Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’ Luke 19:8-10

Well, this is original gospel text for this Sunday. I am assuming that most churches will celebrating the feast of All Saints and consequently the gospel will be about the beatitudes. I rather liked the story about this deposed tax collector. It has always been one of my favorite stories in the gospels, resonating with me in a profound manner. Perhaps at one time I identified with Zacchaeus, albeit purely a romantic notion. The truth is that I have hardly anything in common with the little man. For that matter, neither do our children and teens. He is more like the people with whom our more criminally inclined children are in cahoots. There are wealthy businessmen who buy the gold chains which our children steal. They pay them below the market value knowing very well the origin of the product. Not exactly the kind of person to whom one would naturally feel any sense of affection or sympathy. These are the Zacchaeus of our reality.

Our protagonist in the gospel story was an opportunist. He represented everything which was wrong with society. Nevertheless, he is not the cause nor the source of corrupt state but just a symptom. One who makes it easy for the people to vent all their hatred and anger. The story is very specific about his small stature. It differentiates him from the rest. The people find it easier to hate someone who is different from them. In other words, he was the perfect scapegoat and Jesus surprised everyone by choosing to dine with him. Of all the people present, this man was the perfect candidate for Jesus to transform into a saint. I am sure the people would have thought anyone was better than this scoundrel. Anyway, we cannot count on the opinion of the mass. They are swayed easily. I guess the Palm Sunday and Good Friday liturgy suffice to prove this point. Jesus Himself said, “They have eyes but they do not see and ears but they do not hear.” They can never understand why Jesus wanted to dine with a man like Zacchaeus. They couldn’t see anything in him apart from being a despised tax collector. We need the Light of the Truth to see beyond appearances.

Our young people are not saints. I think I should make this clear. Just in case someone might think that I am going to twist my words around to make them look like saints. There’s not going to be any of that. I do have to say that sometimes our children surprise us, especially the ones who initially make me shake my head and think to myself, “This child is a terror!” Then, all of the sudden, this same child surprises me and shows me how wrong I was. If we, for a moment, are able to move away from the popular notion of saints and define saintly people as those whom God graciously uses to reveal His profound love in action in this world, then I can make a case for our children, but not all of them. I think I just did what I said that I wasn’t going to do. I am making an argument for their sainthood, well not all though. Just a handful.

Every time we go to the streets, we confront what is seemingly a hopeless situation. Outwardly, nothing has become better. From the time we started this ministry till today, the number of homeless children have tripled. The homeless adults population is more appalling. The whole situation is quite bleak. However, almost every time we leave the streets to go back to our home, we are filled with a sense of hope. I was going to add joy to that but decided against. We like to combine the words, “joy and hope” together. Sometimes they do not go hand in hand. There are many days when we see disturbing and tragic things. They fill our hearts with sadness but they do not steal our hope. It is not wishful thinking. It is something based on faith and not blind faith. The kind quickened within our souls each time we talk to a child and teen and observe something in them which perhaps no one else notices. They help us see the Light in a place where everyone only sees darkness. They give us a lot of reason to dine with them because they always reaffirm in us the Truth; “With God nothing is impossible.”

Consistent to my usual writing style, I will share an encounter with a child or teen to give an instance of what I am trying to say. Thankfully, I have many to choose from. We went through a period where we were profoundly disturbed by the arrival of the new children (close to hundreds now) who behaved like characters from William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”. They were aggressively robbing and disregarding all rules of the streets. Now, these same ones are approaching us. They are still engaging in their bad behavior but we do not see them as “little monsters” anymore. We are beginning to see the “lost child” in each of them. Most importantly, they are discovering that with us, they do not need to put up a tough exterior. I can share about any one of them. However, the one who moved me in the most profound manner this week was Eric.

We knew him when he was barely ten and today he just turned 18. To say that he was a terror is an understatement. He did not engage in criminal activities but rather displayed disturbing and cruel behavior void of any remorse. He once tried to set another teen’s foot on fire. He was quite nonchalant about his actions. Needless to say, many of the children were afraid of him. We were a little concerned ourselves. He was our least favorite person. Then one day we met his parents. His mother has serious mental illness and Eric and his brother, Enrique, had to deal with her unpredictable behavior every single day. Their step father was an aggressive and violent man. These two boys never had a chance in life. Unfortunately, this information did not help us to like them more. Eventually, Eric disappeared for a while. He tried staying in a Catholic orphanage for a period but it did not work out. To his credit, he attempted to stay there for a few years. Finally he gave up and went back to the streets. When he saw us, he hugged us as if we were his best friends. Perhaps, we were a familiar face which he needed to see. We noticed a change in him too. He was calmer and even affectionate. He will always come and give us a hug and addresses us collectively as “Uncle Mary”.

This week he asked Mary if she would take a picture of him. He does not have any pictures of himself. Actually, this is true for almost all our children and teens. We have been taking pictures of them and developing prints for them to keep. It started a chain reaction. Now, all of them want us to take pictures of them. It is good thing. We have been waiting for them to ask us to do this. I commented to Eric that it was a pity that we don’t have any pictures of him when he was young kid. To my surprise, he said that he was glad of that. “I was a terrible person then and I don’t want to be reminded of that.” I never expected him to say those words. I used to think that he was a goner. Now, I look at him and realize that we actually enjoy his company. We have also seen him to do things to help other children and teens too. Once we saw him carrying heavy bags of donated food and he was taking it an ailing elderly woman’s house. It was the grandmother of the teens. They had walked for a long distance because they did not have any money for bus fare. We gave him some money and also enough for snacks. We wanted to encourage such acts of kindness. Eric gave us the biggest hug that day. And was so happy for our tiny contribution.

Eric has given me much hope. I see some of these children and teens engage in wicked and disturbing behavior. It is easy to see that this is a hopeless situation. It is even easier to develop bitterness and hatred towards them. Then Eric shows up and proves that with God, nothing is impossible. Eric is not a saint. He is just a young boy who helps us see the powerful presence of God in our midst. In our books, he is a saint but maybe not in the traditional sense.

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”Luke 18:6-8

We haven’t seen Daniel for months. He usually comes around after we leave the streets. Last time we saw him we had arranged to take him for dessert on his birthday. This was almost three months ago. He had just turned twenty this year. It is hard to imagine that this tiny little 11 year old boy is now an adult. Back then, he was always game for anything. We had many excursions with him to the museums and parks. Nowadays, he tends to be little more reserved and melancholic. It is quite disturbing actually. We have noticed a trend among the youth who have spent long periods of their lives homeless. It seems like their mental health deteriorates after a certain time. I guess it is expected of someone constantly exposed to much hostility and isolation. The older teens and youth increase their drugs use to cope with the pressure which only further accelerates the descent of their mental state. However, when we met Daniel on this particular day, he had a happy demeanor which encouraged us. It gave us some hope for the young man.

He has completely forgotten about his special treat. Besides, it would not make any sense if we took him out somewhere for his birthday three months after the fact. Furthermore, he is no longer interested in such things now. However he was just happy to see us. He sat next to Mary and watched her color. We have been doing this a lot now. We found that the children feel more comfortable to sit with us when they have something to do.

Everyone can color and, moreover, it is fun.

Daniel was not interested in doing any coloring. He never was into it. He is more a card games person. Recently he has even lost interest in this. Thankfully, he still likes to chat with us. He asked Mary if she ever wanted to be an artist. She is quite artistic but never had the opportunity to pursue it further than a hobby. Her brother, on the other hand, is an established artist and Daniel remembers meeting him. He visited with us for a week about five years ago. When the children heard about his visit, they practically pleaded with us to bring him to the streets. They were keen to meet any of our family members. They even promised to be on their best behavior. It was quite comical. They were waiting by the stairs when we brought him over. They behaved as if they were receiving a guest in their house except that ii was on the steps of the Cathedral. Some even learned English phrases and tried their best to communicate with him. Unfortunately, for Mary’s brother, he was a little overwhelmed by the situation. It is quite understandable. There is no way we can prepare anyone to face the homeless situation here. We have been here for almost ten years this time and it still disturbs us. Sadly, this is not the worst area. There are places which are just downright depressing. Nevertheless, the children were just happy to meet someone from our family. Daniel was among them. That was a different time. Now, the new arrivals to the streets are more into criminal activity. It is not surprising as there is an increasing sense of lawlessness in the society presently. Therefore, the children and teens are merely reflecting what is happening in general.

One of the older teens came over and said something a little bizarre. He wanted to know if we thought about starting a home for them. Then Daniel added it would be great if we had one because they will live there with us. It was really the first time in all these years that they expressed this. At first, I thought perhaps this was just a passing thought and did not pursue it. Daniel asked again if we ever thought about adopting any of the children. I explained that if we adopt a few, then we will be hindered from coming to the streets everyday. Running house takes a lot of responsibility and we would need to dedicate ourselves completely to it. We decided to dedicate ourselves to be in the streets instead so that we can have contact with the maximum number of the homeless children. Daniel was quiet for a moment. It was obvious he did not quite get the answer he expected. He rephrased his question. “If you were to adopt anyone from the streets, who would you adopt?” I looked at him and said, “You, of course.” His face lit up and he hugged me immediately and then he went over to Mary and gave her big hug. It was the answer he wanted to hear. It is all true. Daniel always has a special place in our hearts. He is one of our favorites.

Daniel asked if we would pray for him. I said a simple prayer for our favorite teen and then before I could say, “amen”, Daniel sneaked in a prayer. He prayed that Mary will continue to do her art work and one day he wanted to do it with her. He also asked God to continue to guide him so that one day he will find a way out and was grateful for our presence in his life. This is not the first time Daniel prayed these words. It has been his constant prayer for several years. He is not sure how or what it will take for him to find a way out. He wants to have the wisdom to recognize it when it happens. Maybe our conversation with him today was part of the answer to this prayer. After this prayer, he laid his head on my lap and took a nap. It is not unusual. The older ones do this when they feel secure enough to revert for a moment to being a child again. It is something special that they give to us without even realizing it.

We were sitting there and slowly a small group gathered around us. They were not really talking to us but they wanted to be near us. I am not sure why. Some of them hardly talk to us. Others have a strong connection with us. On our part, there are some we really like Daniel and then there are others who are quite disagreeable and frankly speaking, unlikeable. However, all of them, regardless of whether they possess personal charm or charisma, want to be loved. Their deepest and most profound prayer is to be loved and wanted by someone else. It is not asking for much. They are not even asking for a home nor a financially successful life. They just want someone to look at them and say I want this person to be part of my life.

Humanly speaking, it is not possible for us to say the words we expressed to Daniel to some of the teens. However, what is impossible with humans is not impossible for God. We pray that God will give us the eyes to see these children and teens in the same way He sees them. This is something only God can do. If I am sick, I can go to a doctor. Technically speaking, I do not need to believe in God for healing in this sense. If I need a better life, I can educate myself and pursue whatever I need. Many have done this without praying nor believing in God. However, to love someone who is not lovable for a variety of reasons, only God can do this in my heart. To have compassion for people who do not invoke such sentiments in my heart, only God can do this. Jesus promises us that He will do it.

It is interesting that Jesus ended this parable with an enigmatic phrase, “will he find faith on earth.” Faith is something within us. It is in our soul. It helps us discern God’s answer to our prayers. Many times the answer is not found in the world. It is found in our hearts and souls. If we pray to love those who are unloveable, then God will start changing our hearts to become more available to receive from those whom we dislike. It is not an easy road. This is why we need much faith to be the answer to our own prayers. I guess that the size of a mustard will do.

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.’ Luke 17:5-6

One thing is for certain, she will never walk. Her spinal cord has developed in a way which makes it impossible. To make matters worse, she does not have complete control of her arms also. Her family is extremely poor and they work hard to maintain the little they have. Many times she was left alone in a tiny room with moldy walls. This was where we met her for the first time. Then she was always surrounded by her nieces and nephews. In fact, she was the only adult constantly present in their lives while their parents were busy working for very low wages. She never needed to raise her voice with the children. They listened and obeyed her. It is not that she has a commanding presence. The children just saw something in her others failed to see. Perhaps their faith was purer than most adults who could not get pass her disability. Their faith could not remove the “mulberry tree”. All her nephews and nieces are adults now. I am not sure if their childlike faith is still intact.

Her prayer has always been to become a “regular” person. For years, she prayed fervently for healing. Whenever she heard testimonies of miraculous healings, she would go into a depression. It made her feel less secure about God who seemed to ignore her pleas but never failed to attend to others. She wants to be healed so that she can become a contributing member in her family. Her mother worked all her life doing menial jobs. It is time for her to retire and enjoy the rest of her life. However, our friend’s disability stops her from even helping her mother. In a recent conversation, she told me that a friend had convinced her to attend a healing service. This was one of those miracle spectaculars organized by a dubious minister who claimed that he could heal the blind and the lame. Our friend was feeling hesitant about the whole affair. She has been through this disappointing saga countless times before. However, her friend was convinced that this time it was going to be different because her pastor was incredible. She was right. There was nothing credible about him. The so-called pastor told our friend that he failed to heal her because of her lack of faith. In other words, her physical disabilities were her fault. It is hard to imagine how anyone who could do such a thing to a poor suffering soul. It happens more frequently than one realizes. Maybe you know this already and I am the one who is naive enough to be shocked by this. Our friend decided that she has had enough of church. She did not stop believing in God. She just stopped believing in church.

The words of Jesus in the gospel reading could be misconstrued to strengthen the argument of this callous minister. Nevertheless, these words were meant to bring hope and encouragement to someone like my friend, not further condemnation and isolation. I should be able to say these words to our homeless young people for the same reason. They are not homeless because of their lack of faith. All of them have faith but this does not mean all their mulberry trees are swimming in the ocean. They are still there or maybe they are not what they seem to be. I am talking about the “trees” here. It is possible that Jesus does not see my friend’s disability nor the children’s condition as an obstacle. There is a strong chance that it is our lack of faith which sees it as an obstacle. Maybe just like the people from Jesus’ hometown who could not believe that a mere carpenter could also be the Christ.

Of course, my friend’s disability and the children’s homelessness are real things hindering them from living the so-called normal life. These are obstructions and the likelihood of overcoming them is very slim. Wallace and Wilton are working now. They work hard in a construction company. Their salary is enough to pay for their food and not their housing. Edson works as a security guard at night and during the day time he sleeps in a tent in the streets. Kawanna and Erica just got jobs in a cleaning company. Now they will not have to ask us for help to buy food but they still have to continue to be squatters in an abandoned warehouse. They will always be living in the margins of society. Perhaps there might be a radical shift in society which will change everything. Some people believe this. To be honest, I do not have much faith in it.

My friend has always been disabled. Therefore, she has no idea what it is like to be something else. She desires healing so that people will see and treat her more than just a disabled person. The problem is not her disability but how people see her. Our children and teens were born into extreme poverty. They do not know any different. We see children who are third generation homeless and it disturbs us profoundly. The children are oblivious to this fact. They are playing in the streets and rolling around in the dirt without a care. I am not saying that these conditions should considered as a norm. However, it is more important to see the person and not just their condition. My friend is a very interesting and life-giving person. Our children despite their homeless situation bring joy to our hearts. They help us see Jesus in a different light. This week the heavy rains stopped us from going out every day but when there was a short reprieve, we rushed out to the streets. Not because we felt obliged. It is because these children and teens bring something to our lives. They are able to give us something real and precious. However, many people walk past them and just see homeless people. Many people see my friend just as a disabled person. The mulberry tree is blocking their view.

I will be talking to my friend later this week. I think I will refer to the later part of this gospel reading to help her understand better what Jesus is saying.

So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” Luke 17:10

I know this might sound worse than the previous words especially to our modern ears. It contains two problematic words, “worthless” and “slaves”. We live in a time where everyone believes that they are free and special. I do not disagree with these ideas. However, I believe despite these hard words, Jesus wants to build us up and not tear us down. He is not trying to put us in our place. He is helping us to understand that faith is not given to us so that we can compete in life with others. It is given to us to help us fulfill our uttermost calling to be a servant of God. By the way, words “slave” and “servant” were interchangeable in Jesus’ time if that helps to overcome any uneasiness. At least, it helps me a bit. However, the essential message here is that no matter what our social or physical condition is in this world, all of us share the same ultimate vocation. Some people might be privileged to be born in a place where they can achieve most of their dreams and desires. It does not mean that they are in a better position to fulfill their ultimate vocation. To the contrary, it might become an obstacle. Most people in the world do not live in this reality but it does not stop them from accomplishing their ultimate purpose in life.

Our faith is not an instrument to get ahead in life. It is a gift to help us become servants of God. There are no such thing as super servants and regular servants. These are standards of the world which quietly creep into our spirituality. In the Kingdom of God, there are just servants and our faith will help us to fulfill this role despite our social or physical condition. Our friend was instrumental in transforming a brutal and chauvinistic man into a living saint. Of course, he will reject this label as a saint does immediately. Presently he is an Anglican priest and has started a church among the poorest of the poor where the congregation can not provide a living for him. He did not allow this mulberry tree to stop him. He will tell you that he met Jesus though our friend who was stuck in the tiny dirty room. I can say the same too. Our friend, despite her limitations, has touched the lives of many with the love of God. We met this friend before we went back to this ministry with the homeless children and teens. In many ways, she has helped to remove the mulberry trees in our paths and to see God’s loving presence in the lives of the children and teens. Our friend has done much more than most able bodied people. She did it without leaving her tiny room. Her faith is quite amazing. I have much to say to her when I talk to her later this week.