In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

Sometimes it is interesting to read or hear the tourist’s impressions about the place where we meet our children and teens. I have mentioned countless times that a majestic Cathedral sits in the center where all the homeless people sleep in the square surrounding it. It is a major tourist attraction (the Cathedral, not the homeless people). The surrounding square derives its name from this monument. “This Church is gorgeous but it is a pity that it is ruined by the presence of the homeless people.” This is one of the more frequent comments from the tourists. It is not said with malicious intent. The overwhelming presence of people sleeping in tents and homeless children playing without any adult supervision plus the countless adults in various stages of inebriation does mar the charm of the place if you are coming solely for tourism.

We have not stepped into the Cathedral for years. Truth be known, I find it a little cold and impersonal. The interior is dark and is permeated with a melancholic atmosphere. This is just my opinion. It is by no means a judgment on the priests nor the congregation. It is just the aura of the building. Since we are not here for tourism, we find the homeless people more fascinating.

Most people just look at them collectively as the ‘homeless”. However, there are many different groups represented. They are all homeless but not all the same. There is the transgender group. They have endured much rejection in their lives and now in the streets they are part of a bizarre community. There are the old alcoholics as the children call them. They are not in the streets because of booze. They drink to forget their misery. If one has several hours to spend and infinite patience, they will relate to you their sad tale. Of course, we have our children and teens. I have by no means exhausted my list but I think the point is made. All these diverse homeless individuals have a story to tell but very few people are interested in them. Their experiences will never be recorded in any history book, neither will their existence be acknowledged. Nevertheless, they are part of this city which does not recognize them. Many tourists come for the official tour which includes the majestic history of the Cathedral and its construction. It is a sanitized history devoid of human sufferings and failures. Perhaps the actual church building is melancholic because it laments the exclusion of the homeless who are very much part of the Kingdom of God, the symbol which the Cathedral represents.

The evangelist Luke starts his account of the first Christmas but there is a twist. He begins the gospel like any historical account with the rulers and their important mandates taking the center stage. Then, suddenly, these things slip into irrelevance. A very young woman pregnant out-of wedlock takes the center stage. Despite Joseph’s noble attempts to protect her from shame, we know that the gossip is virtually impossible to deter. The people in those times are just like us. The difference is that we have better technology to despatch calumnious news. In any case, she would have been a person whom society would rather forget than to remember two thousand years after. Nevertheless, she is a primary figure in the history of the Kingdom of God.

God had access to all peoples in the world but He wanted to celebrate the birth of his chosen One with shepherds. Another group of insignificant people not featured in the regular history books. God’s invitation list is void of the local rulers and prominent citizens. The location of the festivity is the last place one expects a king to be born. Of course, everyone knows this story well enough. We have heard it countless times. I do not need to repeat it here. The point is that the Kingdom of God is not found where we expect or would like it to be. We cannot build a beautiful Cathedral and expect the Son of Man to be restricted within its boundaries. God brought his special guests to the square where our Cathedral sits. The tourists are impressed with the symbol but they fail to recognize the actual Kingdom of God present. However, something strange and beautiful happens during the Christmas season. There is an increase of more visitors to the square but not to visit the Cathedral. They come to visit those who sleep outside of it. They bring food and presents. They come especially to spread some joy to these people. It is strange that throughout the year they walk past this place without making eye contact with the homeless. Suddenly, during this season, they remember them.

Some say that it’s blatant hypocrisy. Besides being an unfortunate way of looking at things, I also find it dull and lazy. Being hypocrites is part of our human nature. We do not need a special season to express it. It is present throughout the year. All of us succumb to hypocrisy in some shape or form. Being coherent is a dream that is not yet a reality for anyone who is alive. However, to dwell on the negative aspect of this is to be the same as the tourists who visit the Cathedral and lament the presence of the Kingdom.

During this time, the vast majority of people are open to the presence of Agape in our lives. Christmas is the celebration of God’s unconditional Love being expressed in flesh and blood. Needless to say, we know that the day of Christmas is a mere symbol. Jesus was not born on this specific day but God works with us where we are spiritually. This time we are open to recognize the eternal Love which sustains our existence. We realize that this love needs to be shared and it cannot be contained in its symbols. Consequently, it is the time when people want to step out of the sanitized version of the Kingdom of God and seek the actual Kingdom. It is a time when people are prone to put aside their differences and just enjoy the person. Our children and teens are always influenced by the season. Usually they consider forgiving their families for the things that they have done or omitted to do and seek some sort of reconciliation. Usually everything falls apart the day after Christmas but miracles still occur. There is always hope that the people will be open to the power of Agape after the season.

This week I was in the streets and saw Bruno reading a book on movies. It was a beautiful book and looked expensive. He was obviously very pleased with it and could not wait to show it off to me. He has been begging outside a bank for two years now. The staff had their annual Christmas party and without Bruno’s knowledge they included his name in the gift exchange. The bank manager bought him the book. She talks with him regularly whenever she comes to have a smoke. The rest of the staff also had a little gifts for him. Even though he was not an employee, he has become part of their lives. They decided that this time of the year, they would acknowledge the love they sense for him. They come from two extremes and yet there is a special kind of Love which is able to overcome boundaries and social differences. It does not originate from either party. It came into this world two thousand years ago through a little child born in a stable. At least once a year the world is reminded that is a Love greater than all our failures and hypocrisy and maybe one day, this love will take full possession of our souls. This is our hope and prayer always.

God bless and have a Blessed Christmas.

“Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Luke 3:9-11

Daniel was a little concerned about Mary. He wanted to know if she was gaining weight again. Mary had some health problems last year and lost a lot of weight. Thankfully, she is back to normal but hasn’t quite gained the weight back yet. Some of the children and teens are a little worried. No matter what we tell them, they think that we are hiding something. Daniel reiterated that he wants Mary to be well like before because he wants us around for a long time. He is a very serious young man and not prone to flattery. He was not saying it to be nice nor sweet. We have known him since he was 11 and now he is 19. Just recently, he is beginning to reveal more of his inner self. He then said something curious. He said that one day it will be his turn to take care of us. He wants to reciprocate.

This is the second time he has said something to this extent. When I saw him earlier, I asked him why he had not gone home to see his mother. A couple of days ago, he shared that he was planning to spend the month of December at home. We are well into the month and he still has not done it. There are some changes in his family situation. His parents got separated and his mother has been coming around to the streets more frequently, trying to convince her sons to go home. The problem is both Daniel and his brother, Dreyson, have spent almost ten years in the streets and during this time no one from the family had come looking for them. They have constructed their world without the presence of their family. Thankfully, not all is lost. There is hope that healing and reconciliation will occur but it will take time. For now, we are encouraging Daniel to spend as much time as possible with his mother. He still harbors strong affections for her. He is also someone with a strong sense of responsibility. If he is convinced that his mother needs him at home, I believe that he will leave everything behind and help her.

He claimed that he could not go home until he had some clothes. Initially, I thought that he was just making up an excuse. I pointed out that he was wearing a nice t-shirt and a clean pair of shorts. There was nothing stopping him from going home the way he was dressed. Then I realized that I was making the mistake of imagining his situation to be like mine when I was his age. There was always a wardrobe of my clothes in my parent’s house at that time but Daniel comes from a different reality. The clothes on his body are the only ones he has. His mother cannot afford to buy him clothes nor has the space to keep his old clothes. Furthermore, Daniel has grown from a tiny scrawny kid to a lanky young man. None of the clothes he had when he was living with his mother will fit him now. I think that his mother can find ways to feed him but this is about all that she can do for now. One day, his older sister came to get the brothers to go home. They had to spend an hour begging in order to get the money to pay for their fare home. Neither his sister nor his mother could afford to pay their way home.

I told him that if clothes were the issue, then I could buy some at the thrift store for him. It was at this moment he smiled and said,“We really appreciate everything you do for us! We don’t say it enough but we are really grateful.” He wanted to play a game of Uno instead. After a while, he asked if we could buy something warm for him to wear as it was getting a little chilly. There is a thrift shop in a church nearby and we went there. I guess for Daniel playing the game together before going to the thrift store meant something. He didn’t want me to think that he just wanted me to buy clothes for me. He wants to spend time with me.

Daniel is one of the many who have said that one day they want to reciprocate. It is a natural response. When we feel loved, we want to respond by giving back. When John the Baptist asked the people to bear fruits, he wasn’t referring to earning our salvation through works. He was actually saying that those who are touched by Love will respond in Love. However, this cannot be reduced to a mere doctrinal concept. It is something that transforms the way we interact with the world.

Our Lord came to usher a New Creation founded on the eternal Agape (unconditional love of God). The most significant sign of this love is that it always reproduces in actions and words. It is never static nor limited by any circumstance nor situation. The eternal agape consumes our souls and compels us to share it with those around us. The people asked John how to go about bearing fruits. The answer reveals to us practical ways to share the Love we received but they are baby steps. They are just the beginning and not the end. They open the door to the New Creation.

I shared with Daniel that we would not be here if we had not encountered the eternal Agape first. It is this Love which sustains us here. I explained to Daniel that every encounter we have with them is an encounter with eternal love. Each time we avail ourselves to love our neighbor, we open our hearts and minds to be transformed by the Unconditional Love of God. Daniel had availed himself to us many times. Therefore, he had already reciprocated. Love in the New Creation is not an exchange between two parties. It is opening our hearts to be touched by the Eternal Agape.

We got to the thrift shop and he wanted a windbreaker. It was getting a little chilly. It cost me less than three dollars but in return I had a wonderful conversation enriching my soul. John’s advice is worth following. It brings fruits which we will carry with us for eternity.