On Sunday, September 4, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa in a speedy 19 years following her passing in 1997. Not only did this woman, now referred to as St. Teresa of Calcutta, found the Missionaries of Charity, she achieved the Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1979. Her service transcends the boundaries of religion and becomes a universal model for all people to admire and hope to reflect in their own lives.

There was and perhaps still is a stigma surrounding the Catholic faith for an heir of supremacy and a somewhat unpleasant history detailed with corruption. However, truly special people such as Mother Teresa have exemplified what it means to be authentically Catholic: “I see somebody dying, I pick him up. I find somebody hungry, I give him food. He can love and be loved. I don’t look at his color, I don’t look at his religion. I don’t look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim, or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister." No matter religion, gender, education level, cultural background, or any other separating factor one can think of, each human has the capability to love and receive love in return. In my faith, I believe in God, and I believe that God chose Mother Teresa to lead all humans toward His primary desire for us – to love one another and to love Him.

It is not enough to just admire the divine service that Mother Teresa provided for this world; we must create intention to act on her grace and continue her work in our own lives. Small actions with great love – that is Saint Teresa’s prescription. We may not change the world, but it is well within our power to create a shift in our immediate circles. In this exact moment, you can choose a positive thought or a negative one. And this is powerful. Our thoughts become words, our words become actions, and the culmination of our actions become who we are.

“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." Do not discredit when you openly choose to be kind to someone who wasn’t so kind to begin with – it matters. Do not take it lightly when you offer to help the petite person with too many books in the hallway (possibly a personal attest) so trust me, it matters. What I’m getting at is it does not require you to fly to Africa for a month and serve the impoverished, though an inspiring mission to undergo, to do good and serve God exactly and perfectly how He has intended. All we must do is look to Saint Teresa for a most beautiful example of this.

In Pope Francis’ homily to observe St. Teresa’s canonization, the former praised, “She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity." I am honored to live during a time where such a graceful human is recognized for her holy service to each and every human she encountered. Saint Teresa of Calcutta believed in the power of God and found that strength in those who to many of us appear weak and forgotten. See God, or spirit, or love, or even just positivity, in each human you encounter. Rely on your positive thoughts, kind words, and humbling actions, to build a life of true worth. This, I believe, is our human mission.