Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Co-Working Means Sacrifice and Consecration

We are not here for work, but for Jesus, Everything we do is for Him. We are religious first and foremost, we are not social workers, teachers, nurses We are not doctors either, we are nuns. We serve Jesus among the poor. We among the poor, the outcast, the sick, the orphans, the dying, Take care of him, visit him, comfort him, clothe him. In everything we do—our prayers, our work, All our suffering is for Jesus. There is no other reason or motive for our life. Many people do not understand this. —Slogan on the wall at the headquarters of the Missionary Sisters of Charity in Kolkata

Co-work means sacrifice and dedication In 1964, while helping Father Andre to transfer, Sister Teresa also established a co-worker organization, the full name is "Mother Teresa International Cooperation Association", which is in charge of her old friend Ann Blake, although this organization It was not officially sanctioned by the Church until 1969, but it had grown very successfully before that. Members of the co-workers organization come from all over the world, including Catholics, Christians, and believers of other religions; there are men, women, old people, and children; their identities are different, social status, culture The background and life circumstances are different.But there is one thing that is surprisingly consistent, that is: they are all willing to imitate the spirit of sacrifice of Mother Duran and dedicate themselves.

Ms. Ambrook was Mumu's earliest co-worker, strictly speaking, her first co-worker.Her collaboration with Sister Durham goes back many years.At that time, India was not yet independent and was still a British colony. Ann Blake accompanied her husband, who was working in the government department, to Kolkata to take a post. Shortly thereafter, the cooperation between her and Mumu began. Co-workers mean collaborators, so some people call them "assisting members", and others call them friends.Once, a group in France named their organization what they thought was a wonderful name: "Friends of Mother Teresa." When they enthusiastically took this name to ask their sister for advice, she was rejected by her on the spot .Mum said she needed helpers for the poor, not grandstanding advocates.

Mumu has very high requirements for her co-workers. If you just talk about giving, you cannot become her co-workers.Only those down-to-earth practical workers will be given the title of "co-worker". Co-workers do not have any treatment, not even a certificate. Because being a co-worker means sacrifice and dedication. According to statistics, by 1976, the cooperation association had already had 22 branches, including India, Britain, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Canada, the United States, Peru, Australia, Venezuela, and the Philippines. , Singapore and other countries; by 1980, the number of co-workers in the world had reached 13.09 million.And this is definitely not a complete statistic.A Spanish liaison said, "There are many people who are doing co-workers but are not registered."

Here are a few short stories about this co-worker organization, "I remember very well the first time Mother Teresa spoke to me. I said to her: 'I'm a Protestant. , it is impossible for me to convert to Catholicism, I cannot accept the Pope and Our Lady. ’ In the end she replied, ‘If there is no Virgin Mary, we would not have Jesus. "Later she wrote to me again and spoke about the subject again. She said: 'Hope the love of Our Lady grows in your heart. Keep the joy of Jesus in your heart and let him be your strength until the day You can love Our Lady as Jesus loved Our Lady. Since Our Lady gave us Jesus and gave us a cause of joy, so Mary should also be a cause of your joy. …

In the end, Collanbrandt told reporters: "The understanding has grown since then and I want to pray for unity." The "unity" mentioned by Coleman Brandon refers to the unity of Catholicism and Protestantism.Although these two religions have many differences, they have the same one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one Bible.Like two trees growing from one root. The French Assistance Society is an organization with a large number of people.This organization was initiated by Father Collet Georges, a passionate man who not only developed members in France, but also expanded the work to some areas in Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland.After his death, the young Fr Darao Jixing succeeded him with the same enthusiasm.Dalau Jixing has a quick mind. He always ingeniously prints some words like this on the back cover of the magazine he edits:

Sister, I am sending you a money order for 525 francs.That was nearly my monthly lunch bill, which I sacrificed at my boarding house, in order to be able to use my diet to benefit the hungry.I think it's okay for someone like me, with a healthy physique, to be on a diet, by God's blessing.I will send you the same amount next month. Sister, I'm sending you this receipt. This winter, I planned to buy a coat.But after thinking about it, I still didn't buy it.I think my present coat will last a year or two, and this money order is the equivalent of my new coat. As the international liaison officer of the association, Ms. Ambrook must publish a short work report to the co-workers every year.Its significance is: to remind the co-workers not to sleep in the existing honor, but to carry out more and more effective services to benefit more poor people.

The following passage is about an incident recorded in Ms. Ann Blake's work report, which happened in Denmark. The work of weaving blankets and woolen sweaters has enabled lonely patients and elderly men and women scattered across the country to know each other and even cooperate seamlessly.Some of them, originally isolated from each other, are now friends because of this common devotion.There are many sick and elderly people, as well as those living in shelters, who have been living a dark life of isolation and helplessness, but now they are united and find meaning and light in their lives.Even hospitalized patients and detainees who have lost their freedom have become interested in weaving. Originally, it was just to help poor children, but at the same time they saw that they were free from personal problems. 250 schools distributed across the country also Participating in this cooperation, many children and school-going teenagers have learned about the living conditions of poor children in India and Bangladesh.To help them, these children endured personal sacrifice and experienced the joy of giving.

Because of the sacrifice and dedication of these participants, we were able to send 1,279 quilts and 2,344 wool sweaters to Calcutta, Mumbai, and Dhaka. In addition, we also sent 1.90 tins of milk powder, 3.2 million pieces, to India and Bangladesh. vitamin pills and sent 178,850 kg of whole food for all the poor children there, Next, children from all over the world contribute their stories, Spain: In various schools in Spain, students save some or all of their allowance each day, pool it and send it to India.This kind of donation to save pocket money has become a habit among primary and middle school students in Spain.

Japan: After reading a report about Indian children, a Japanese co-worker said to his two children: "Although we are not a wealthy family, and because of inflation and energy crisis, it is more difficult than before. But we can still Have a pretty good three meals a day. According to the report. If all people in the world are brothers, why don't we distribute bread to brothers who are poorer than us?" This Japanese co-worker has two sons , an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old. The 8-year-old son immediately proposed: "In order to help poor children in India, we can skip fruits after meals three times a week." His proposal was immediately agreed by the whole family.

France: Some French children have a very clear goal of donating, which is to use the saved pocket money to subsidize the travel expenses of Mummie de Rams. In their opinion, Mumu travels around the world too frequently, and The journey is getting farther and farther, which undoubtedly costs a lot of money.Later, although the world's major airlines gave Mumu air tickets one after another, which greatly reduced her travel expenses, these French children still did not stop their charitable deeds. Denmark: There is a special children's assistance association, and the liaison officer in charge of daily work said, "We have sent packed milk powder boxes and vitamin pills to India for 10 years. We have to send 320 boxes of milk powder and 20 Ten thousand vitamin pills, all these things come from various schools in Denmark and are voluntary donations from students." Canada: Middle school students in Canada founded an organization called "Ton Meal Fasting Association", which stipulates that they force themselves to fast for 24 hours on different days, so as to experience the pain of starvation for poor children in India.Then use the money saved from fasting to regularly buy a ton of food to ship to India.This kind of pious approach moved my sister greatly. Brazil: A 15-year-old boy, by chance, read a book about Mumu de Ram and decided to imitate the saint and dedicate himself.But he considered that everything he had came from his parents, and he had no right to donate everything, so he decided to donate one month of his income every year. He said: "Mother Teresa's poor need money more than me." India: There is a child from Calcutta who is only 4 years old.When he heard that his sister had no more sugar, he said to his parents: "I am willing to give up sugar for three days, and give all these candies to Mother Duran." His words not only surprised his parents, but also surprised his mother. Take comfort.Mumu said: "Look, a 4-year-old child already knows how to share and has already begun to take responsibility with us. Although what he took out is only a small amount of candy, the point is not that he gave How much, but how much love he put into giving," Austria: A group of Austrian junior high school students wrote a letter to Mumu after learning about the story of Mumu Delam: "Lovely Sister Durham: Someone talked about you in class a few days ago and showed us a slide show. We learned about the poverty of the people of Calcutta and what you did to them. You gave We have pointed out that being rich does not bring real happiness to people. Only by loving the Lord and Jesus——loving people can we have real happiness. You have set an example for us, and we are willing to follow you and support you. We are willing to We build God's kingdom around us and make others know God and love Him. We give small gifts and prove to you that we are your admirers. We are for you and your supporting members Pray for the strength to serve others, and the patience and joy to do as much as possible. We remember you in our prayers and ask the Lord to bless you abundantly." United States: A child in the United States wrote a letter to his mother in big characters: "Mother Teresa, I love you so much, I will donate my pocket money to you." He put a 3 in the envelope check for dollars.Mumu said: "You can tell how small he is from his handwriting." United Kingdom: There was a little girl in London who brought a bag full of pennies, came to the door of the Missionary Church of Charity, and said to the nuns: "These are for the poor." Instead of giving these to the nuns, she said These are for the poor. In the early 1980s, Western media disclosed an astonishing statistic: Among India’s 600 million residents, only 24.7 billion lived above the poverty level, of which only 10 million be able to get enough nutrients.Death from starvation is almost an inescapable fate for most Indian children, and as many as 500,000 children die from malnutrition every year, and almost 60% of Indian children grow slowly or are stunted. Therefore, since the 1980s, many schools in the West have started a regular donation activity and sent the donations to India on a seasonal basis.The number of schools involved in this campaign is 120 in France, 96 in the UK, 10 in Austria, 13 in Belgium, 70 in Canada, 110 in Denmark, 14 in Spain and 250 in the US , 95 in the Netherlands, 4 in India, 250 in Ireland, 10 in Italy and 9 in Luxembourg. Children are pure in nature, their bright and clear nature has not been polluted by the dust of this world, so they instinctively know how wonderful what Sister Durham and her nuns have done for the poor.Their kindness and generosity culminated in donations in support of Sister Durham's cause. Today, on the buildings of many churches of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, such words are engraved: West German Children's Endowment, American Children's Endowment, Denmark Children's Endowment, etc. There is a saying in Hinduism that sounds so wise that I couldn't resist sharing it with you: If you have two loaves, give one to the poor, sell the other, and buy some hyacinths to feed your soul. Volunteers improve themselves while loving each other In 1993, Sister Durham disbanded her association.Because she was increasingly concerned that the syndicate, with its board, bank accounts and connections, would swell into a bloated bureaucracy that was at odds with her original purpose of serving the poorest of the poor. Then, Mother Delam wrote a very kind open letter, requesting her co-workers and friends, instead of doing things for the poor through this organization, it is better to go directly to help in various religious orders, or take care of the poor nearby, or The one in your own family who needs love.Mum said: "Each of you can pray, even if you are not an assistant member, you can build another Nazareth in your hometown (Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but grew up in Nazareth, so he is called Nazareth. for the people of Nazareth). You need not go to the poor huts to seek the poor and the needy, for in your family and in your immediate neighbourhood, you will find the afflicted. Your neighbor and your own city, become the sunshine of the Lord's love." In fact, since the founding of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, and especially since it became an international order, every year, every month, even every day, many kind and enthusiastic people from all over the world come to Calcutta to serve voluntarily here and attending corporate worship, some of which are Catholic and some of which are not.Not only that, there are also many volunteers in the various branches of the Missionary Society of Charity around the world.Some of them have even worked in the congregation for many years and are called full-time volunteers. In front of the Notre Dame of each branch, there is an advertisement for volunteers: you come to the lame, wounded, dying We are very happy to serve Jesus in this time, and thank you for taking this opportunity to witness the love of God and put it into action.Remember that Jesus works through us - we are merely instruments to serve.The question is not how much we do, but how much love we put into it. In the Missionary Society of Charity in Calcutta, there are righteous kings of various identities.There are doctors, professors, and models.Many students stay here after holidays. An Italian banker must come every year for two weeks.The Governor of California also served there for a month.The nuns pretended not to know him and arranged for him to do the same work as other volunteers. Mr. Li Jiatong, the president of Jingyi University in Taiwan, also worked as a volunteer in Calcutta.Although it was only a few days, he did everything he had never done before.The first thing to do is to wash the dishes.The second thing is to dress the patient, feed the patient water, and make milk.The third thing is to wash clothes for the sick.The fourth thing is to deliver medicine.The fifth thing is to carry the body to the crematorium.This last work deeply shocked Mr. Li Jiatong who had been a Christian for 40 years. He wrote: "I used to serve the poor, but I always found something pleasant to do. When I served in prison, I always found some educated young people as friends. I never dared to comfort the condemned. handcuffs and shackles, and I am even more afraid of accompanying them to death. I dare not face the most tragic thing for mankind. Although I have served the poor, I have never dared to serve the poorest. I have been avoiding human beings intentionally or unconsciously. Really poor and unfortunate, therefore, although I have given and loved, but I have never had the experience of being traumatized in my heart, and now I know that in fact, I have never really loved or really given, " "The crucifix of Jesus is in front of me, I see it again, I am thirsty" I have been a Christian for forty years, and today I understand the meaning of what Jesus said, "I am thirsty", but do I dare to call myself a Christian? ?When Christ said 'I'm thirsty', I was probably doing research in the lab, or drinking coffee in a café. " Not only Mr. Li Jiatong, but almost every volunteer who has worked in the Missionary Sisters of Charity—whether it is in Calcutta, or in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, will have this kind of life experience of rebirth, and will Therefore, I learned the true meaning of "love until it hurts". A volunteer named John wrote: "The experience of working in the resting house has changed my life. I originally planned to go there for only one day, but then I decided to go there every day for the next month. Work. Every afternoon when I finish my work, I always feel as if I am in heaven. I have been able to experience another dimension of life. This work conveys to me a feeling that is beyond ordinary -- I can't really describe it, it is a kind of A sense of peace, a great sense of peace descending on me every day.” A volunteer named Dave wrote: "Since I started working at the Resting House in London, I've gotten far more than I've given in - I've been filled with joy every day of my work. But it's no laughing matter It was full of voices. Joy has its serious side, it may be bland, but it carries a deep sense of peace, like a parent with a newborn baby.” A volunteer named Lu Bo wrote: "Since I have had the opportunity to work with the nuns, I have become a whole person. Not better than others, I just learn to respond to every situation with humanity. You The more you give, the more you get. When you give, love, and help others, the world has become richer. More than we can see when we only focus on ourselves, It’s like we have a common pulse with the heart of the world.” Peter, who worked as a fashion graphic model during the punk era, wrote: "I've been working with nuns for over] 3 years now and it has changed my values. I think I've finally learned that the less you have The happier you are. When you see the simplicity of the nuns' way of life, your life will change completely. I love the simplicity. I believe that the easiest way is the easiest way to God." Geraldine, an American who felt that his heart was broken and needed comfort and redemption, experienced the suffering of the Hell Hotel and the extreme despair of a woman named Margaret when she was a volunteer at the Missionary Church of Charity in Los Angeles.In the process of rescuing Margaret, he suddenly discovered that it was not Margaret who was cured, but himself.He wrote: "I've spent a lot of time thinking about this. I believe we are the transmission rails of God's healing energy and can transmit that power to each other. What I'm not sure about is who is actually healed in this situation Yes. The experience of meeting Margaret is significant because it has been a long time since I have cried over the pain of others. Compared to what I experienced at the Hell Hotel, as before I only felt sorry for my own pain , is really worthless." Linda, who worked in a children's home, wrote: "Helping the children of Shishu Baman in Calcutta was a very special experience. They moved me very much. One morning we sat upstairs in a circle -- We often sit and sing together like this——I saw a handicapped little boy, he looked at me, his eyes were filled with joy and love, and there was a kind of indescribable clarity and tranquility. This is a deep spiritual experience in my memory. " Marie writes: "When I returned to London I was shocked that I still tried to reach the poor here, even though it was more difficult." For example: On my walk to work, I met every day under the viaduct to a bum.I found out the other day that a guy would leave a bottle of water and a few sandwiches for him on the way to work in the morning and retrieve the water bottle when he left.So I thought I could put an orange in there too - I did that every day and I also said to him The small act of "hello" made me feel a spiritual connection with the nuns - now I don't feel that there are so many differences between different countries or cultures.As Mother Teresa said: "We are just stones thrown into the sea, causing some ripples. I just put an orange, but this small act of service can also cause a circle of ripples - it can be many things the beginning of it, isn't it?" Niger wrote: "Mother Teresa said that our Habitat of Charity around the world gives away free things that people give away. I think this is really beautiful. When I worked at the shelter in London, many people who stayed here told me: 'Are we going to pay for it?' or 'Will the government pay for it?' or 'Why is this all free?' and I'm like, 'Because it's all provided for free.' It was an amazing experience. .I think it took me about two years before I started to really get the hang of it. " These are the experiences and experiences of some short-term volunteers.There are also some long-term volunteers who have worked in the congregation for many years, dedicating their youth and life to the poor and sick there.Just near the Howrah Railway Station in Calcutta, there is a long-term volunteer organization whose members include not only some young students and ordinary citizens, but also doctors, nurses and primary and secondary school teachers.They take care of those homeless children and teenagers in the train station, as many as 40 every day.Those homeless children lived in groups like savages in the station, and this unfettered life often resulted in the pregnancy of some little girls, and the babies were born on the platforms.The police have become so used to such things that they have grown insensitive.Therefore, in many cases, when volunteers force these children to leave the train station to go to school, they are even arrested by the police as perpetrators. What they have to do is not only to provide these children with clothing and food, but more importantly, It is to send them to religious orders or regular schools for education.In fact, they did.Although not all, at least a significant portion of street children are housed because of their efforts. The volunteers of the Missionary Sisters of Charity are all over the world. Without their dedication and hard work, Mother Teresa’s cause of charity would not have developed so rapidly and flourished.Mumu himself said: "Without volunteers, our work would not be possible." This is an incredible group of people who really give, although in this world, it is so easy to fake love. Mother Delam once said, "There is only one message about peace that I want to convey, and that is to love each other, just as God loves you." Many volunteers have unique experiences of loving each other: it is not just the one who gives , in fact, the one who accepts is also in love.Some volunteers who feel the emptiness of life find that life is meaningful and valuable when serving the poor.In the end, it is not only the served person who is satisfied, but also himself. A girl named Linda wrote: "I started to cry. I thought I was giving to someone else, but now I realized that was not the case. I was giving to myself, not to them. I did it because Because my heart needs help, I'm giving for what's in my heart that needs healing -- that's my need for love." So, says Sister Duran, when they left, none of them were the same. Yes, they were all changed when they left - they were just serving the sick, carrying the dead, but in the end they were all changed, if they were empty, alienated, indifferent, now they are full , trust, joy; if before fear, resentment, and self-pity, now forgiveness, love, and gratitude; if before anxiety, doubt, and greed, now become decisive Contentment, acceptance, and creativity, in short, if it was self-destructive before, now -- when they come out of the Missionaries of Charity, they are self-improving. The fact is that many volunteers come with poverty and disease, but when they leave, they become a healthy and healthy person. Sick and suffering co-workers burn themselves to save others Based on this unique understanding of devotion, the Missionary Sisters of Charity also has a very special help group - "sick and suffering co-workers".Sister Delam calls this group "our treasure trove," which shows how much she cherishes it.Mumu believes: "Everything that is regarded as ignorant and useless, as long as the Lord is willing, it can make it exert great power." Also in October 1952, Mother Delam met a sick Belgian woman at the Holy Family Hospital in Patna.While taking care of this woman, my sister suddenly got a wonderful revelation, that is: let these people who are suffering from illness become her spiritual members, and offer their illness and prayers to her nuns.So Mother Teresa said to the woman, "What you can do in your sickness is worth more than what I can do for the poor. You can offer your suffering to the nuns and to me." Later the woman went back to Europe, but Mumu kept in close touch with her.When she was about to undergo her 17th operation, Mumu made a special trip to Belgium to see her.She said to Mumu: "I know what you are going to face in the future is very difficult. You will have to run around, work, and talk to people. I understand your situation. It is the pain in my spine and the pain I am going to accept. Very painful surgery, the same." So this treasure trove of Sister Durham is actually the patient.They offer their pain and prayers because they are sick or infirm and unable to personally participate in concrete, tangible service.Mother said to them: "You, as spiritual members of the Missionary Society of Charity, have participated in our prayers and work. The goal of our congregation is to quench the thirst of Jesus on the cross through the work of saving the souls of the poor. Who Can we do this better than you who suffer? We are sure to claim your love before the throne of God, and we complement each other and supply what is lacking in our respective relationships with Christ. Your prayers and your Suffering is like a Holy Grail in which we put the love we have received, so you are as important as we are, and if you can join us in relying on the one who gives us strength, then we will be omnipotent." Sister Delam stipulates: As a spiritual member of the order, each patient must "adopt" a nun or monk spiritually, use his own pain as a sacrifice, and intercede for the nun or monk.The nuns or monks have to dedicate their work to the patients who "adopt" them. Mumu attaches great importance to the meaning of "adoption" by spiritual members. She said: "Every nun or monk has a 'stand-in', or a second me, who prays and suffers for her (him). No matter Whenever and wherever, the nuns and monks should regard the sick co-workers as another self, as if they have become one with them. The lives of these sufferers are like a lit candle, burning themselves and saving others." Sister Durham has always believed that she has a "second me".She said: "I also have another self. Every time I have a particularly difficult thing to do, she is the one who stands behind me and gives me strength and courage so that I have enough energy to complete the work of God. Heart. As another me, she is actually doing the hardest part of my job." Mumu's "second me" is obviously the sick Belgian woman. Mother respects and loves these sick and suffering co-workers very much.She compares their love and sacrifice to the oil in the lamp of life, just what a hungry Christ and a sorrowful Christ need.