[Mother Teresa of Calcutta]
I. I attended Mass at Mother Teresa's House in Calcutta this afternoon. It is hard not to be moved by the will of this tiny woman from Albania. When she died in 1997, people of all religious faiths mourned. There were many nuns there who would soon be taking their final vows. The first vow is taken after five years. Thereafter, the vow is renewed every year. Upon the tenth, the final vow is taken which is for eternity.



2. One of the two nuns welcoming us with a big smile was Sister Maria Tony from Singapore. She had been in Calcutta many years. They live a life of poverty, caring for the sick and dying. Despite good economic progress in the last 10 years, there are still a lot of poor people living in the city. Many are migrants from the backward states of Bihar, Jarkhand and Orissa. These Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity are dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor.

3. Worldwide, there are about five thousand of them running hundreds of Houses in many countries including Singapore. I know Dr Lau Teik Soon did some voluntary work with them after he retired as MP. (Maybe he still does, I am not sure.) He told me once that Mother Teresa did not want money, 'she wanted you'. It is a tough call to which only a few are able to answer. Or, perhaps, only a few are chosen.

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