The way to plan the family is natural family planning not contraception. In destroying the power of giving life, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self, and so it destroys the gift of life in him or her
Mother TeresaRead
I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I'm supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I'm praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes a shift in perspective about prayer from seeking external help to seeking internal strength and guidance for action.
Mother Teresa expresses a profound evolution in her understanding of prayer. Initially, she focused on asking God for interventions in the world, such as feeding the hungry, but she has come to realize that the true essence of prayer lies in seeking personal strength and guidance. This shift highlights the importance of self-empowerment and the recognition that prayer is not merely about changing external circumstances, but about transforming oneself to effect change in the world around us.
Themes
PrayerChangeStrengthGuidanceSelfAction
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about community service, one might quote this to inspire others to take action.
More from Mother Teresa
All quotes →I believe in person to person; every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is only one person in the world for me at that moment.
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Purity is the fruit of prayer.
Mother TeresaRead
If your Eyes are Positive, You will Love the World. _x000D_ But if Your Tongue is Positive, The World will Love you.
Mother TeresaRead
The poor are great! The poor are wonderful! The poor are very generous! They give us much more than what we give them.
Mother TeresaRead
The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.
Mother TeresaRead
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