Nobel Lecture by Mother Teresa Question Answer Class 11 Second Semester
1. Why does Mother Teresa say, “Poor people are great people”?
Ans. According to the Bible “to be poor is to be blessed.” So, Mother Teresa tries to interpret that the poor people who have nothing to eat or homeless can teach us many beautiful things. They hardly blame others for any of their personal unhappiness. The sense of love, affection and gratitude are best learnt by Mother Teresa from the real life experience with simple, self satisfied poor people. We can learn from those uncomplaining people how to share happily what they get from their simple everyday life. Their power to give and accept love leave a permanent impression in Teresa’s life.
2. Briefly reproduce Mother Teresa’s experience in an old-age home.
Ans. In her close experience of an old-age home, Mother Teresa found a very stunning thing (to her and us) that inspite of being well-provided for, the inmates of the old-age home were scarcely happy people. In the old-age home she learnt that the old parents were put by their sons and daughters and were forgotten. None of the children took care of or met them ever. They looked for their children to come everyday, but with no result. Consequently they felt deep pain and their eyes were filled with painful tears for their wards. That means their expectation for their children and the unfulfilment of that expectation caused their unhappiness. The long unbridgable distance between those unfortunate parents and their heartless children gives birth to the loneliness, sickness and anxiety.
3. What is the inner importance of smile in our daily life? How can Mother and the Sisters teach family planning best?
Ans. Smile is the source of everything good in our life. It has great importance. Smile can give birth to love and inspiration. Love inspires us do anything good for other in our everyday life. So, we should keep smiling at each other everytime in our daily life.
Mother Teresa and her sisters are the best people to teach family planning best, as the old people think. Infact Mother and the Sisters have no mortal longing. They promise only to be chaste in life as they possess full control over their conscience. Their selfless love inspires them feel good thought only and the feelings of gratifications come from that selfless love for humanity. So, they are the best people to teach family planning.
4. Bring out the Biblical allusions used by Mother and their significance.
Ans. We find more than one Biblical allusions used by Mother Teresa is her ‘Nobel Lecture’.
In the allusion of Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus was betrothed to Joseph. The allusion is that God, the father gives his son Jesus, to Virgin Mary.
In another Biblical reference we see the leper to be cured by Christ by this magical touch. As per the wish of Christ, the dying leper got cured of the leprous disease.
In this way the Biblical allusions in this text suggest that to love human beings means to love God. God saves those who need his earnest protection. So we should love this greatest creation, human being ultimately with a clean mind.
5. Why does Mother believe that it is not enough for us to say, “I love God but I donot love my neighbour?”
Ans. The above quote is full of inner implications and contextual depth. Now-a-days we find people spreading hatred, conspiracy and bloodshed against their neighbours whereas those hateful people demand that they love God earnestly following God’s order. How funny and shamefull Infact, to love God means to love people humanity is the one and only way to love God. Human beings are the most loved creation of the Almighty. That is why He gives us opportunity to know us each other, to love each other. And loving God is never possible if we don’t love our neighbours even.
6. Where does Christ reside? Whom does Mother Thank for the sake of Mankind and how?
Ans. The Almighty God, Christ resides among the purest and upright hearts. Christ smiles when he sees us meet each other and smile at each other. For he advocates smiles to inspire love each other. So, Christ resides among simple, uncomplaining, blessed human beings.
Mother Teresa thanks Christ for this sacrifice for the sake of Mankind. We see Jesus to be crucified for the sake of human beings. As he loved mankind he, made them to love and be loved. Jesus himself was hungry, naked, homeless imprisoned only for the sake of mankind.
7. ‘And she died with a smile on her face. Who is referred to as ‘she’? How did she die with a smile on her face? How did Mother look upon the poor people?
Ans. A lady, one of the four people whom the Mother and her sisters picked up from the street of Calcutta is referred to as ‘she’.
One evening, Mother Teresa and her sisters went out and rescued four individuals from the streets. Among them was a woman in critical condition, whom Mother Teresa took under her care, showering her with love and compassion. Despite her dire circumstances, the woman displayed remarkable strength, showing no resentment towards life. Instead, she grasped Mother Teresa’s hand, smiled radiantly, and expressed her gratitude with a simple “Thank You” before passing away. This is certainly an example of profound impact of selfless love and care. This is also a story which shows the transformative power of compassion.
Mother Teresa always looked upon the poor people as great and wonderful people.
8. “This little one could scarcely pronounce my name, but he knew exactly what he had come to do.”-Who is referred to as ‘little one’? What did he really come to do? Describe after Mother her experience with little one.
Ans. Here the phrase “little one” refers to a four years old Hindu boy who came to meet Mother Teresa at one of her Homes to donate sugar.
He wanted to share his love with the poor children of the home.
Once there was great difficulty in getting sugar in Calcutta. A little boy of four years told his parents that he would not eat sugar for three days. He wanted to collect the sugar and give it to Mother Teresa for her children. After three days his parents brought the boy to the home of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa said that she had never met the boy before and the little boy could not pronounce her name properly. But he knew exactly what he had come to do. He wanted to share his love with the poor children of the home.
9. In what ways does Mother Teresa appeal to the emotions of her audience? What stories does she share of her encounters with the poor in Kolkata?
Ans. Mother Teresa evokes emotions in her audience by sharing poignant stories of human suffering, poverty and resilience accross the world.
Her experiences in Kolkata are a testament to the strength of the human spirit. She recounts the evening she and her team found a dying woman on the street, who smiled and thanked them before passing away, without a hint of blame or despair. Similarly, a man they rescued from a drain, half-eaten by worms, accepted his fate with grace, feeling loved and cared for. Mother Teresa also shares stories of selfless acts, like a four-year-old boy who saved sugar for her children, and a Hindu mother who shared her meager rice with a Muslim family, showcasing the joy of sharing despite differences. Through these stories, Mother Teresa highlights the extraordinary greatness of the poor, revealing their capacity for love, gratitude, and generosity in the face of adversity.
10. What according to Mother Teresa is the greatest destroyer of peace? How did she establish that?
Ans. According to Mother Teresa abortion is the greatest destroyer of peace.
According to Mother Teresa, abortion is the most significant threat to peace, as it involves a mother directly taking the life of her unborn child. This act goes against the natural instinct of a mother to love and nurture her child and makes it an abnormal and disturbing phenomenon. Mother Teresa believed that if a mother can kill her own child, it sets a dangerous precedent, making it easier for others to justify killing someone else. She advocated for the right to life of every child, including the unwanted ones, and offered to adopt them through the Missionaries of Charity. To prevent abortions, Mother Teresa and her sisters educated the underprivileged including slum dwellers, beggers, and leprosy patients, on natural family planning methods. This approach successfully reduced the number of unwanted pregnancies and promoted a culture of life and compassion.
11. ‘I believe that we are not real social worker?’-Who said this? Why does the speaker believe so?
Ans. Mother Teresa in her Nobel Lecture said the above line.
Mother Teresa said they were not real social workers because, despite their outward appearance of doing social work, their true identity and focus was contemplative and it was deeply rooted in their faith and connection with God. She believed that their work was not just about providing physical aid, but about touching the “Body of Christ” in every person they served, and being a vessel for God’s love and presence. In essence, Mother Teresa saw their work as a spiritual calling, rather than just a social service. She emphasized the importance of prayer, love and family unity in bringing about peace and overcoming evil, suggesting that their work was not just about external actions, but about cultivating a deep inner life and presence of God
By saying they were not “real” social workers, Mother Teresa was highlighting the distinction between their spiritual motivation and the secular understanding of social work. She was pointing to the transformative power of faith and love in their work, which went beyond mere social service.
12. I had the most extraordinary experience with a Hindu family describe after the speaker the extraordinary experience mentioned here.
Ans. Mother Teresa had a remarkable experience with a Hindu family of eight children who were starving. A gentleman requested her help, and she immediately took rice to their home. The children’s eyes shone with hunger, a sight she had seen often. The mother of the house divided the rice among her eight children and went out. When she came back Mother Teresa asked where she had been to. She replied, “They are hungry too.” She had shared the rice with a Muslim family, despite their religious differences. Mother Teresa was struck by her selflessness and didn’t bring more rice that evening, wanting them to enjoy the joy of sharing. This encounter highlights the extraordinary kindness and generosity of poor people.
13. What does Mother Teresa say about the poverty of the West?
Ans. Mother Teresa highlights a profound insight into the nature of poverty in the West. She contrasts the material poverty found in poorer countries, which can be alleviated with food and basic necessities, with the more insidious and difficult-to-address emotional and spiritual poverty prevalent in the West. This Western poverty, according to her, manifests as feelings of being unwanted, unloved, and isolated from society. She emphasizes that while material needs can be addressed easily, the deep-seated emotional and social alienation that many in the West experience is much harder to remedy. Therefore, she calls for prayers and spiritual support for the sisters who are working to address this more profound form of poverty.
14. From whom did Mother receive 15 dollars? Narrate the incident with its significance.
Ans. Mother received 15 dollars from a man who had been lying on his back for twenty years.
That man was able to move only his right hand. He was an avid smoker and enjoyed smoking a lot. However, he told Mother that he had refrained from smoking for a week and sent her the money he had saved. Mother acknowledged that it had been a commendable sacrifice for him. With this money, she bought bread and gave it to those who were hungry. Mother believed that sharing our love with others is a gift from God and brings joy to both the giver and the receiver. This radiating joy is genuine, which is why Mother placed so much importance on this gift.
15. What does Mother Teresa plan to do with the Prize Money of the Nobel Award? How did she express her concern about the poor children?
Ans. With the prize money of the Nobel Peace Award Mother plans to build home for many people who have no home.
Mother Teresa is deeply concerned about the plight of poor children, noting that they experience joy despite their difficult circumstances, such as hunger. She is struck by their resilience and the joy they can find even when they are lacking basic necessities. However, she emphasizes that these children, like all children, need love, care, and tenderness, which are typically provided by their parents.
Mother Teresa highlights the importance of understanding and compassion in addressing the needs of poor children. She is grateful for the opportunity to connect with others who share this concern, believing that through their collective efforts, they can help not only the children in India and Africa but children all around the world.
16. How many professors from different universities of United States came Calcutta to visit Mother at her home for the dying people? How did Mother describe her unforgettable experience with them?
Ans. Fourteen Professors from different universities of United States came to Calcutta to visit Mother Teresa at the home for the dying people.
Mother Teresa recounts an unforgettable experience with fourteen professors from different universities in the United States who visited her house in Calcutta. During their visit, the professors and Mother Teresa talked about love and compassion. One of the professors asked her for a memorable piece of advice, and she responded by encouraging them to smile at each other and make time for their families.
Another professor asked if she was married, to which she humorously replied that she was married to Jesus and sometimes found it challenging to smile at him due to his demanding nature. She emphasized that true love shows itself when it is demanding, yet given with joy.
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