Kolkata (AsiaNews) – Touching down on Indian soil in September 2003 wasn't the culture shock it could have been since I had visited here twice before from Australia for a number of months in 1992 and 1994.

I was happy to be back in the city where Mother Teresa first came to serve the poor and the needy. I had many fond memories from my wonderful experiences in Kolkata as a volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. Nevertheless, this time was sure to be different. I was now a priest, a priest with the Missionaries of Charity.

The first time I came here I 'volunteered' my services; this time I was 'sent' as a missionary in the service of the High Priest Jesus Christ.

Whereas before I was using my hands to heal the broken bodies of the poor, now these same hands make present the Body of Christ in the Breaking of the Bread.

I used my words before to console the anxious hearts of the dying; now my words in the name of Jesus also remove sins and bring souls to life.

The mystery of the priesthood never ceases to amaze me. The honour and privilege that it is to serve Christ in this way always seems beyond my understanding. Why God chose me, I don't know. But I'm happy to be His priest. My life is fulfilled as His priest. And I'm sure glad that He did choose me to be His priest.

With this in mind it was an important step for us to establish a house here and make our own beginning, as priests, sharing in the same charism. As priests we have a special vocation to satiate the Thirst of Jesus through our sacramental ministry. It is in a special way the spiritual poverty of the poor we desire to console and heal. Having proclaimed God's love to the poor we seek above all to bring them the healing waters of sacramental Reconciliation, and invite them to the living waters of the Eucharist.

In this way our role within the MC Family is to complement the ministry of compassion of the MC Sisters and Brothers with our priestly ministry of word and sacrament.

* Fr Stephen McGuckin is a Missionary of Charity in Kolkata (India).

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1984. In 1992 they became a religious Institute under diocesan law.

Currently, there are 31 Fathers in five countries: India, Italy, Mexico, Kenya and Tanzania.