Some people talk about hunger, but they don’t come and say, “Mother, here are five rupees. Buy food for these people.” But they can give a most beautiful lecture on hunger.
I had the most extraordinary experience once in Bombay. There was a big conference about hunger. I was supposed to go to that meeting and I lost the way. Suddenly I came to that place, and right in front of the door to where hundreds of people were talking about food and hunger, I found a dying man.
I took him out and I took him home.
He died there.
He died of hunger.
And the people inside were talking about how in fifteen years we will have so much food, so much this, so much that, and that man died.
See the difference?
I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time.
Just One. One. One.
You get closer to Christ by coming closer to each other. As Jesus said, ” Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me.”
So you begin…. and I begin.
I picked up one person.
Maybe if I hadn’t picked up that one person I wouldn’t have picked up 42,000. The whole work is only a drop in the ocean. But if I didn’t put the drop in, the ocean would be one drop less.
Same thing for you.
Same thing for your family.
Same thing in the church where you go.
Just begin…. One. One. One.
At the end of life, we will not be judge by
how many diplomas we have received
how much money we have made
how many great things we have done;
We will be judged by this:
“I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.”
Hungry not for bread – but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing – but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks – but homeless because of rejection.
This is Christ in distressing disguise.
Mother Teresa