Chapter 6 Chapter 6 I will never back down

Joy is love, joy is prayer, joy is power. God loves those who give with joy, If you give with joy, you will give more. A joyful heart comes from a heart burning with love. The work of love is also the work of joy. Happiness need not be sought: if you treat others with love, you will find it immediately. — Speech by Sister Durham i will never back down As the months passed quickly, with more students and the unbearable heat, Sister Durham began to feel exhausted. One day, Mumu was teaching the children. Yalu's mother hurried over and said that a family member had fallen ill and needed help, but no one dared to go because they were afraid of infection.Mumu hurriedly dropped the chalk in her hand, explained a few words to the children, and rushed over with Yalu's mother.Yalu's mother said that the family just moved in from another place a week ago. The male owner was looking for a job, but he fell ill before he found a job.

In a dark room.The whole family slept on the floor—mats on the floor, the whole house gave off a bad smell, and the children were coughing like croaking little frogs.Mumu was stunned. Standing at the door, she suddenly felt dizzy and her eyes turned black.But she persisted, went in and touched everyone's forehead, and said to Yalu's mother, "Let's send the worst ones to the hospital." Before she finished speaking, she suddenly fell to the ground and passed out.She had been working too hard for several months, coupled with often not having enough food and sleep, she fell ill.

Yalu's mother sent Mumu back.Mr. Gomer quickly ran to Lloyd Abbey and told the priest about it, so the priest sent a nun with medical experience to take care of the mother. So when Mother Durham woke up and found herself lying in bed, she was very anxious and said to the nun, "No, I can't lie here, I have to help them!" But the nun forbade her to get up. The nun said it was an order from the priest.In fact, she was so weak she couldn't get out of bed at all. So Mumu cried."I failed them, I failed the people in the slums," she said to the nun through tears.

Strong self-condemnation made Mumm nostalgia for Lloyd Abbey more urgently than ever.Physical illness leads to the decline of willpower, and brings great loneliness, confusion and weakness to the soul.For the first time, Sister Durham doubted her choice: "Is this really what God wants me to do? Am I really going to spend my whole life in this hellish slum? There are so many in the world. The poor, and what is the point of my work, when what I personally can do is so limited, like decorating a bright little corner in a dark hell, that's all?" When the will was weak and the confidence was wavering, Lloyd Abbey became so close and so warm in the memory and nostalgia of Sister Durham.In fact, to Sister Durham, Lloyd was all, everything, the whole world.Leaving Lloyd Abbey was the greatest and most difficult sacrifice of her life.

The confusion caused by loneliness and weakness, like the temptation of the devil, made her feel troubled like never before.But she still persisted in answering herself: "No, I will never retreat, and I will never return to the monastery. My family is the poor, their safety is my safety, and their health is my health." She prayed silently in her heart: "Lord, because of my free choice, and out of love for you, I am willing to stay here and do what you need me to do. Lord, I know you will help me, you will ’” Prayer finally calmed her slowly. Thinking of the whole sick family in the slum, Sister Durham felt extremely sorry that she could not help them.But all she could do was pray.Although this is the most important and indispensable to Mumu, she still feels deeply guilty.

Through prayer, Mumu received strength from the Lord, enabling her to be thankful and joyful even in difficult situations, and to rebuild her faith amidst doubts.If she cannot work and rest with the Lord through prayer, she will not be able to face Motiji, and she will not have the courage to return to Motiji and go deep into Motiji. Doubtless, for Sister Durham everything began with prayer, and if it must end it must end with prayer.Her rock-solid faith, which never wavered, was built upon deep and unceasing prayer. When the nun finally stopped crying, the nun persuaded her, "You neglect your own health and worry about others. By doing this, you are not serving the poor, but depriving yourself of your usefulness. Please believe me, I have experience in this area. I have served in hospitals in poor areas. Working in this environment, you must ensure that you have three meals, enough sleep, one hour of rest a day, and one day of rest a week. In this harsh environment In an environment where self-adjustment is important—if you're really going to give to the poor."

On this day, Sister Delam felt better, so she told the nun to go for a walk.It's still hot.Walking aimlessly up and down the street, she unexpectedly came to the gate of Lloyd Abbey, and the church bell struck just at this moment, as if it had been struck specially to welcome her return.Mumu stood there and listened quietly for a long time, like a person trekking in the desert suddenly drinking the long-awaited sweet spring.Through the crack of the door, she saw the familiar grassland, green trees and long corridor.At this time, if she wants to go in, it is very easy.All she has to do is push and push the door.But she didn't.

Returning to the monastery not only did not shake Mu Mu's faith, but made her believe even more firmly that her choice was correct and she was not wrong. When we returned to the attic of Gao Ma's house, the nun had already left.She left Mumu with a pair of sandals and a simple letter.She wrote: "Send you a pair of sandals, I believe it will be useful for you in the hot weather in Calcutta. Remember that Saint Teresa of the Little Saint wore shoes and no socks. I wish you success in the Missionary Sisters of Charity." Mumu stroked the sandals and the letter, very moved, very touched.This simple letter taught Mumu in two ways.One is that since then, Mumu has never worn socks again, and the other is that the name of the Missionary Sisters of Charity was confirmed by her on this night—a few days ago, when she was lying in bed too weak to get up She once talked to the nuns about her big ideas when she was in college.But at this time, Sister Duran was still alone, with no followers around her.

earliest follower A miracle happened soon, when Sister Durham needed help the most. One night not long after, while Mother Delam was writing her work diary on the desk, there was a knock on the attic door.Who could it be so late?Since leaving the monastery, Mumu has largely had no visitors.One is because she stays in the slums all day long, and the other is that some people who don’t know the truth misunderstand her—thinking that she walks around in the chaotic streets of Calcutta like a beggar, and is mixed with the poor in the slums. It's a brain disorder.Who would call on a beggar or a madman?

Mumu opened the door suspiciously, and the beautiful Sunita stood in front of her.Mumu was very surprised: "Sunita, why are you? How did you find this place? What are you doing here?" With a bright smile, Sunita replied as she walked into the house: "The priest told me you live here. I graduated and I came to follow you." Mumu couldn't believe her ears. She opened her eyes wide, touched her own face, then turned around to touch Sunita's face, like a surprised child, not knowing what to say. Sunita smiled and said, "Sister, this is the first time I've seen you speechless."

Sunita, 19, is a student of Mother Durham.She was born in a well-known wealthy businessman family in Calcutta. She is a petite girl with extraordinary will.As a student at St Mary's she had admired Sister Durham.When the news that Mumu ran a school alone in the slums reached the monastery, she decided to give up everything, follow Mumu, and only love the Lord in her life—— If you love God deeply, naturally you will love your neighbor with the same passion.Jesus said, love one another as I have loved you.He also said, whatever you do to the youngest of my brothers, you do it to me.This is the life Sunita wanted—to love the poor is to love Jesus. Although her parents have arranged for her to study in Europe after graduating from middle school, the stubborn Sunita has made up her mind, and no one can change her decision.In this regard, she is very similar to Gong Sha back then. The fact is the same. Sunita's statement made Sister Duran see herself many years ago.Therefore, she firmly believed that Sunita's decision was not her own, but a call from God.So she comforted Sunita: "This is entirely God's will, you don't have to worry, I will write to your parents." Since then, Sunita has grown rapidly and has become the backbone of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, always taking on important responsibilities in Calcutta.It was especially significant that Sister Delam even gave Sunita her Christian name, Agnes, and she became Sister Agnes.This shows how much she cherishes Sunita.And Sunita, did not live up to her mother's high expectations, she worked hard all her life. According to the translation method of the Chinese Catholic Church, Agnes should be translated as Iris, who was a martyred virgin in the 2nd century AD and the first female saint of the Catholic Church.In the Catholic tradition, believers have a Christian name in addition to their real names.The Christian name is called the holy name in the church.The holy name is generally taken from the name of a saint.For example, Mother Teresa, her real name is Gongsha, her holy name is Iris, that is, Agnes, and Teresa is her nun's name. Sunita not only ran away from home by herself, but her bravery also inspired some of her school girls. One day not long after, probably in December 1949, in the early morning, when Sister Delam and Sunita pushed open the iron gate of Gaoma’s house, they saw a girl by the wall, sitting on a suitcase with her head bowed.Sunita took a closer look, and it turned out to be Maria, who was also a student of St. Mary's Middle School, a class lower than Sunita. Sunita asked in surprise, "Maria, why are you here?" When Maria saw them, she was so happy that she stood up at once.Obviously, she searched for a long time before finding this place.Maria did not answer Sunita, but said to Mumu: "Sister, please, please let me follow you." Mumu looked at the 17-year-old girl lovingly and asked, "What do the school and your parents say?" Maria replied, "They want me to marry, but I won't, I want to be like you, a nun." Before Mumu could speak, Sunita said as a senior, "No, Maria, you haven't graduated from high school yet." But Maria was also very stubborn, she said: "No, I also want to help the poor." Mumu stroked her hair, pondered for a while, and said, "Don't make a hasty decision, Maria, first go to Motiji to see if that is the life you want." They were the earliest followers of Sister Duran, and even her most ardent and loyal supporters. Just as people don't understand the choice of Sister Duran, people also don't understand the choices of these girls.They were all born into good families, well educated and had a bright future, but they chose to live with the poor.Among all the people who don't understand them, the ones who can't accept this fact the most are naturally their parents. One morning, the postman delivered a letter to Maria. When she opened it with great joy, her face immediately became ugly.Sunita asked her what happened with concern, and she said, "I wrote a letter to explain to my parents, but they never opened it." Not only did Maria's parents not read her letter, they also sent her letter After getting back, Sunita quickly hugged Maria in her arms and comforted her, "Don't worry, we will be your family from now on." These girls in their prime of life, like Mother Duran, put off their gorgeous clothes and put on the clothes of Indian poor women-the white coarse sari.Before the official establishment of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, they did not even have the status of nuns, nor were they priests in any sense, because they did not belong to any religious organization, although they had always lived a life of faith and spiritual practice. It was later said that without the students of St. Mary's Secondary School who were the first followers and supporters of Sister Duran, who faced all difficulties with the same heart, she might not have been able to sustain it-despite her tenacious personality. What ordinary people can compare. However, there are no ifs in life.St. Mary's Middle School was originally Mumu's one-acre field, where she planted seeds.Now that the season is here, the seeds buried in the soil will naturally germinate, grow leaves, and thrive.Moreover, the current green color will inevitably turn into a radiant golden color in the future. With the participation of these 4 students, Mrs. Delam divided the children into 3 groups according to their ages, and they were responsible for the class tasks respectively.The children were overjoyed to hear that these good-looking sisters were from the famous St. Mary's Secondary School.They love their new teacher as much as they love Mumu. Soon, the rainy season in India came.In order to spend the rainy season safely and keep the children's study uninterrupted, Mother Delam specially rented several small huts as school buildings.Although it is just a few simple huts, compared with the open-air classroom under the plum tree, it is a real classroom.And, more importantly, with Sunita and the others teaching the children, Mumu can free up time to do other important things, such as taking care of the sick, collecting food and medicine, and so on. Once, Mother Delam walked into a large pharmacy, hoping that the boss would donate some medicines. But the boss said, "Sorry, I can't give you the medicine if you don't pay." Mumu had to leave.Thinking of how ordinary Indians view suffering people—often thinking that they are the result of their own sins and deserve what they deserve, Mumu prayed silently in her heart—both for those who suffer, and for those who see suffering that way those who have died, pray for the mercy and grace of the Lord for them.As she walked, she prayed devoutly.At this moment, the pharmacy owner suddenly caught up and said, "Oh, well, nun, I'll give you the medicine for free." It's a heartwarming little story of Mother Durham's work of charity, especially in the first few months, but with a lot of help.Of course, a mother who believes in God will think that God is helping her through the hands of everyone.But where is the hand of God?Our hands are the hands of God, and God has no other hands. Without these help, it is really difficult for her to succeed.It wasn't just Mr. Gao Ma's family who helped her.Not just Sunita, not just Qiuti, not just the Umaiss - they were the first to help Mumu materially, when the open-air school was just started and Mumu only had 5 rupees. Sent 500 rupees for Mumu.There are also those who don't leave their names and are unknown, such as this pharmacy owner, and other bosses. Of course, there was one more pressing matter, which Mumm felt she must get to work on at once.In fact, before Sunita arrived, she had already started, which was to build a makeshift home for the dying. every life is precious One day, Sister Durham went to Batra Hospital to ask for support - she needed some medicine and bandages, and when the train passed a big tree, she saw a homeless man sitting against the tree, who looked like he was dying.Mumu wanted to comfort him, but she couldn't stop the train.So when the next stop arrived, Mumu immediately got off the car and rushed back.When she arrived panting, the man was already dead.Mumu stood there for a long time, and she thought that if someone said a few words to him before he died, or shook his hand, he would feel very comforted, and he would not die so alone. It's bleak. So Mumu decided to build a temporary hospice in Motiji first. But Mumu has nothing, not even a house like a pigsty in a slum like Motiji.Later, because of the generosity of Mr. Gomar—some say it was the collective donation of some poor people in Motiji, Mumu had a house. It was a humble room, but it was undoubtedly a wonderful place. The poor people of Motiji called this house the House of Waiting to Die.But Sister Duran had a nice Bengali name for it: Nirma Lied.Means: House of Pure Heart, or, House of Pure Heart, At noon that day, Mr. Gao Ma took his little daughter to send a box full of medical necessities to Mother Duran.He said to Sister, "The hospital pretends not to know about you, but my little Mabel says never to leave the hospital without a bandage." Xiao Meibao is Gao Ma's youngest daughter. She holds two rolls of bandages and stands quietly behind Gao Ma.She was a lovely girl with black hair and sparkling eyes. Mumu walked over to her and hugged her tenderly, and said, "Thank you, little Mabel, you are such a little angel." With this box full of medical supplies, everything is ready, even the straw mats and sisters are laid out.Then Mumu found a wheelbarrow and went into the street. In Calcutta, it is not uncommon for the poor of the poor to die in the streets from poverty and disease.When the night is over and the dawn is dawning, you can see those who died lonely in the deep night everywhere.According to incomplete official statistics, there are about 1,000 similar deaths per month, that is, more than 80 people per day. Therefore, every morning, someone pushes a cart to collect corpses in the streets and alleys of Calcutta, just like cleaners collect overnight garbage Same, is a daily cleanup job. Under such circumstances, human sympathy is easily wiped out. Even a sensitive and soft heart may become very hard or numb in the face of such intensive suffering. Therefore, after the deeds of Mother Delam's service to the dying were reported, many people did not understand, and they thought it was a waste.India is a populous country, and many living people are not cared for, while Mother Duran is wasting resources on those dying.And these people, some will die in a few days, some will die in a few hours, and some will even die immediately. But Mumu believes that those who are about to die are also lives, and they are equally noble lives.They also have the right to the dignity they deserve as a human being.In particular, they also have the right to enjoy the love of the Lord, said Mumu: "Every life is precious, every life is important, whether it is sick, or crippled, dying." The House of Pure Hearts was soon full of patients brought in from the street.Several women from Sunita and Motiji help here every day, and Mother teaches them how to wash the sick, how to apply ointment, or apply bandages.As for the newcomer Maria, Sister only asked her to hold the patient's hand with a smile, talk to the patient, or listen to the patient's story.But in fact, this is not an easy task.At the beginning, Maria hardly dared to enter this room. She stood at the door and looked at the sick, disabled, and dying people sleeping on the ground. Her eyes were full of fear and terror. She simply couldn't easily smile from the bottom of her heart. But soon she did it, Mumu took her hand and brought her to a seriously ill old man, when the frail old man thanked her sincerely and smiled at her, she held it naturally Old man's hand. Only Qiu Di refused to enter the house to take care of the sick.Mumu arranged for him to deliver water, but he only delivered it to the door. This morning, an old man was dying, he was a Hindu, and Mumu needed water for his final baptism.Mumu took out a cup and said to Qiuti, "Qiuti, there is water in it, please bring the water in." But Choti replied, "No, Sister, I can't go in." Mumu was surprised, and she asked, "Why?" Choti replied, "I am a Hindu. I cannot approach the dead. It is impure. Only God can deal with death. This is our taboo." Mumu said: "But they are not dead yet. They are in pain and we need to help them relieve their pain." Qiu Di said: "The body is not important, the soul is the most important. His suffering is his reincarnation, his destiny, and what he should bear. You cannot interfere." Mumu was a little angry, but she said as gently as possible: "I respect your beliefs, but Qiudi, you should also respect mine." After she finished speaking, she scooped up a glass of water and went into the house. When Yalu's mother saw Mumu come in, she panicked and said, "Sister, should you do the last rites for him?" By the last rite she speaks, she obviously refers to the Catholic anointing.The anointing ceremony is one of the seven sacraments of Catholicism. Its function is to bestow grace on believers who are seriously ill and in danger of death by laying hands, anointing (on the forehead and hands of the sick) and benediction.The anointing ceremony is a beautiful ritual. In the view of the Tennoists, there is no eternal city for human beings in the world. Since we come from the Lord, one day we will return to the Lord.So this ceremony is not the prelude to funeral, but the beginning of eternal life. Mumu signaled Yalu's mother to be quiet, and she said, "For a Hindu, being able to touch the water of the Ganges before his death is the most sacred and wonderful ritual. What other rituals does he need?" As she spoke, she picked up the cup and gently wiped the water on the old man's mouth and face. Then, she stroked the old man's face, leaned down, and whispered softly in his ear: "Now, you It is already in the hand of the Lord." This was the first death that Sister Delam sent away with her own hands at Nirma Lied in Motiji. While slums can be found in every major city in the world, one as miserable as that of Motiji in Calcutta is perhaps unique.In the early 20th century, there was a reporter and social critic named Ya A. Rees in the United States who wrote two books on the slum conditions in New York at that time, one was "How the Other Half Lived" and the other was " The Struggle with the Slums, in the latter book Reese compares the slums to a drowning man.If a man is drowning, all we have to do is to bring him up first, and then talk about other things. If no one reaches out to him, he is helpless, he can only fend for himself. There is no doubt that Sister Durham is one who reaches out to the drowning.We know how important that hand is to a drowning man.But there were also people who raised objections and even criticized Mumu's work.Some people say that her actions are naive, because doing so cannot change the whole world; some people think that what she has done has objectively helped those who should be responsible for poverty, making them, because of the existence of these kind people, And more peace of mind.Others said: a few selected places have become brighter, but what about the darkness in other places? More people accused her of only focusing on poverty, but not paying attention to the root causes of poverty, such as social system, powerful groups, and unfair wealth distribution. But Mum said: "Social progress is of course necessary, but it is not what the poor need. If a man is about to die, we have no time to inquire into why he is where he is, and to enumerate a series of social acts to remedy it.All we can do is help him die in peace and dignity. " Mumu also said: "We help poor people who, no matter what you do for them, still have to depend on others in some way. People always say that it is better to teach them how to fish than to give them fish. We can only answer that most of the people we help don't even have the strength to hold a fishing rod." The Lord has gathered all the people in this world with His great wisdom, and He knows that no one can control the overall situation.So some people are driven to cultivate this field, while other fields are cultivated by other people.Mother Delam took to the streets to help those who were hovering at the door of death, and the social roots that caused these people to die on the streets can only be understood by politicians, economists, educators and other authorities. Find out and solve it.