For any Christian, myself included, whose growing up days were incomplete without attending Sunday mass, one tenet that formed part of sermons and scripture, was about caring for the needy. The verse that stuck with me can be found in Philippians 2:4– "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

As a family, too, that belief was practised in a quiet, dignified manner. The underlying essence was that it was important to think about the less-privileged and reach out whenever possible. Yet, somehow for a teenager, there were times when it all seemed a tad contrived; questions always cropped up at the dinner table – what do we mean by sharing? Who decides how much? How much time does one need to invest in it, and so on. There were no correct answers and as I realised, it could certainly not be quantified. Recently, when the world observed Mother Teresa's birth anniversary, I was reminded of an important episode in this context.