- 12 November, 2026
12 November, 2026: We live in a time when a conversation is never more than a few clicks away. Artificial intelligence can answer our questions, help us find the right words, offer suggestions and even hold conversations when we have no one else to turn to. Technology is making communication easier than ever. Yet, amid all these conversations, are we becoming less attentive to the people around us?
We can spend hours interacting with screens and still fail to notice when someone close to us is having a difficult day. We can send thoughtful messages across the world but forget to ask the person sitting beside us how they are doing. We can find answers to almost any question, yet sometimes struggle to give someone the one thing they need most: our time and attention.
What Mother Teresa understood about human connection
This is where the life of St Teresa of Calcutta speaks powerfully to our generation.
Mother Teresa did not have sophisticated technology or instant communication at her disposal. Her work began with something far more personal: noticing people whom the rest of the world had stopped noticing. She saw dignity in the abandoned, offered companionship to the lonely and cared for those who had no one to turn to. She understood that sometimes, the greatest gift we can offer another person is simply to make them feel that they matter.
Her example challenges us to reconsider what it means to be present in today's world.
Artificial intelligence can help us communicate, but it cannot replace the responsibility we have towards one another. A machine can generate comforting words, but human compassion asks us to recognise when someone is hurting, stay when a conversation becomes difficult and offer support even when there is nothing to gain.
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How can we live like Mother Teresa today?
Living like Mother Teresa does not mean abandoning technology or withdrawing from the modern world. It means refusing to let convenience replace compassion.
Here are five small ways to put her example into practice:
1. Give someone your undivided attention. The next time someone speaks to you, put your phone aside. Listen without interrupting or checking notifications. Sometimes, being heard is the greatest comfort.
2. Check on the person who has gone quiet. Do not always wait for someone to ask for help. Send a message, make a call or visit a friend, relative or neighbour who may be going through a difficult time.
3. Make one conversation screen-free. Set aside time each day to speak with your family or friends without phones, television or other distractions. Be present, not merely available.
4. Notice those who are often overlooked. Speak kindly to housekeeping staff, security guards, delivery workers and elderly neighbours. Learn their names. Treat them with the dignity and respect every person deserves.
5. Do something good without announcing it. Help someone, share what you have, offer encouragement or quietly take a burden off another person's shoulders. Not every good deed needs an audience.
Perhaps the world needs more human connection
We may never be able to solve every problem or reach everyone who needs help. But we can ensure that the people who cross our paths do not feel invisible.
Perhaps the real challenge of living in an age of artificial intelligence is not simply learning how to use technology wisely, but remembering how to remain deeply human.
St Teresa's life reminds us that the world does not only need more information, faster communication or smarter technology. It needs people who are willing to care.
A challenge for today: Before the day ends, put your phone away for 30 minutes. Reach out to someone you have not spoken to in a while, listen to someone without distractions, or do a small act of kindness without expecting recognition.
We may not all change the world as Mother Teresa did, but we can begin by making sure that someone in our world feels seen, heard and loved.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
Read More on Sainthood:
1) What If You Are Called to Be a Saint? Finding Holiness in Everyday Life
2) The Communion of Saints: How Are We Connected to Those Who Have Gone Before Us?
3) Do You Have to Be Extraordinary to Become a Saint? The Catholic Teaching on Holiness?
4) St Ignatius of Loyola: The Five-Minute Practice That Can Bring You Closer to God
5) What Does the Bible Say About Becoming a Saint? Understanding the Call to Holiness
6) St. Augustine: The Power of Conversion and a New Beginning
7) St. Monica: The Mother Who Never Stopped Praying – A Story of Faith, Patience and Perseverance
8) St. Francis of Assisi: He Gave Up Everything to Discover What Truly Matters
9) Live Like St. Joseph: Discovering Holiness in Life’s Quietest Moments
10) Beyond Likes and Followers: Five Virtues for a Holier Digital Life
11) St. Maximilian Kolbe: What Could Make a Man Choose Death to Save a Stranger?
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