Love in Action

One night a man came to our house and told me, "There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days." I took some food and I went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger.

I gave the rice to the mother. She divided in two, and went out, carrying half of the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, "Where did you go?" She gave me this simple answer, "To my neighbors - they are hungry also."

I was not surprised that she gave - because poor people are generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves that we don't have time for others.

- Mother Teresa