Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen On the Way to Heaven

People are unreasonable, fallacious, self-centered, Always love them anyway. If you do good deeds, people say you are selfish and have ulterior motives, No matter what, always do good. If you succeed, surrounded by false friends and real enemies, No matter what, always succeed. The good you do is forgotten tomorrow, always do good no matter what. Honesty and candor make you vulnerable, so always be honest and candid no matter what. What you spend years building can be destroyed, Either way, always build. People do need help, but if you help them, may be attacked, but help is always there anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get your teeth kicked out No matter what, always give the world the best you have. --Slogan on the wall of Kolkata Children's Home on the way to heaven If we compare life to a book, then time is the hand that turns the book, whether it is a great book or a small book, time will turn over at the same speed, turn over, until The last chapter. At this point in the story, we have to face the illness and death of Mumu Delane together. Although I am very unwilling, I even think that for a person like Mumu, the Lord should bestow on her a healthier and healthier person. For a long life, so that more poor and suffering people will benefit from her.This reluctance even caused me to become extremely slow in writing after entering this chapter.Although I know it's selfish to think like this - it means I only think about the needs of the poor without realizing that Mumu is really tired and has given up all she wants and can give. Reserved for this world, now she really needs to go to rest in heaven.

When she was young, Sister Duran was a weak girl.In middle age, her body was miraculously healthy, which gave her the energy to serve the poorest of the poor.After entering old age, various diseases came one after another, which brought great troubles to Mumu's life in her later years. Old Sister Durham, with deep wrinkles on her face, stooped back, rough hands severely cracked, and toes so inflamed that she faltered when she walked. This is what she looked like when she visited China at the invitation of the China Tianwang Church in January 1985.In the freezing January of Beijing, she still wore the thin white sari and the half-worn sandals, but she added a sweater over the sari, which was still old.

In 1986, Mom suffered from severe cataracts and underwent eye surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York, resulting in the removal of one eye. In 1989, due to overwork, she suffered from heart disease and arthritis. The severe inflammation almost deformed her legs.During that same year, she was forced to undergo a heart operation in California where doctors placed an electronic pacemaker, which she remained largely on life support for the final few years of her life .The pharyngitis caused by heart disease brought her unbearable pain. In 1990, she resigned as the Superior of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, citing her health.But she did not stop working because of this, and her resignation made her travel around the world more frequent. In September 1990, at the insistence of the nuns, she resigned and took up her post after half a year. She was already eighty that year and her health was extremely poor.But her unique spirituality and leadership, as well as her profound impact on the organization, convinced the nuns that she was irreplaceable.

In January 1991, the Gulf War broke out. On January 2, Mumu dragged her old and sick body and wrote a letter to the presidents of the two warring parties, praying for all the people who will suffer in this war. Peace.She writes, "They suffer, and we are the cause of that suffering. God created us to be loved by his love, not to be destroyed by our hatred." In 1993, she was invited to visit Beijing again. ] In August 1996, within 10 days, she had three heart attacks. In one case, her heart stopped beating, and the doctor had to use electric shock to barely save her life.Soon, she contracted pneumonia, smallpox, cerebral thrombosis, and chronic kidney disease, and had to receive artificial oxygen three times a day.It was not until the end of the year that her health improved slightly.

Although the condition is so serious and complicated, Mumu has been refusing to cooperate with the doctor's treatment. On this issue, she even showed some willfulness and stubbornness.As long as she could, she always forbade the nuns from calling a doctor.Sometimes, the nuns managed to call a doctor behind her back, but as soon as the doctor left, she immediately tore up the prescription, or quickly stuffed the prescription under the mattress, and then went to work as if nothing had happened, as if in this way, she It seemed that her condition was relieved. A nun who was close to her said that the doctor asked her to take the medicine on time, but she seldom did it. She would rather dedicate this pain to the Lord.Doctors told her to slow down, but she never did.And when she lost self-control and had to receive treatment, as soon as she woke up, she immediately asked to stop the expensive examination and treatment. She said, "Please let me die like the people I serve."

Mumu's attitude towards illness and death surprised some people, so someone asked her curiously if she really yearned for that kind of unknowable existence."Of course," replied Mum, "then I can go home." Her brown eyes shone with a kind of blissful longing as she said this.In Mumu's view, death is not the end, but the beginning—it is the continuation of life, and eternal life means: the soul goes to God, is with God, can see God, can talk to God, And to be able to continue loving him with an even greater love.Because what death takes away is only our body, but our soul remains forever.In the end, Mumu said, "Every religion has eternal life and afterlife. Those who fear death are those who believe that death is the end."

In (Divine Comedy·Paradise), Dante described such eternal lives.These happy souls, illuminated by the Light of God's True Love, are themselves a radiance of great beauty. On March 3, 1997, Nirmara, an Indian nun, formally succeeded Mother Teram as President. She was elected at the General Assembly in January.Sister Nirmala was born in a military family in India - in India, the social status of a soldier is second only to that of a Brahmin.But Nirmala gave up her honorable status and chose to serve the "untouchables" all her life.She took her vows as a nun in 1965 and has worked with her mother for 30 years, serving in eight branches of the congregation.Her election made Mumu very gratified.As early as 1989, Mother had told reporters: "The Lord will find someone else, someone more humble, more self-denying and more obedient to lead this organization. If the work of the Order is the work of the Lord, then , it will continue to exist”

In August 1997, Mother Delam went to Rome to receive the Pope's blessing. She carried an oxygen tank on her back, and then she went to the United States to attend a swearing-in ceremony. On August 27th, it was Mother Durham's 87th birthday. The nuns held a grand celebration for her in Calcutta, and dedicated a special Thanksgiving Mass for her-everyone silently in their hearts Pray, sincerely hope that she can live a long and healthy life.Not only that, dignitaries from all over the world, leaders of other religions, and millions of people took this opportunity to express their sincere wishes to her.However, no matter how beautiful and pious the blessings and wishes were, they could not stop her from going to heaven.

At 9:30 p.m. on September 5, 1979, this great nun who loved the poor and was loved by the poor passed away peacefully at the headquarters of the Missionary Sisters of Charity in Calcutta due to heart failure. There is no doubt that at that moment, this great blessed soul has arrived in heaven to enjoy the divine light forever.In fact, every nun understands this deeply, because this is exactly what they firmly believe and yearn for—the announcement issued by the Society of Charity on the second day reads: Dear mother is called by the Lord to return to the kingdom of heaven, but Everyone still cried, everyone cried, not only in grief and reluctance, some people even felt that she took away the only part of the light in this world!

Kolkata cried, the whole world cried On the night of September 5, 1997, in Kolkata, heavy rain poured down, and the heavy rain was like the tears of Calcutta, which plunged the city into great sorrow.As soon as the news of Mother Teram's death came out, tens of thousands of Calcutta people braved the heavy rain and flocked to the headquarters of the Missionary Society of Charity.Not all of them are Uranians, more of them are Muslims, Hindus and people of other religions.Many people howled in the rain, like orphans who suddenly lost their loving mother.The heavy rain continued, but no one left.We waited so long in the rain just to give Mumu a bouquet of flowers, or to see her one last time, to touch her bare feet, which had been bare all his life, to say a few words to her, even though she could never hear her again. up. A Calcutta resident said to the reporter: "In this world, maybe only Mother Teresa truly loves the poor, but now that she has left us, I feel like I have become an orphan." On September 6, major media in India reported the news of the death of Mother Delam, and the whole of India immediately became sad.Then the world's major media, including Chinese media, also rushed to report this important news. The major newspapers took out key pages to introduce her good words and deeds, praising her life of dedicating to the poor without self-interest— -Many of us really know Sister Duran, not during her lifetime, but at this time. On September 6, the Indian cabinet held an emergency meeting, announcing that India had entered a period of national mourning, and ordered the country to lower its flag at half-staff for two days. The coffin was transferred from the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity to the 155-year-old St. Thomas Church in the city center for public viewing.The church was filled with wreaths of white lotuses symbolizing nobility, purity and devotion. With tears in her eyes, Sister Nirmala lit a 2-meter-high candle and placed it firmly beside the coffin. The event of saying goodbye to the dead body lasted for a full 7 days.In just seven days, more than one million people went to St. Thomas' Church to pay their respects to Mother Teresa.Among them are political dignitaries, business tycoons and celebrities from all walks of life, but more are ordinary people, including Hindus, Catholics, Islamists, Christians and Buddhists.Although their respective religious beliefs are different, at this moment, everyone put aside their differences and came to Mumu's spirit with the same admiration, as well as the same sorrow and longing for sharing joys and sorrows.If Mumu can see all this, she will be deeply comforted. During those unforgettable days, more than 200 nuns from the Missionary Sisters of Charity guarded Mother day and night.All the while they chanted Mumu's favorite hymn.Sing instead of tears.At this time, crying is obviously inappropriate.Tears show that you only think about your own loss, and you don't realize that Mumu has reached the end of that longing-already with God. In the more than 600 branches of the Missionary Society of Charity scattered around the world, there were also people who came to express their condolences.At the same time, countless churches around the world offered a memorial mass for the mother, and almost all heads of state and political figures sent messages of condolence, expressing their unanimous condolences and admiration for this angel of love in different languages, including the Secretary of the United Nations Chang Annan, former US President Reagan and his wife, Clinton and his wife, British Prime Minister Blair, French President Chirac, Cambodian King Norodom, Sihanouk and so on. On the morning of September 13, the coffin of Sister Durham was moved from St. Thomas Church to the Vintucky Gymnasium, where the Indian government will hold a grand memorial mass and burial ceremony for her. It is about seven or eight kilometers from the church to the gymnasium. the distance. In the early morning of the 13th, just after dawn, the residents living on both sides of the street got up early and washed the street clean.No moon asked them to do this, and it was obvious that they were sending off their sisters in their own way.At 10:30 in the morning, eight Indian soldiers in costumes carried Mumu's coffin on their shoulders and slowly walked out of the church under the escort of the guard of honor.Three handsome boys in religious attire lead the way, holding aloft crosses and candles.The crystal coffin, adorned with golden crosses, rests on a special cannon mount covered with white lotuses.Mumu was still wearing the plain white sari with a blue border, but with an Indian flag draped across the chest. The Indian government not only dispatched the most solemn guard of honor to escort the coffin, but also dispatched soldiers of the three armed forces to guard it along the way.And behind the coffin are millions of Indian civilians, and the family of Sister Durham, the poorest of the poor: beggars, orphans, lepers, outcasts, handicapped and homeless homeable people.In the funeral procession, they walked together with the nuns and monks of the Missionary Society of Charity, as the mother's family. In addition to the Indian president and prime minister, more than 400 political figures from more than 20 countries attended the funeral of Mumu, including 3 queens and 3 presidents.Pope John Paul II sent a large delegation consisting of Secretary of State Cardinal Sodano, Ambassador to India George, and Archbishop Zur. This grand ceremony almost shocked all the media in the world.The news reporters who came from all over the world to report the funeral cannot be counted at all, and there are dozens of TV stations that broadcast the funeral live. In the modern and modern history of India, perhaps only two people can compare with such a grand funeral: one is Mahatma Gandhi, and the other is Prime Minister Nehru, who is called the father of the nation by Indians. Indian President Narayanan expressed deep condolences to Mumu on behalf of "the people who lost their mothers", and praised her as "a rare angel of mercy in the world".Indian Prime Minister Gulachar said: He would like to pay tribute to Mother Teram on behalf of a country that has lost a benevolent person.He said that Mother Teram is a symbol of light and hope. She wiped away the tears of thousands of sufferers. Her great life has brought great honor to India. After the state funeral, Mumu's coffin was sent to the basement of the headquarters of the Missionary Sisters of Charity for storage. In the motherland of Sister Drum, Albanian President Madani and Prime Minister Nano also expressed deep sorrow and regret for the death of Sister Drum, and repeatedly hoped that Sister's body could be transported back to Albania for burial.But Mother Teram certainly belongs to India -- to the poor of India, and to the poor of the world. In October 2003, six years after the death of Mumu Delam, the Pope of Rome announced that Mumu was a "blessed product". In the Catholic tradition, there are levels of canonization. It is the "holy product" second only to "holy", which means that the mother has become the holy woman appointed by the Holy See. Before her name, the word "blessed" can be crowned, that is, "Sister of the Blessed Land" ".The speed at which Mumu canonized is rare in the history of Catholicism. world's response UN Secretary-General Annan said: "She has set a shining example of love, dedication and fortitude for the world." Clinton, then President of the United States, said: "She led us and pointed out to us the amazing power of simplicity and humility through service. Her unyielding faith touched the lives of countless people. Her death caused the world to lose a saint." French President Chirac said: "She left us a powerful voice, that is, to help each other, listen to each other, and work together. This voice knows no borders and transcends religious beliefs. Her death makes the world less A little love, a little less enthusiasm, and a little less light" Former German Chancellor Roman Herzog said: "Mother Teresa is a source of hope for all of us, here or anywhere in the world, and her life is a testament to individual efforts. What kind of results can it produce?" "She was an angel of mercy," said former New Zealand Prime Minister Bolger. "She is the hope of the poor, the suffering and the dying," said former Singaporean prime minister Goh Chok Tong. "She is a model of humanity and people will always miss her," said Anson Chan, former Chief Secretary for Hong Kong Administration. Queen Elizabeth II said: "Her dedication to the poor all over the world is worth learning from all over the world." The death of Mother Delam not only deeply touched the political leaders of various countries, but also shook the leaders of other religions around the world.The meaning and influence contained in it are far-reaching and significant. In this era when racial and religious conflicts are still frequent, it allows us to see the existence of a new possibility: mutual understanding, mutual tolerance, and mutual respect and the possibility of mutual trust. Bukhari, the imam of India's largest mosque, said: "Although she is no longer in this world, her spirit is immortal. She is a great saint." Dr. Billy Graham, the most important leader of American evangelicals, said: "The life of Mother Teresa taught all the apostles of Christianity that for the sake of Christ, we should have the spirit of humility and sacrifice." Dr. Cao Minmin, Director-General of the Hong Kong Council of Christians, said: "Her life is an encouragement to all those who practice their faith." Bishop Klaus Engelhardt, patriarch of the Lutheran Reformation in Germany, said: "Mother Teresa made the poor of the poor feel dignified and worthwhile by working with her own hands and bowing down to serve." Dr. Caremy, Archbishop of the Anglican Church, said: "Her deep and touching spiritual temperament is integrated with the practice of faith life." "She represents peace, she represents sacrifice, and she represents joy," said Cardinal Xin Haimei of Manila, Philippines. Dr. J. Campbell, Director-General of the American Council of Churches, and Dr. Konrad Raiser, Director-General of the World Council of Churches, also expressed their admiration and remembrance to the public. On September 7, Pope John Paul, who was far away in Rome, dedicated a memorial mass for Mother Teresa. The Pope said: "In my memory, her short life was bent to serve the abject. Her body is alive. This body is filled with an inexhaustible inner power, which is the power of Christ's love. The good example she provided has influenced many people, making them determined to abandon everything and live in the world. Christ's service among the poor. Her work began each morning with a silent prayer before the Eucharist. In contemplative silence, this Calcutta nun heard Jesus cry 'I thirst' from the cross. She took this cry deeply. Hide it in your heart, and go to Calcutta and all the remote and poor corners of the world, and look for Jesus in the suffering and poor. "This universally acknowledged mother of the poor set a powerful example for all, believers and unbelievers alike, of God's love, which she embraced and then hers. Life is transformed into a gift, dedicated to humanity. Her experience has taught us that even in the most difficult and difficult moments, life is still valuable, as long as there is love. As we entrust the soul of this devout nun to the Lord At the same time, we ask the Holy Virgin Mary to help and comfort her sisters, and all those who knew her and loved her in the world." The inspiration she left us The bishop of Calcutta said that the most important revelation she left us is: life is valuable and dignified, but I think there is a more important revelation she left us, that is: poor people also have value and dignity. Jesus Christ chose 12 poor people to be his disciples, which shows that the kingdom of heaven is not only for the rich, but also for the poor. The most respectable thing about Mother Delam is not how she helped the poor materially—there are many charities in the world that are dedicated to solving the survival problems of the poor every day, but that she always firmly believes that the poor are also With dignity.And devoted a lifetime of hard work to find and discover the dignity of the poor in their miserable and humble shell. She said: Hungry people desire more than food; naked people desire more than clothes; street sleepers desire more than a firm house; Caring, acceptance and recognition. This is the most important enlightenment and education that Mother Delam gave us, and it is also the most precious spiritual resource she left us. In a hospice, when someone is dying, Mumu makes sure to put her head close to his mouth and listen carefully to his last words.Many people think that it is pointless to spend time listening to the most insignificant person who is dying.But Mumu didn’t think so. Mumu said: “We can’t let a poor person be abandoned before he dies. At least we should let him feel that he is an important person and that he is the one to be abandoned at the moment of his death.” Love." That's what makes Sister Durham great, and what sets her apart from most of us.When we face a person who is extremely poor, compassion may drive us to give him some food, or some coins, but it is difficult for us to listen to what he has to say. Mrs. Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, wrote: "In this vast world, who else is willing to extend a loving and helping hand to those helpless poor people? Tagore once wrote this poem: 'Where you rest A place where the poor, the humblest, and the outcast live.' And this is where Mother Teresa is going, regardless of skin color, belief, language or nationality. There is no discrimination at all." that is the truth.Sister Delam has repeatedly stated her point of view on different occasions. She doesn't care about politics, let alone class, she only cares about people, every specific person, no matter what kind of person it is.Therefore, her love for the poor has no boundaries - not just beyond race, country, but more importantly, beyond religion.She herself is a devout Catholic nun, but most of the people she devoted her life to were followers of other religions. Not only that, she loves the poor, but she also loves and respects the rich.For to her they too are children of God.She thinks the rich must be rich for a reason, and it's only when they squander that it makes people angry.And she also saw that many rich people had generously and frequently helped the poor, and in her congregation there were many nuns or monks from rich families. Because, the purpose of her going to heaven is for everyone to go to heaven. The world we are in now is a world that is still plagued by religious and racial issues and even bloody. In a world of estrangement, Mother Delam's love has broken through all boundaries and barriers, and made human beings progress a lot towards a heaven of mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual love. The old Mrs. Delam has been troubled by heart disease for many years, but she can tolerate the whole world with a broken heart. Although she is inconvenient, she can trek thousands of mountains and rivers and travel to the ends of the world.Why is this?There is only one answer, that is: she has love in her heart. St. Paul said in "1 Corinthians": "I will now show you the best way." All languages, even the words of the angels, if there is no love, my words are like loud gongs and loud cymbals. Even if I have the talent of preaching, I can penetrate all mysteries and all kinds of knowledge, even with strong faith, I can move mountains and seas , If there is no love, it is nothing, even if I donate all my property to others, and even sacrifice my body to be burned, if there is no love, what I do is still useless.” Love is the highest Tao, love transcends everything, and is the soul of all virtues.Everything else eventually fades or ends, but love stays.Therefore, the great poet Dante wrote: "Love moves the sun, moon and stars." "Heaven exists in the will of God, which is turned by love and thrown around." Because God is love. This good soul responded to the cry of Christ on the cross and God's guidance with the deepest humility and the greatest enthusiasm. She is like a pure and true ruby, illuminated by the bright sun, and its light is comparable to that of heaven. Holiness fits right in, in fact she is a beautiful radiance in her own right, and she enables us to know the true Gospel, true love, and true greatness and nobility. So, let us express our gratitude and respect to her together, let us salute her together, she used her life of walking with light to put the whole world into love, then now, let us express our gratitude and respect to her She puts in our love.