The Poverty No One Sees: Mother Teresa’s Call to Love | Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC

On the Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC, reflected on our Christian call to hear the cry of the poor; especially those whose suffering goes unnoticed. Mother Teresa left her life as a teacher to answer God’s call to serve the “poorest of the poor” in India. She began simply: teaching children by drawing letters in the sand, caring for orphans, and giving dignity and love to those dying on the streets. Her witness reminds us that poverty is not only the lack of material necessities. One of the deepest forms of poverty is to feel unnoticed, abandoned, forgotten, and unloved. Her response was simple: serve one person at a time, doing little things with great love.

Fr. Anthony invited us to consider how easily we complain about what we lack while others struggle for life’s basic necessities. To hear their suffering, we must empty ourselves so the Lord can fill us with His grace and make room in our hearts for others. Mother Teresa’s joyful witness inspired women from around the world to join the Missionaries of Charity and continue serving the poor. Her legacy was deeply rooted in prayer. After her death, her sisters gathered around her tomb and prayed to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, recognizing a call to bring this prayer to the poorest of the poor. Her life challenges us to see the forgotten, approach them with love, pray with them, and allow Christ’s mercy to transform lives, one person at a time.

Readings for September 5th 2026

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