Humble men who walk with God.

This past week I met and got to know better four humble men who walk with God, and ten men who aspire to be like them.

(Fr.s Noel, Cyril and David; Fr. Steve was leading a multi-day conference at the time of this picture)

I met Fr. Steve the first day I was in Kolkata and Fr. David is my spiritual advisor, but the other two I didn't know existed. ;-) I was really impressed by their holiness, which was not conveyed in anything they did or said, but which you knew by the humble way they carried themselves and the spirit of silence that came from them even as they talked.


This was my bed... the first time I recall sleeping under a mosquito net ever... which was really nice because without chemicals I was able to sleep without getting bit (except for the last night).
Every morning we had to wake up at 5 am to be ready for 530 adoration... as you can see Hetti slept in... and that was not at all uncommon... she almost never left the room.
Washing clothes was really nice at the house, as I learned from Indians how they do it... and my clothes have never been cleaner! (well maybe in the US but not in India). I even managed to get out stains that had been around for a month and a half or more!



Every night we'd have recreation for an hour, where the community was required to play together and hang out. Some of the guys would play music and the rest of us would play games. They had such fun beating the drums and playing the table organ, though most of the time they didn't know how to play.

I gradually got better at the table billiards game (I have no idea what the real name is.) I even got down two shots in a row that amazed the guys! (The first one was lucky and accidental but looked really good, the second intentional). As a result I won the queen piece (the red disk) and I also got a point for our team (the white piece).

(I was really proud of myself, I even stood up had high fives around, and bowed comically.)

Eventually when Hetti perked her head outside of the room, the guys saw her and thought she was dinner...

During our time I learned quite a bit more about MCs in general and also about their life in Kolkata. I worked at the Sealdah Dispensary two days, Kalighat one day, and Prem Dan one day. They also work the streets looking for people to feed or to bring to Kalighat or Prem Dan and people and to affirm that people forgotten by society are human; through conversation, presence and touch. It's a bit amazing to have been allowed to come and see how they answer God's call. And how though few people know about them, they walk so humbly with God... not asking for a spotlight or even a mention. They want to serve Christ in his distressing disguise, and they too are disguised and hidden as priests that "only say mass for the Sisters, right?"