As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Matthew 4:18-19

These were experienced fishermen. They did not choose this line of work. It chose them. In Jesus’ time, people worked in the profession of their families. It was the only thing they needed to know. Jesus invited them to “fish” for people. The familiar term did not fool them. Jesus was inviting them to do something completely different and a little risky. They fished for food. It provided them with a livelihood. However, being fishers of people was not a lucrative alternative back then. The gospel tells us that they left everything and followed Him without any hesitation. I often thought what I would do if I was in their position. I imagine that I would have just disregarded Jesus as a madman and continued with my task. This would be the most ordinary thing to do. The disciples were ordinary people just like us. Yet, they were able to do this extra-ordinary thing. It is something that I never understood until we started our ministry with the homeless children and teens. They gave us an insight into the hearts and mind of these disciples. Most importantly, they challenged us to confront some things within ourselves.

Once upon a time, our homeless children and teens had a home. They lived with their families. They lived in a neighborhood, albeit, an extremely poor one. As children, they were not necessarily aware of their social status. Besides, they did not have a choice in the matter. They were born into poverty. It is what they have always known. One day, they decided to leave behind everything and step into the unknown. They stepped away from what was comfortable into something that was harsh and hostile. Compared to the streets, anything with a roof and walls could be considered comfortable. At least, this is from our middle class perspective. Our children saw things differently. They did not want comfort. They did not want security. They desired something that they were not receiving at home. All they wanted was to be someone. In their homes, unfortunately they were nobody. No one desired to be with them. No one wanted to be with them. They suffered an identity crisis. They were not sure if their lives mattered to anyone or anybody. They chose to leave their homes in search of themselves. The only place that would receive them was the streets. It was the best option available to them as hard as it is for us to understand this.

It would be inaccurate to say that physical or sexual abuse drove them to the streets. There are some who suffered these things but they are in the minority. Most of our children and teens were just neglected. It wasn’t because their parents were irresponsible or indifferent. To the contrary, most of their parents did the best they could. They themselves were subjected to neglect and abject poverty as children. Most of them had to toil hours in the streets, recycling trash or even begging to put food on the table. Usually they would be too exhausted to spare any time for their children. Once a young teen, Gabriel, told me half jokingly that he was helping his family by living in the streets. They have one less mouth to feed.

This tragic circumstance is not new. It has been going on for hundreds of years. Homeless children and teens have been a reality in Brazilian society for decades. These are the poorest of the poor. No one really cares for them. No one really cares what they think or feel.

No political nor religious leader in Jesus’ time cared about the fishermen. They were insignificant or nobodies. If our children were to read this gospel that we heard today, they would be happy. Jesus chose His disciples among people just like them. When Jesus called them, these young fishermen were ready for something new. They were ready for meaningful life. Our children can appreciate this.

I realize that I found it hard to understand how the first disciples were willing abandon everything because I was happy where I am. This is not necessarily a good thing. It means that I am comfortable with the way things are in this world. Jesus is offering us something new in this world. We cannot receive the new unless we are willing to let go of the old. I realized that I liked the old too much to risk letting go of it. The first disciples of Jesus had to release the nets before they could become fishers of people.
Our children would love to fish for people like the first disciples. This is why they came to the streets. They want to have people close to them all the time. They want to talk with them. They want to be loved by people. For them, money, food, material properties do not mean anything. They value connection with someone above anything else. They want at least one person to recognize their presence and their absence. They desire at least one person to be always waiting for them. They have spent many years waiting for someone to love them. They have waited patiently in the streets and finally cast out their nets and brought us into their fold.

For some time, we thought that we needed to do something for these children and teens to help them secure a better future. However, they have taught us that this is not what they desire from us. They are wiser than us. They know that they belong to the poorest of the poor. The jobs that are available to them will never get them out of their social status. They know that life is going to be struggle for them. However, the thing they fear the most is to struggle alone.

They desire one thing from us which is the only thing we can give them. They want us to struggle with them. They want us to be with them when they apply for their jobs. They want us to be help them learn about their surroundings. They want us to be their guide when they have children of their own. They want to be fishers of people who would remain with them and most importantly love them.

What does it mean to be a fisher of people? It is a curious thing. It is hard to explain. Perhaps, Jesus would be best one to give us a hint. He connected people from all walks of life; people that society would disregard and ignore. He brings them together in a mysterious way and uses them to reveal to each other the deep and wonderful things of God. I have realized after serving almost everyday in the streets for more than six years, our primary calling is not to solve the social problems of our children, even though we do address them but they are more complex than what we could handle. Our calling is simpler and more powerful. It is allowing God to draw us closer to people whom we never associate with in a normal circumstance and discover together with them the mystery and power of God’s love. Perhaps you can join us and together fish for people who will enrich our understanding and knowledge of God’s abundant love.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”-Matthew 25:35-36

There was an ancient Chinese emperor who commissioned an artist in his court to draw a picture of a rooster. The artist told him that he would need a long time to do it. He needed to understand the nature of the animal before he expressed it on paper. A year passed and the emperor reminded the artist of his request. The artist responded that he studied the rooster and was only now beginning to get past its superficial nature but he still needed much time to penetrate into its depth. This interaction went on for several years. Finally, after ten years, the artist produced a painting of the rooster and it opened the world for the emperor beyond the animal. It brought the emperor in contact with the very Creator of all things. *

The emperor was a wise man who trusted the artist in what he was doing. The artist was a saintly man who knew that even something so common as a rooster possesses something deeper than what the eye can see. Most of us present here need help to be wise and saintly. The gospel reading above is the help that Jesus provides us. He is showing us how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ or in other words, the salvation of Christ. Salvation, after all, is God’s love. We cannot reduce it to a mere pass to escape hell. It is a journey in discovering the richness of God’s love for all humanity.

The Hungry, The Thirsty, The Naked, The Strangers or Abandoned, and the Imprisoned are the ones Jesus calls us to contemplate. A superficial approach would be to think that God is calling us to do charitable works. This is a tendency of human beings, perhaps as modern people. We want to have instant solutions. We read this text and think by dedicating one day a week to some philanthropic work, then we have paid our dues. We would have secured our place among the sheep. I hope that I don’t offend anyone here by saying this. There might someone here who volunteers to do some philanthropic work. There is nothing wrong with doing this. However, Jesus is calling us to do something deeper. He is asking us to see beyond the social status of these little ones. God is calling us to contemplate their very essence to the point that the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Jesus manifested in a powerful way. If we are patient and wise, we will be able to penetrate through the superficial and see the essence of the person whom God has put in our lives. We will be able to see Jesus. Not because the person who suffers all these predicaments is saintly. It doesn’t take long for us to discover that they are not saintly. Usually our first contact will suffice.

The Acts of the Apostles tell us that the Holy Spirit was poured on all peoples. This event changes the way we understand salvation in this world. It means that the Spirit of Jesus is present in all peoples. However, not everyone recognizes the tender presence of the Lord in their lives. As Christians, it is our task to seek His face in those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or imprisoned. It doesn’t happen instantly. It happens in God’s time which means it takes a long time before we can see His face clearly.
Why just these people and not others? Well, the meaning of salvation is healing. Jesus told us that it is the sick that need healing and not those who perceive themselves to be well. However, when we begin to reflect and seek the face of Jesus in these little ones, we will discover that we too need healing.

Some people say that we should not have favorites when dealing with children. They are right. Nevertheless, we have our favorite. His name is Daniel. We have known him since he was ten and he will turn 17 this year. He and his brother came to the streets together and they have been sleeping there ever since. Not too long ago, a tragic incident in the streets left all of us distraught and little lost. The day after this incident, Daniel approached us. He was a little bit more pensive than usual. He asked me if we thought that he was a good person. I told him that we never doubted it. He wasn’t convinced. He wanted to know how we can think this of him when obviously everyone in society thinks other wise.

Daniel wanted us to paint a picture of him. After all, we have many years to contemplate on our subject. His goodness is seen in the little he does for those around him. He is always there to bring joy to those who mourn. He is always there to give comfort to those who feel lonely and lost. He always sees the best in others. One day, he even acknowledged the source of his personal goodness. He told a lady who accused him of stealing something that he would never do such a thing because God dwells in His heart. This was the picture I presented to Daniel. He sensed that it wasn’t a superficial representation because we noticed these things that he did without thinking about it. They came naturally to him. He asked for my prayers and he wanted God to forgive his sins and continue to guide him.

Daniel has brought much healing in our lives and also to those who read about our artistic presentation of him in our blogs. We couldn’t have given a genuine picture of Daniel to him if we did not know who or what to look for in him. Thankfully, Jesus showed us a way. He pointed out that He is always present in these little ones and our salvation lies in discovering His living presence in them.

Salvation is not a ticket out of condemnation. It is about changing the way we see the world. In a concrete way, it opens our world. It helps us discover the Creator of all beings present in everyone. However, Jesus seems to have a preference in manifesting Himself in those who considered unworthy in our society. As Christians, we are called to paint the picture of Jesus in the lives of these little ones. However, it takes time. We have been going to the streets almost daily for more than six years. We can safely say that we are now able to have a glimpse beyond the superficial. Hopefully, we will be able go deeper soon. One day, we will paint a picture that will help us all to see the salvation of our Lord manifested in the lives of the children and teens we call friends in the streets.

* I read this parable in sermon by Paul Tillich titled,”Nature Mourns for a Lost Good.”

When Jesus turned and saw the disciples of John following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi”, “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.-John 1: 38-39

It is a strange request. Only the gospel of John mentions this peculiar event. Normally I would have skipped past this part and focused on something else. However, we do minister to homeless children and teens. The homeless disciples of John wanted to see where Jesus lived. Sounds like something our children would ask of us.

We have been told often times that the Church is a House of God. I grew up in the church my whole life and never questioned it. However, churches and cathedrals are look more like extravagant palaces than any place our Lord chose to stay in the gospels. Christmas is still fresh in our memory. We read and even sang hymns about His birth in a manger. When questioned, Jesus made it clear that he was little to offer far as accommodations.
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”- Matthew 8:20

From the company He kept to the places He visited, Jesus always chose places that would make the average person a little uncomfortable. The home that the Church attempts to offer Jesus in its buildings seems to domesticate Him rather than giving Him an appropriate home; not unlike what the Hebrew people attempted to do in the Old Testament when they constructed the Temple. However, our Lord is His own Master. He lives where He desires to dwell. Therefore, it leaves a great challenge for us as modern Christians to discover where Jesus dwells in our cities or neighborhoods. Rest assured that Jesus never hides from us. He always made it clear where His preferred place is in this world. He is constantly inviting us to go and visit with Him.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”-Matthew 25:35-36

Jesus always dwells among those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers or abandoned, the naked and sick and imprisoned regardless of their crimes. He doesn’t visit them. He makes His home among those whom we tend to forget or ignore and maybe even feel a little uncomfortable being around for a multitude of reasons.

We have been going to streets almost daily for more than six years. We have to admit that there are still many things that disturb us. The dirt, the unhygienic places where people sleep, the lack of bathroom facilities, not to mention the violence and the sight of very young children being left alone to fend for themselves. I am not sure that we want to get used to these things. This is where Jesus lives in a real and concrete manner. We go to the streets everyday to visit Jesus.

Our homeless children are not necessarily hungry. They are usually fed with leftovers from the restaurants. They are not naked nor sick usually. However, they are always strangers in their own city. They are always invisible. They sense this rejection strongly. Of all the things they suffered, this is the one thing that cuts deep into their souls. Their crimes and sometimes aggressive begging are attempts to assert their presence. Consequently, their negative actions make them even more despised but they prefer this than not being acknowledged at all. Jesus sets His home among them because He wants to recognize their presence. Our children also sense His presence there. They have been subjected to rejection and neglect from the day that they were born and yet, they do not harbor hatred and bitterness in their hearts. This is because Jesus dwells among them. Where our Lord is present, He brings healing to broken souls.

There are many churches and cathedrals in our city. Unfortunately, they haven’t brought much healing to those who are abandoned and perhaps not even to those who frequent their buildings. Many have even joined the voices of hatred towards the very poor. Perhaps, it is time to question everything we learn about Jesus within the walls of these churches. It doesn’t mean that we need to stop attending churches. It is just time for us to challenge the idea of confining God in one place. We have to engage in the task of going out and discovering the preferred dwelling place of Jesus.

Where Jesus is present, there is always healing. Some may think that they do not need any healing. Then for these people, remaining confined within the walls of the church will suffice. However, there are those whose souls yearn for a deeper understanding and meaning in this life. There are those who feel that they have eyes and yet do not see clearly and ears and yet do not hear intelligibly. If you are that person, then it is time to seek out where Jesus lives in your city. He is calling you to be with Him.

We have been visiting Jesus among in the homeless children and teens for more than six years. Jesus has received us with love. He has brought healing to our souls. We are beginning to understand the depth of His Love for us through the children and teens. However, now the time has come for us to take the next step. We have to reciprocate. We have to invite Jesus to our house; not in the spiritual sense. We have been meeting Jesus in a real sense through the children. It was time us to invite Jesus manifested in the children to our home. We were a little nervous.

The past year, we have heard and seen Jesus through Felipe many times. It only makes sense that he should be the first to come to our home. We have known him for six years. We have accompanied the changes in his life from living directionless in the streets to become a father. We were worried about inviting him. The contrast between our homes is great. He and his partner together with four very young children squat in a small room in an abandoned building. His home is infested with scorpions and cockroaches. All this sounds horrifying for us, however, for Felipe, these are signs of his own personal achievements. Something that he is truly grateful to God. We wanted to invite him to our home but we were worried. We thought perhaps he might feel uncomfortable in our home. We thought perhaps he might think that our home was luxurious and that he might not be able relate to us after his visit.

We meet with him weekly near in a library to talk; sometimes about his struggles and sometimes just about life in general. One day a storm interrupted our conversation. There was hardly any place to take shelter but our apartment was nearby. We asked him if he wanted to go there instead. He gladly accepted our invitation. When he entered our apartment, he was completely impressed even though it was in a mess. I have to admit that we tend to lean a bit on untidy side. Felipe did not care. He saw my houseplants and was curious about them. He wanted to know if he cultivate plants too. He talked and shared about things as if he was in the streets. In other words, he felt at home in our home. Then we realized that Jesus felt comfortable in our home and it was worthy of His visit. Now the doors are opened. We have discovered the joy of having the Lord in our home. Now, our ministry has a path from the streets to the doors of our home.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”- Matthew 3:13-14

Sometimes the most familiar events in the gospel are the hardest to interpret. The Baptism of our Lord is a good example. It is hard to make a genuine connection with this particular event to our everyday life. It seems virtually impossible to understand why this event would be relevant to homeless children and teens. Perhaps the key is John the Baptist. He might the person who can help us extract deep spiritual truths from this sacred moment in Jesus’ life. John the Baptist had been preparing his whole life for this moment. For him, the Baptism of Jesus changed the world in a concrete manner. Perhaps this change is not visible for everyone. It is something visible only for those who feel disoriented and unsatisfied with this world. People who have said, “No” to all that this world has to offer.

“Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”- Matthew 3:4

The gospel of Matthew is the only one to reveal John’s strange fashion sense and bizarre diet. Some scholars say that he was mimicking certain prophets. Perhaps this is true. However, the people who listened to him were not scholars. They were mere commoners. They listened to this man who was completely out of place in his society. His message brought hope to their souls. They identified with him in a deep spiritual sense. They shared his awkwardness in this world.
Our children and teens in the streets are not unlike John’s disciples. Some of them even dress almost like him. They use dirty cotton blankets and donated clothes. They do not follow any fashion of their society. John’s diet was based on what was available to him. Our children only eat what is available to them. John was lived His life this way because He said, “No” to the world. He did not want to belong to this world with all its standards and values. People think that our children are homeless because they are extremely poor. This is only part of the story. The city of São Paulo has millions people who live in extreme poverty but not all of them are homeless. Our children are fed up with all the false promises that the world has offered them and they are homeless because they said, “no” to all the lies that the world proffered to them. In a way, they have more in common with John than we do. They would have embraced John the Baptist as one of them. Maybe they might read the story of Jesus’ baptism and find it to be exciting and relevant. Of all the religious leaders and authorities in His time, Jesus came to the most awkward person in his society to be baptized. It says one thing concretely. Jesus identified with John and his ministry to those who are maladjusted in society.
The story of John doesn’t end here. Before he dies, the gospel narrates one final interaction between John and Jesus. John was imprisoned. Everything was falling apart for him. Death was imminent. John began to wonder if Jesus really was initiating something new in his midst. He needed help to discern Jesus’ actions in this world. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus a pivotal question, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Matthew 11:3)

This is a fair question! Some can interpret it as a moment of doubt in John’s life. Perhaps. Dealing with doubts is very much part of living out our faith. In a way, our questions and doubts help us to live a more authentic life of faith in this world.
A few days before Christmas, we got a letter in the mail. Some of the older teens use our address to receive correspondence. We were handed a letter for Renan Vitor Lopes. Once again, we were reminded of the brutal murder of this young life in the streets. The first image that came to my mind when I saw Renan’s name on the letter wasn’t his tragic death. It was actually the day when we spent with him trying to help him register for a job. It is a complicated bureaucratic process in Brazil and it took us the whole day to do it. Renan did not mind. He was quite cheerful throughout day. He was about 18 but emotionally about ten. He spent most of his life in the streets and it had stunted his emotional development. He did not have the opportunity to be a child in the streets. However, when he was with us, he was playful and silly like a little child. We had a delightful time with him. It was a day where we were like his parents and he was like our son. It remains one of our most precious memories. Renan is no more because of hatred.
We received this letter during the season of Christmas when everything is supposed to be cheerful and festive. However, a simple letter confronted us with a harsh reality of this cruel world. Christmas and even this short season of Epiphany where we find ourselves cannot be fully appreciated unless we confront the chaos and darkness that prevails in this world. We need to bring all this chaos and injustice before the Incarnate God and ask Him the question that John asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Because all the hymns we sing seem to say that He is the One.
Jesus gave John a simple answer.
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” – Matthew 11:4-5
The gospel never tells us how John reacted to Jesus’ answer. Perhaps it is not important. The answer is really for all of us who want to live our faith in this world. We live in a reality that is constantly trying to convince to look at the chaos and hopelessness that surrounds us. It seems to take pleasure in the darkness and the deeds of the darkness. However, something powerful happened at the Baptism of Jesus. The Kingdom of Light was established in this dark world. Its presence continues to be strong and powerful in our midst even though we might be able to see it clearly. Perhaps we are looking for the wrong things. Maybe we are looking for it in the wrong places. Jesus’ answer to John holds the key for those who want to discover the Kingdom of God initiated at the baptism of our Lord. Jesus tells John and us where to look for His Kingdom of Light. Its light shines brightly in this world but we need to turn away from the shadows and see its radiance. It is present among those whom the world has considered inadequate, defective or disposable. These are the ones who will help us understand if Jesus really is the Messiah or whether we should wait for another.
The day after Renan’s passing, we went to the streets to be with the children. Our hearts were heavy. We wanted some sort of justice. We hoped that the perpetrator of this heinous crime would be judged or punished in some way. However, when we arrived in the streets, we were greeted with the Light. The children and teens lived in a more realistic place than us. They knew that this unjust system is unable to love and care for those whom it considers to be outcasts. Our children knew that there is no justice for them in this world. Instead, they looked to us. They did not want us to do any great feat. They wanted to see our tears and sorrow for the loss of one of their brethren. This brought comfort to their hearts. I told them about the overwhelming response I received from people like yourselves whose hearts were torn to hear such horrific news. They smiled. They knew that even though they were rejected by this world, there was a Kingdom where their lives were valued and treasured. Hatred and Violence tried to wound their souls but the Incarnate King brought healing to their lives. They were reminded once again that they might be abandoned by society and their families but God is their father in the midst. He sends His children from away to comfort and remind them that His Kingdom will always be in their midst. In this Kingdom, they will always be full citizens. This was all they wanted to know and we, including all the social workers and those who mourned the death of Renan, were living proof that Jesus was in the midst of them.
Jesus used the children to answer the question we asked him. The same one that John asked, “Are you the One or are we to wait for someone else?” The answer was clear and astounding, “Yes! He is the One.” I hope that you are able to hear it too.