordinary witness of love, mercy, and service to the poorest of the poor.
Her life offers an especially beautiful lesson for children: we don't have to do something big to make a difference. We can begin by loving the person right in front of us.
The Life of St. Teresa of Calcutta
St. Teresa of Calcutta was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in what is now North Macedonia. As a young woman, she felt called to religious life and eventually joined the Sisters of Loreto.
She traveled to India, where she spent many years teaching and working with children.
But God eventually called her to something more.
While traveling by train in 1946, Sister Teresa experienced what she described as a profound call to leave the convent and go into the streets to serve those who were suffering. She understood this as a “vocation within a vocation.” She felt especially drawn to those who were poor, sick, abandoned, and forgotten.
In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation dedicated to serving the poorest and most vulnerable.
Her work began in Calcutta, India, but her mission eventually spread around the world. The sisters cared for people who were dying, orphaned children, people experiencing poverty, and others who had been pushed to the margins of society.
Mother Teresa did not see these people as problems to be solved.
She saw them as people to be loved.
And more importantly, she saw Christ in them.
“Whatever You Did for One of the Least…”
At the heart of St. Teresa's life was a simple but powerful teaching from Jesus.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me.”
— Matthew 25:40
These words became a beautiful expression of Mother Teresa's mission.
She understood that when we care for someone who is hungry, lonely, sick, poor, or forgotten, we are serving Christ Himself.
Pope Francis reflected on this very idea during St. Teresa's canonization Mass, saying that whenever we bend down to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we are giving food, drink, clothing, and care to Jesus. He described this as encountering and serving Christ in the person who is suffering.
This is why charity was so important to Mother Teresa.
Charity wasn't simply about giving someone something they needed.
It was about recognizing their God-given dignity and loving them because they are made in the image of God.
The Importance of Charity
The word charity comes from the Christian understanding of love—a love that seeks the good of another.
St. Teresa reminds us that charity doesn't have to begin with something grand.
It can begin with a small act of kindness.
A child can share a snack with a classmate.
A family can donate food to a food pantry.
We can visit someone who is lonely.
We can make a meal for someone who is sick.
We can give clothing to someone in need.
We can simply stop and listen to someone who needs to be heard.
These small acts matter because Christian charity asks us to see the person in front of us not as a stranger or an inconvenience, but as someone deeply loved by God.
Mother Teresa once said:
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
That simple message is one that children can understand and live out every day.
We don't have to wait until we are adults to serve others.
We can begin today.
What Can We Learn from St. Teresa?
1. Love the Person in Front of You
Mother Teresa's life teaches us to notice the people around us.
Sometimes we are so focused on what we need to accomplish that we don't see the person who needs our attention.
St. Teresa reminds us to slow down and ask:
Who needs my love today?
It might be a classmate who is sitting alone.
A sibling who is having a difficult day.
A grandparent who needs a visit.
A neighbor who could use some help.
Or someone we encounter who simply needs a smile.
As Mother Teresa famously said:
“Maybe I cannot speak their language, but I can smile.”
A smile may seem small, but love often begins with small things. Pope Francis highlighted this quote during her canonization, encouraging us to carry her smile in our hearts and share it with those who are suffering.
2. See Jesus in Others
St. Teresa didn't serve the poor simply because she felt sorry for them.
She served them because she believed Jesus was present in them.
This is an important lesson for children—and for all of us.
When we look at another person, especially someone who is struggling, we can remind ourselves:
This person is loved by God.
And when we serve them, we are serving Christ.
3. Small Acts Can Make a Big Difference
Mother Teresa's life is proof that one person's faithful “yes” can touch countless lives.
She didn't begin with a worldwide organization.
She began by responding to the person God placed in front of her.
Her life reminds us that we shouldn't underestimate the power of small acts of love.
A prayer.
A kind word.
A meal.
A donation.
A visit.
A smile.
A helping hand.
God can use even the smallest act of love.
4. Don't Ignore Those Who Are Forgotten
One of Mother Teresa's greatest gifts was her willingness to see people whom others overlooked.
She went toward suffering rather than away from it.
She cared for people who were sick, dying, abandoned, and living in poverty. Pope Francis described her as someone who bowed down before those who had been cast aside and recognized their God-given dignity.
Her example challenges us to ask:
Who might be feeling forgotten today?
And then to do something about it.
The Legacy of St. Teresa of Calcutta
St. Teresa's influence reached far beyond the streets of Calcutta.
The Missionaries of Charity established homes and communities in countries around the world, bringing her mission of compassionate service to people in need. By the time of her death in 1997, her religious community had grown to thousands of sisters serving in hundreds of mission houses across numerous countries.
Her work also brought worldwide attention to the dignity of people living in poverty and to the Christian call to care for the vulnerable.
In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.
Yet Mother Teresa repeatedly directed attention away from herself and toward God and the people she served.
She once described herself simply as:
“A pencil in the hand of God.”
What a beautiful image of humility.
A pencil doesn't write a story by itself.
It is held by someone else.
Mother Teresa wanted her life to be that way, too—a simple instrument through which God's love could reach others. At the Mass following her canonization, Cardinal Pietro Parolin recalled this description and reflected on the extraordinary works of charity, compassion, comfort, and joy that God accomplished through her life.
Teaching Children to Love Like St. Teresa
One of the beautiful things about learning about the saints is that their stories give children examples of what it means to live out our Catholic faith.
The story of St. Teresa of Calcutta for kids is especially meaningful because her life shows children that they don't have to do something extraordinary to make a difference. They can begin by loving, serving, and caring for the people right in front of them.
We can encourage children to look for ways to practice charity in their own homes, schools, and communities.
Ask them:
- Who could use some kindness today?
- How can I help someone who is having a difficult day?
- Is there someone who might feel lonely?
- What could I share with someone who has less than I do?
- How can I show someone God's love?
These questions help children understand that they don't have to wait until they are older to become people of charity.
They can start with one small act of love today.
A Beautiful Way to Introduce Your Child to St. Teresa
If you're looking for a simple and meaningful way to introduce your child to the life of this beloved saint, Catholic children's books can be a wonderful place to begin.
The Saint Teresa of Calcutta Board Book is a sweet addition to a Catholic home or child's bookshelf. Through beautiful illustrations and simple, engaging pages, little ones can discover the story of Mother Teresa and learn about her life of faith, charity, and service.
This book is also a wonderful addition to a collection of Catholic saint books for children, helping little ones discover the lives of the saints in a way that is easy for them to understand and enjoy.
It is a sweet way to begin teaching young children about:
- Charity and generosity
- Serving others
- Loving the poor and vulnerable
- Seeing Jesus in others
- Prayer and faith
- The lives of the saints
Most importantly, it gives parents an opportunity to begin a conversation with their children about what it means to love others as Jesus taught us.
Because the saints aren't just people we learn about—they are examples of how we can live our own lives for Christ.
Bring the Story of St. Teresa Home
The Feast Day of St. Teresa of Calcutta is a beautiful opportunity to introduce your child to a saint who showed the world what it looks like to love without expecting anything in return.
Her life reminds us:
Love the person in front of you.
Serve those who are in need.
See Christ in others.
And do even the smallest things with great love.
May St. Teresa of Calcutta inspire our families to become more attentive to those around us and to recognize Jesus in every person we encounter.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!