Name: Clark Peter B. Castillo Professor: Mr. Victorio Enad Jr.

BSA2_8 REED 3

MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA

After watching the video, my understanding towards vocation and charity have
deepened. Initially, I have always viewed Mother Teresa as someone who was kindhearted but I
never got the chance to watch any of her interviews nor hear her speak passionately about her
beliefs or charitable actions which is why I feel very overwhelmed after witnessing her interview.
I realized that our vocation can truly manifest itself in such mysterious ways with some receiving
their vocation at a very young age. It feels very inspiring to see how Mother Teresa was able to
know her calling at the early age of 12 and her family was supportive enough to allow her to
pursue such vocation. This realization brings me back to the important role of our families in
realizing and pursuing our vocation. Mother Teresa was blessed to grow up in a religious
household and to have a very religious mother because she received constant support in trying
to follow her divine calling. I tried comparing the circumstances of Mother Teresa to the lives of
other people, including myself, and felt a bit sad because there are some people who come
from families who are not supportive of their calling. I know some people who truly wanted to
become priests or nuns when they grow up but were forced to pursue a professional degree due
to their parents’ decisions. In line with this, I realized that if I were to become a parent someday,
I shall give my guidance and support to my children by allowing them to pursue the vocation that
God has given them. As for the people who did not grow in a very supportive household, I
believe that God has a special and different plan for all of us and we should just trust His plans
by giving our best in everything we do.

Aside from reflecting on Mother Teresa’s family disposition, another thing that inspired
me from her interview was her dedication and perseverance towards fulfilling God’s calling for
her. Even though she was quite happy in her homeland and her family was very united, she
mustered the courage and faith to abandon it all and venture into a distant country and interact
with strangers just for the sake of helping the poor and fulfilling God’s commandments.
Furthermore, Mother Teresa also discussed how a person could never understand the poor
unless they have seen the truest image of poverty that’s why she made sure to provide close
contact with the poorest people and made them feel that they are loved and wanted by society.
She became a living instrument of God’s love towards those who need to feel His love the most.
Mother Teresa had to sacrifice the experience of staying in her homeland and being surrounded
by material treasures for the sake of her vocation which is to become a missionary of charity.
These instances made me realize that no vocation will ever be easy because no matter which
path of calling we take, sacrifices will still be necessary. The things that we let go of may come
in different forms depending on each person but I do believe that no matter what these things
are, it would require a lot of courage and faith for us to take these sacrifices. I hope that when
the time comes, God will also give me the courage to sacrifice certain parts of my life to fulfill
His greater plans for me. Looking back, God may have already helped me multiple times in
taking these sacrifices and I hope He will continue to guide me along the way.
 As for vocation, Mother Teresa made me comprehend that the value of our actions
should not be measured by its individual impact but rather, we should start looking at our
vocation from a collective and communitarian perspective. She expressed this through her
quote in the video that says, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the
ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” This quote showed me that if
we measure our vocation’s value on what we can do as an individual, then it wouldn’t seem like
a very big amount, but once we look at the bigger picture, we realize that our vocation, no
matter how small the actions, could actually contribute to the greater good of the world. Every
single person has a role in the society which becomes the foundation of other roles in forming a
well-functioning world. There is no such thing as a “worthless” vocation because God made sure
that all of us will have an essential purpose in this world. That’s why I’ve decided that whenever
I’d encounter a challenging time and feel like my vocation is not as important as the vocation of
other people, I’ll recall the quote and remember that my action, even if it’s just a single drop in
the ocean, can cause ripples which can turn into large waves. I know that with God’s help, I can
also create a big difference if I look at the bigger picture. After all, my vocation is not just my
journey but the journey of the entire human race working together in accordance to His plans.

In retrospection, I have made a lot of realization after watching the video about Mother
Teresa but perhaps the most insightful part was the moment that she admitted that at some
point in her life, she also doubted the existence of God. In my opinion, this part of the video was
probably one of the highlights because it showed her vulnerability and proved her victory
against temptation. I saw how even the most holy people can have their faiths tested and that it
is normal for believers of Christ to have their whole religious experience become a challenge for
them. I realized that at the end of the day, saints are still humans and we can never generalize
them as perfect beings. However, what makes Mother Teresa along with the rest of the Saints
special is how they found their way back home to God. Even if they questioned His existence at
one point, they did not succumb to the temptation that wanted to lead them astray but rather,
they held on to God and through blind faith, they were able to reconcile with our Creator. I felt
that I also want to have faith that’s as strong as theirs. I truly want to become a person who can
confidently proclaim how I found my way back to God and become someone who fulfilled their
vocation according to His great plans.

In conclusion, Mother Teresa taught me that my vocation is important and it’s not
something that I should ever look down upon. I learned how my vocation is not a competition
but a mission to serve God and His teachings. Most importantly, she taught me that sacrifices
are going to be a part of the long journey but it’s all going to be worth it because at the end of
the day, my vocation will become the foundation of other people’s vocations and together, we
can create a better world.