Saint Teresa
Mother is Still Here: Sister NirmalaIt has been a decade since Kolkata's “Saint of Gutters”, Mother Teresa went home to God. But Missionaries of Charity, the order conventional by Mother in 1950, still proceeds to feel her divine presence around. The moment one enters the premises of Mother's House on AJC Bose Road in central Kolkata, one is overwhelmed by a sentiment of warmth, peace and serenity like one has never experienced before. Two days before her tenth death anniversary, the spirit of Mother Teresa rests in peace in a white marble tomb, built in the middle of Mother's House, and is surrounded by devotees, who sit with their heads bowed, paying a silent tribute to the lady who gave up everything to serve the “poorest of the poor”. “Service to the poorest of the poor” still proceeds to be the rudimentary article of faith in Missionaries of Charity. “Jesus is the bread of life” is written in flowers over Mother's tomb, and a soft fragrance of incense wafts through the air to give rise to an aura of unmatched divinity. The room adjacent to Mother's tomb holds her possessions and pictures, and tells a tale of Mother's service to humankind. The pictures of Mother Teresa, along with her belongings displayed with care, make one feel a close proximity with the petite Mother. “She is everyplace in the House”, smiles Sister Nirmala, the Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, before settling down with HeadlinesIndia for an exclusive consultation in regards to life for the duration of Mother's time, and beyond. It has been ten years since Mother passed away. How has life been in Missionaries of Charity after Mother? Sister Nirmala: Missionaries of Charity, by the grace of God, and with the presence, prayers and blessings of Mother, is continuing with it is work and is going on. It proceeds to be in the same spirit that it was in when it was founded by Mother. It has likewise been ten years of obligation for you. How does it feel to be in Mother's place? Sister Nirmala: I would not say I am in Mother's place. I may never replace Mother. I have my own place. I cannot be Mother, I cannot live her life. I have my life, and I am living it the way Mother wanted me to. I think Mother is irreplaceable. No one may ever take her place. How far do you think you have lived up to Mother's expectations? Sister Nirmala: I am just continuing the work that she was doing. I undertake my best to live up to her expectations. I feel, may be Mother is happy with me (laughs). So, do you listen Mother's voice in your heart, saying she is happy with you? Do you feel her around you? Sister Nirmala: Yes, I feel her guiding me in everything I do. I never felt that she is not happy with me. I know she is there to look after everything. Apparently you shared a very close bond with Mother. Tell us something regarding your kinship with Mother Teresa. Sister Nirmala: See, we are sisters, but we are genuinely her daughters. I was like her daughter too... And what kind of bonding did you portion with her? Sister Nirmala: She was a real mother for my future direction. She guided me in a lot of things. As I grew up before her eyes, she taught me how to love, how to care selflessly. She guided me to spirituality, and she encouraged me in whatsoever I wanted to do (Mother Teresa had encouraged Sister Nirmala to study law). So I genuinely shared a very special bond with her. With such special bond, do you miss her around? Sister Nirmala: It is only her physical being that is missing from here. Her spirit proceeds to be in each part of the order. We feel here presence everywhere. Coming back to the order, what changes has Missionaries of Charity seen over the past decade? Sister Nirmala: The changes have come in the form of expansion. We have expanded to 14 new countries, and we are endeavoring hard to exaggerate further. The Missionaries of Charity has set up 166 new homes throughout the world. The number of nuns has increased too. Everything else is the same (laughs)... It is oftentimes alleged that Missionaries of Charity follows a static and rudimentary style of functioning.... Sister Nirmala: It is our rule, you know. We follow our tradition, we follow our spirit... Don't you wish to modernise the Missionaries of Charity? Sister Nirmala: No. We prefer to keep it simple. That is the way Missionaries of Charity is (laughs). What with regards to the funds and donations that are sent to Missionaries of Charity? Has there been any modify in the amount of help you received for the duration of Mother's time? Sister Nirmala: People are still sending us donations. They're helping us in a good deal of ways. We have more than we need (smiles serenely). Mother's blessings are there with us. People still be grateful for what she has done. What is it in regards to Mother that still keeps her alive in people's hearts? Sister Nirmala: Love. It is her love for them. The words of love that she disseminate is still carved in people's hearts. That is why humans love Mother Teresa. It has been revealed that Mother Teresa suffered from a spiritual crisis in the last four decades of her life. Did she have doubts with regards to her own faith in God? Sister Nirmala: She did not have any doubts regarding her faith in God. It is just that she was bothered by the silence of God. Don't we all feel the silence of God at times? She was after all, a human, who was also perturbed by the silence of the almighty. Did she ever part her apprehensions with you? Did she tell you with regards to the crisis that she was facing? Sister Nirmala: She never told anything to us. She was a very simple and reserved person, and she held her difficultnesses to herself. She did not burden us with her troubles. Did she not tell you even when it comes to her physical pains and problems? Sister Nirmala: She did only when she was in immense pain. How do you feel when it comes to Mother Teresa's canonisation by the Pope later this year? Sister Nirmala: For us, for the people, Mother was always a saint. Now they are making it official. Of course it is a finelooking sentiment because though she is already a saint, it is now being declared officially. All her hard work, the challenges that she faced, the life she lived have been rewarded. It is a pretty sentiment (smiles). So this year is special for Missionaries of Charity. Mother's tenth death anniversary is to be followed by her canonisation... Do you have any special plans to commemorate her on her tenth death anniversary on the of September 5 ? Sister Nirmala: We will be organising a Feast Day celebration on her death anniversary. A book containing all her writings and prayers is likewise coming out this year on the of September 4. We will commence the day with Candlelight Procession and Rosary, and will follow it up with Holy Mass and Prayer for Peace. The Catholic Association of West Bengal has likewise scheduled events which started on August 4, her birthday, and will proceed till September 14. Anything other than this....? Sister Nirmala: No. We would like to keep it simple, as Mother preferent it to be (smiles). Okay, one last question. Is there any particular message which you would like to convey to humans on your own, as well as Mother Teresa's behalf? Sister Nirmala: Yes. I would like to thank the persons for all that they are doing. I suppose more of their support, their prayers to come. I would like to thank them for the love they have showered on Mother, and Missionaries of Charity. Their words of love keep us going. I would also like to give hope or courage to young people to give their lives to God so that they may carry on with Mother's bequest of selfless love and sacrifice. Also, I would like to thank the media for all the attempts that they put for keeping Mother alive even today! 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Saint Teresa's Struggles? Did Saint Teresa Struggle through life? Probably Condemning all those poor and helpless women to death and poverty by denying them safe contraception would make most humans struggle with their conscience. Unless she was just a psychopath who enjoyed seeing women suffer and die because of primitive and outdated religious dogma . |
