Jesus continued, “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

I have mentioned that we wait at the steps of the Cathedral. It is one of the biggest churches in the city. The steps spread over a large area but we usually sit in the middle. There is no apparent reason for our choice. Perhaps, it is because of the view. We can see everyone from where we sit. We are never alone at steps. The homeless adults accompany us in our wait. There are the tourists too. However, these don’t spend too much time on the steps. They go into the church, they might say a short prayer, then snap a few photos and they are on their way. They have places to go, sites to visit, restaurants to eat at and finally a home to rest their heads. The homeless adults just sit there. This is their “home”. They have no where else to go. They have exhausted all their prayers and now they are in the streets. No one chooses to sleep on the streets. They are there because of unanswered prayers.

Wallace always carries a backpack. It contains his life possessions. He doesn’t have much but everything he has is neatly organized in his city bag. He has a simple desire. He wants a place to call his home. It doesn’t have to anything fancy. He would be happy if it was just a small one-room shack made out of plywood. He just wants a place where he can feel safe and lead a quiet life. Something he never experienced in his twenty three years, more than half of which was spent sleeping in the streets. Jesus said, “ask and it will be given to you.” Wallace asked for a simple home but he never received it.

There is a recent arrival to the streets. She is a young adult with mental problems. She spends most of her time warning people who enter the Cathedral that Jesus is coming back soon. She is also convinced that there is going to death and destruction. She claims that God told her. Yesterday, she was in tears. She kept saying that someone said that she wasn’t pretty. It really triggered something in her and she was crying for hours over it. Her conversations vacillate between rejection and punishment. She shouldn’t be in the streets. She needs to be in a group home where she can be treated for her mental illness. It is not her fault that she has a hard time holding onto reality. Unfortunately, no doors were opened for her. The only place left is the streets and here she is in a very vulnerable situation.

Felipe had been homeless since he was 10. Now, he has a job. He thought life would change for the better. It hasn’t happened yet. To the contrary, his life has gotten complicated. He decided to be responsible and be a father to his wife’s three children. He earns a salary that is only pays a week or so of groceries. He doesn’t ask for much. All he just wants a tiny place for his family. He wants it to be clean and disease free. Instead, he can only afford to stay in a place infested with scorpions and cockroaches. The water is polluted and causes his infant child break out in rashes. There is nothing Felipe can do to change the situation. Thankfully, he does not consider going back to the streets as an option. Nevertheless, it is not easy for him. He suffers for his child. Felipe prayed for an “egg” but instead he got scorpions.

These young people do not ask or need anything extravagant. They are asking for something very basic and simple. So far, they have only heard the answer, “no”. Reading the gospel passage above among these young people makes me ask some serious and tough questions. Mary and I come from privileged circumstances. We are not from wealthy families but we have received much compared to these young people. We feel a little awkward to tell them pray and ask and you shall receive. They have spent their lives praying and the answer has been homelessness and desperate struggle to have the basics. We sit in the midst of them. We have to do something different. We need to ask the tough question that they might not have to courage to ask. Therefore, I will ask it on their behalf; “Where are you, God?”

Every Sunday, we pray the Lord’s prayer. Jesus taught us to address God as our Father. Not my Father but the father of every single homeless person that sits on the steps and even the tourists who visit the Cathedral. The young woman with a mental problem, she is my sister in God’s eyes. Wallace is my little brother. Felipe’s family is our family. All those who pray the Lord’s prayer are connected with each other intimately. There are no cousins in God’s family, only brothers and sisters. The prayer is God’s gift to the world. It reveals God’s plan for the world. God has inundated it with His children to bring comfort and peace to their siblings who need it.

The Lord’s prayer tells us three basic things: God is the Father of all peoples, all we need are our basic needs, and we are to forgive as we are forgiven (Luke 11:2-4). In the world, we find the opposite to be true. There is exaggerated individualism, excessive materialism and cancerous resentment. Yet this prayer is prayed by a large part of the world’s population. It is as if people who pray this powerful prayer do it without any concern for its basic premises. Maybe the problem is not God abandoning people. People have abandoned the Father and do what they think is right in their own eyes.

Wallace believes that one day he will have a tiny space to call his home. He is willing to share it with his friends in order to achieve this dream. He is genuinely happy with the little things he has. I asked him if anyone has ever insulted him whenever he begs for his food. He said without resentment that some people are mean but most people are kind to him. He only remembers these ones. He is free from resentment. Not just Wallace but Felipe as well, he has shown himself not to be angry with the situation in which he finds himself. He just does feel sad when his infant child suffers from the rashes. Despite the unhealthy living conditions, this child who is also our godchild has the most amazing smile. He is a happy baby and like most babies, loves to be the center of attention in this tiny dark space they call home. The young girl with mental illness is adopted by a group of homeless young people. They make sure that no harm ever comes to her. She is fed and given a warm and secure spot to sleep in the streets at night.

In a way, God has answered my question. He is present but according His way. He is God and He will manifest Himself, His grace, and His compassion in the way He sees fit. However, He always uses people to comfort those who suffer and are in need. Perhaps, He has a question for all those who pray this Prayer that Jesus taught us. “Where are my children when their brothers and sisters suffer?” It is a good question to ponder. We should not feel guilty when we are asking ourselves this question. It is something we need reflect on in order for us to pray the Lord’s prayer in a genuine manner.

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 40-42

We just missed our bus. The next one could come in few minutes or half hour. We were the perfect target for a random conversation. An older man approached us and blurted a completely unrelated comment. It seemed like the conversation had started its course in his head before he brought us into it. He told us that he counted the number of homeless adults yesterday and there were at least 320 in one particular neighborhood. Then, he made a dramatic pause waiting for our reaction. He was a little disappointed when there was none. We live in the center of the city. The homeless are part and parcel of our geography. We have also noticed the increase of the homeless population in the past few months. The old man decided to proceed nevertheless. Thankfully, he was succinct. He wanted to share his diagnosis of the situation. “Life is too easy and comfortable for the homeless here. Too many people feed them and give them clothes and blankets. They don’t feel the need to work and be motivated to leave the street.” Basically, according to this man, these people suffer cold, rejection and humiliation on a daily basis because they are lazy.

Unfortunately, it is not based on his observation but he is merely repeating a popular opinion. I even heard preachers say these almost identical words. Our conversation did not progress much after this statement. It is hard to advance a reasonable dialogue with anyone who thinks that living and sleeping in the streets easy and comfortable. It is obvious that this man came to his conclusion based on his life experiences. He worked and maintained his family. He was not from the poor class although he might consider himself poor. The definition of poor, according to many, is not being rich. By default, most of us are poor. However, most of the homeless do not come from the same background as many of us. Besides there is no simplistic theory to explain their presence in the streets. Each person has their story and being homeless is never their first choice. It is the bottom of the pit.

I did not add anything to the conversation. The man mistook my silence as agreement. However, I did not feel compelled to justify myself. It wasn’t necessary. I was hoping for the bus to come soon. It did and we were able to excuse ourselves politely. I was ready to forget the whole incident but here I am writing about it. It is because of Martha and Mary. These two women kept this encounter alive in my thoughts.

The whole week I was mulling over this gospel passage. I was trying to listen to God’s voice. There was total silence. I was looking for something special, a conversation or event. Something that would spark some deep insight into the characters of Martha and Mary. It turned out to be a normal and uneventful week. At least, I thought it was uninteresting. I was beginning to get frustrated. I realized that I was being a Martha. She was trying to make Jesus’ visit special. She was trying to create an ideal environment for His time with them. She did not realize that she was missing the whole point. Too busy trying to make His visit memorable, she forgot the most memorable event is the presence of Jesus Himself.

I decided that I was going to adopt Mary’s approach. I am talking about Martha’s Mary here. I decided not to look for anything special or spectacular to write about. I was just going to see if I could see Jesus clearly like Mary did when she sat at His feet. I was gently reminded of the encounter with the old man. Jesus was present there. However, He was ignored. The man saw the homeless but he did not see Jesus. He was also present in our conversation with him but I was not able to see Him. I was too busy hoping for the bus to come so that I could be freed from the conversation. No doubt I considered myself to be better than this man. In reality, we are the same. We reacted to the situations presented before us in the same way. Both of us had attitudes of self-righteousness. We acted just like anyone else in the world. Jesus was present there but He was allocated to the role of a spectator. Even though the homeless are His children, we never considered what He thought about them. Jesus was present in Martha’s household and He was a mere guest, albeit a very highly honored one. Jesus did not alter Martha’s behavior or outlook but Mary listened to Jesus. She knew that it was more important to listen to this man than try to impress Him with all kinds of hospitality. We forget sometimes, listening to our guest is usually the best form of hospitality. Mary was truly the most hospital person in the Martha’s household.

Early in the week, we had another brief encounter with a young man. This time it was in the streets with the children and teens. His name is Willian. He is not exactly a homeless youth. We have known him since his late teens. Now he is in early twenties. Unfortunately, he had just spent his early part of his adult years in prison. He used to play games with me and liked talking with us. He is a highly intelligent man with a great sense of humor. We knew that he was involved in criminal activities but we never pried. It was not our business. Willian came up to us to greet us. He told us that he just got our prison a few days ago. I asked him if he planned to stay out of prison. He sighed and said no. He looked a little resigned. He told us that he is part of the “movement” and there was no way out. He thinks that his life is going to be spent in and out of prison. The “movement” is the street name for gangs in Brazil. In São Paulo, there is only one street gang. Consequently, there are no gang wars and it has reduced the number of gang related homicides and violence. They are solely into drug trafficking. It was the first time a gang member openly admitted to us that he was part of the “movement”. Mary tried to tell him that change is always an option. He wasn’t convinced. I said that maybe he was lacking the one thing that he needs to inspire to drop everything and change the course of his life. He nodded his head. He hasn’t found it yet. There was nothing to say. I told him that when he finds this one thing, we will be here ready to help him. He shook our hands and went to “work”.

We both felt that in our interaction with Willian, it was easier to listen to Jesus’ voice. We did not offer a ready made solution to him. We did not feel the need to lecture him. We knew that he was struggling to do what is right. We wanted to convey this to him. This is how we knew that we were listening to the Spirit. Jesus confronts real life with all its complexities. He does not offer pat answers to difficult situation. Willian chose this life because he thought that this was the best option available to him. Going in and out of prison for the rest of your life is not something anyone would choose as their first choice. We don’t know much about Willian but we know that Life wasn’t fair to him. Now, he feels like he is stuck, at the same time, we believe that he wants to hear that there is still hope. Perhaps, this is why God has placed him in our lives. Our interactions with him might be minimum but if we listen to Jesus, we might be able to transmit to him something that might have eternal effects. This is all we can do, transmit what we receive from Jesus.

It is peculiar that the two encounters we had this week, I was both a Martha and a Mary. In the streets, I find it easy to be a Mary. Maybe because the situation in itself is so overwhelming that it is easier to admit that we need to listen Jesus for wisdom. There is not much use trying to run around doing things that amount to nothing. Although, it hasn’t stopped the “Marthas of this world.” We have seen them come and go. They feel like they need to do something positive and they do tons of good but eventually they get frustrated. We can get frustrated too. This is why we need to listen to the One who is able fill our hearts with love and compassion. The question is not necessarily how to be a Mary. I think that all of us have a place where we find it easy to be like Mary. I find it easy to listen to Jesus among the homeless but not with people who pontificate how to solve the problems of the world. This is why we are still here. Being among the homeless brings us closer to Jesus. There are different places for different people. The challenge is for us to discover the best place that helps us see Jesus clearly. When I was serving as a parish priest, I was trying to be a Martha most of the time. However, to be fair, there were many moments where I learned to be a Mary. The truth is that we vacillate between Mary and Martha in our lives. We can’t be one nor the other all the time. We just have to find the perfect place where we can sense God’s peace to just sit and listen to Jesus and then share His love to those around us.

Just then a teacher of the Law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:25-29

The question was about eternal life. This is a complex idea for our children and teens. It sounds alien to them. However, eternal means timelessness. A life that is not restricted to time and space, in other words, a meaningful life. Perhaps, this might perk up the interest among the homeless children. They want to live a meaningful life despite their desperate situation.

The question is a prelude to a famous parable. We have given it a name that perhaps diminishes something essential and important that Jesus was conveying. Jesus certainly did not call it the “parable of the Good Samaritan”. We do. It is curious. Whenever people say so and so is “good”, they are saying that the person is an exception to the rule. Inadvertently, we create a barrier between us and the so-called “good person”. It is a two-edged sword. It is a compliment and at the same time it implies that we are not going to be like the good person. The good person is a cut above the rest. Many are just happy being like the rest. Jesus was not telling a story about a good person. He was talking about a neighborly person. I am not sure if anyone of us is truly good, even Jesus refused to be acknowledged as good. The parable is about being neighborly. Our children and teens don’t see themselves as good people but they do want to be neighborly especially to those around them.

Everyone has heard about this parable. The plot is quite simple. A man is violently robbed and left for death. A priest sees him and then goes on his way. The levite, or in other words, a religious teacher or theologian in the modern context, does exactly the same. Then a samaritan comes and does something completely different. He sees another person in a desperate state and attends to his needs. It would be wrong to conclude that the priest and levite are evil people. Jesus never passed judgement on them. In fact, they were extremely religious people. It was their ritualistic observance that stopped them from helping the man. They would be considered ceremonially unclean if the blood of the injured or dead man touched them (Lev. 2:1-3). They would rather not risk being contaminated. Their liturgical priorities hindered them from acting compassionately. They understood the intricacies of religious practice but they misunderstood the purpose of it. On the other hand, Samaritans were considered a little worse than Pagans for the Jewish community at that time. They tolerated the Pagans but despised the Samaritans. These were neither here nor there religiously. They followed a distorted version of the Jewish religion, at least, according to the religious authorities of that time. Despite this, the Samaritan in the parable knew exactly what was required of him to act like a neighbor to a dying man.

The parable does not imply that Jesus was against ritualistic observance of the Law. Several times, He encouraged people whom He healed to seek a priest to fulfill the ritualistic cleansing. He was, however, against anything religious that hinders people from showing love and compassion to a neighbor, especially when they are in dire need of help and attention. This is a consistent attitude of Jesus in the gospels especially in his debates with the religious authorities. In today’s world, we don’t follow rigorous rituals or liturgy that holds us back from loving our neighbor. However, we might value doctrines, ideologies, philosophies, theologies, and prejudices above showing compassion to those God puts in our path. More often than not, our religious or intellectual arrogance blinds us from seeing and hearing those who need to be heard and seen.

I assume that Jesus had His personal prejudices too. After all, He was fully human. Part of being human is having negative preconceived ideas of people that we don’t even know. All cultures are sinful and consequently, they have their favorite people to hate and dehumanize. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Jesus was brought up not to think highly of Samaritans. Nevertheless, it did not stop him from paying attention to their faith. It did not stop Him from seeing their faith in action even though they did not understand all the right doctrines or rituals. All references Jesus made of the Samaritans in the gospel are very positive. Not just in the case of the Samaritans, He had the same attitude towards the Syrophoenician woman, the women of ill-repute, people struck with contagious diseases, widows, and the list goes on. Throughout the gospels, we read how Jesus sat and observed people that His society tended to overlook. He was constantly allowing His love for God to look into the hearts and souls of these women and men and see God’s presence in them.

Being a neighbor does not imply being free from prejudices and misconceived ideas about the neighbors. It is hard to shed our biases especially the ones we may not realize that we possess. We need to be careful that we don’t use religion and politics to promote these sinful notions especially when they hinder us from seeing our neighbor as a human being. However, our love for God should amount to something. It should help us see beyond our own personal limitations. It should help us to listen and see God’s presence in the person whom we think that has nothing concrete to offer us.

I used to hear our children talk about God as their only and true Friend in the streets. To be honest, I never took it seriously. I just thought that it was a pat answer and they did not really think too much about God. I don’t even know why I thought this way. Maybe I believed that I had a sophisticated idea of God and therefore, our children and teens were not able to understand the true nature of God like myself. However, for me, at that time, God was a theory or a theology. For these children and teens, when they say God is their Friend, it is something they experience one a day to day basis. They listen to Him and recognize His voice. He is their only moral guide, and of course, not all listen attentively to Him. Nonetheless, there are those who are always sensitive to His voice. My problem was with my lofty ideas of God I forgot to pay attention to the reality of God present in the lives of the abandoned children and teens.

They may not have the religious language but they have the faith of the samaritan. They know how to be neighbors. We have seen a homeless adult run after an elderly woman to return her wallet which she dropped unknowingly. He refused her offer of money as gratitude. Instead he wanted her to know that he did it because he thought that it was the right thing to do. We saw Danyel in tears because someone accused him of doing something bad. His only argument was that God dwells in his heart and He guides him to do the right things. He wasn’t crying because they thought badly of him. He was upset because their accusation meant that they thought that God was no longer His guide.

Danyel was missing for weeks because he spent a few months in a reform center for a crime he never committed. The other children and teens vouch for him. They don’t lie about these matters to us. Now, he is out, he wants to spend extra time with us. Perhaps to make up for the lost time. We went to a museum. He wanted to do something with us outside of his environment. We spent the time at the museum just conversing. Throughout the time, he was listening and asking questions about becoming a better human being. He wanted to be someone who he is already in many ways. He is a genuine neighbor to those around him especially us. Each time we spent time with this young man, we go home a little richer than before. He helps us appreciate the beauty and depth of God’s love. Perhaps, this is what being a neighbor is all about. It is not about being present physically next to someone but it helping the people around us to take one more step to understanding God is always here and present.

The parables are not fairy tales. They are lessons rooted in practical life. Jesus observed how people who were excluded in His society and revealed the presence of the divine in them. Loving God with all out heart, mind and soul always means being able to see God’s presence in the lives of others.

Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Luke 10:3-9

When I was sixteen, I wanted to be a priest. I was a Roman Catholic then. My parish priest thought it was just a passing romantic notion of a young teen. I understand his sentiments. I am not sure how I would have reacted if I was in his shoes then. It doesn’t change the fact that he was an excellent priest. Nevertheless, he was instrumental in helping me discover my home in the Anglican tradition. When I walked into the Anglican Church for the first time, I sensed a profound peace within my soul. It was as if I was returning to a home that I never knew I had. It was the first place where I said, “Peace to this house”. The Anglican minister returned it to me. Ever since then it has been a guide in the spiritual decisions that I have made in my vocation.

The first time I came to this city of São Paulo, infamous for its violence and coldness, I said the words, “Peace to this house” in the streets where the homeless children and teens congregate. They responded with a resounding, “Yes”. They shared the peace that I treasured in my heart. This was twenty years ago and I still sense it in my heart. It is a mysterious thing. It secures us in the place we are supposed to be present. Many could wonder why a middle aged priest with years in seminary and college sits with his wife who is a qualified teacher and wait for the homeless teens and children who never seem to go anywhere. There is no rational answer to this question. It is the peace that passes all understanding. The only compass we have to guide us to the people God has reserved for us. This inexplicable calm and serenity informs us that we have everything we need as we wait for our children and teens.

Jesus was quite specific. His disciples were not to leave the place that received their blessing of peace. This is quite radical. We never think about it. Those who receive our peace may not necessarily be the kind of people with whom we want to have prolonged contact. However, Jesus was quite firm. The disciples were to stay and receive from the first household which accepted them. They may not have much to offer. From the world’s perspective, people don’t believe that the homeless have anything to offer. This is why no one pays any attention to them. Politicians ignore them or maybe acknowledge their presence in the negative sense. People never stop to talk to them except to do certain acts of charity. However, it is not the kind that recognizes that they have something to offer too. It is very rare that someone thinks that the homeless have anything valuable to contribute to their daily lives. The world operates on the principal of a “means to end”. People are encouraged to invest in things or people that help them get a determined goal. The homeless will not help you get to any goal that is worth anything in this world. Perhaps, this is why God chooses the little ones to reveal to us the splendor of His Kingdom. In our case, these were the ones who welcomed our peace and therefore our place is with them. They are the treasure that God has set apart for us. They are the ones who are going to show us why we feel at peace with them.

I saw Ruan robbing someone once. I felt distraught witnessing someone whom we cared for and loved deeply performing such an evil act. It affected our relationship. He could not feel comfortable in our presence for a long time. His life was agitated and the peace we offered was incompatible. A relationship that was lovingly cultivated over years was disrupted due to one single act of violence. Obviously we were upset and hurt. However, we still offered the peace. Unfortunately, Ruan could not receive it at that time even though he once received it with open arms. It means that we are connected with him. As Jesus told us, we are to stay with the household that receives our peace. He did not reject us. His actions made it impossible to have an open and sincere friendship with us. Thankfully, he can always change his actions.

It has been almost two years since Ruan spoke with us. He would always be polite and respectful but he would never sit down and have a conversation with us. Then he went missing for a long time. He used to be in a gang of robbers. It did not last long. He tried staying at home. It did not last long neither. Finally, he just disappeared altogether. Then he appeared this week. He looked healthy. When he was involved in crime, he used drugs aggressively. Consequently, he lost tremendous amount of weight. Now, he looked like he gained everything back and much more. He sat next to us. He had a bottle of paint thinner and was sniffing it. We reminded him that he shouldn’t do this in our presence. He looked at us and said, “What is the point?” We were a little puzzled. Then he explained that whether he sniffs paint thinner or not, no one will look at him and say that he is worth anything. He went on to say that everyone assumes that the homeless teens are criminals and no one cares to find out who they are truly. “What about us?” Mary asked. Ruan responded that we are different but most people just see the worst in us and the only thing they care about are things and not people. Then he was silent. He waited for our response. “Unfortunately, you are right, Ruan. However, you don’t have to add to the number of people who care about things more than people. You can be a good person.”. This was best response that I could think of at that moment. Ruan did not expect this answer. I could see that he was seriously pondering over my reply. I asked him if he ever considered it. He said, “No”. He never thought that he could be different from the rest.

He sat next to us and started telling us that he was working now. He works in a recycling company. It was hard work and the pay is very low but it was better than sitting around the house doing nothing, he added. He also assured us that he has stopped all his criminal activities. I told him that crime hurts our soul. I explained that each time we hurt people with our words or actions, we also hurt our souls. He understood. He asked us how old we were. We revealed our ages and he said that we had a good fifty years of life left. It is the same question he asked a few years ago. He always wants us to be alive for a long time. He wasn’t changing the subject. It was connected. Perhaps, it was his way of returning the peace we offer to him. He asked if Mary would make him cupcakes again. It is his favorite sweet. It was also a symbol. We made them when our relationship was strong and growing. He wanted to know if it is still strong. It will always be strong because when he received our peace, he helped us to build a home among these children and teens.

The Peace of God which passes all understanding helps us become the people that God desires us to be. It is much greater than any doctrine or religion. It is God’s presence in our souls. Those who are willing to listen to God’s voice can sense His presence in the hearts of those who do likewise. Ruan went through a period where he tried to stifle the voice of the Spirit. However, the Spirit of God has made His home in his heart. Ruan cannot find peace until he walks in the way of Love. We cannot find peace until we receive him back with Love.

This week was a very peaceful week.