Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive. Luke 20:38

Then the thief said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ Luke 23: 42-43

Finding his grave was a challenge. The rain did not help either. We did not have much information except that he was buried in this particular cemetery. It was in a neighborhood in the eastern part of the city. This is a huge city and the eastern part is almost like a foreign country for all of us. Usually, it is difficult to get our young people anywhere beyond the limited geographic area where they sleep and hang out. They don’t like taking the bus nor the subway train. They get a little claustrophobic. However, today was different. They were willing to step out of their comfort zone. It was necessary. We were all stepping out of our comfort zone.

Over the years, many of our homeless youth have died. The amazing thing is that this is the first time they wanted to go to the grave site. They wanted to say a proper goodbye to Wanderson. Our young people have matured. Before they were just kids. Death was a tragic event but the reality of it did not hit them hard. Now they are older. Their relationships become more meaningful. They understand that these relationships help them get anchored in life. Wanderson’s sudden departure shook their world profoundly. They needed some sort of closure. They asked us to organize their trip to the cemetery.

It was a small group. Bruno, Gabriel, Daniel and an elderly lady who decided a few years ago to become Wanderson’s unofficial godmother. She owns a bed and breakfast where Wanderson worked and helped out every now and then. We did not notice his disappearance at first because all of us imagined that he was at her place. Wanderson has been in the streets since he was twelve. He avoided being involved in any crime. Consequently, he never spent any time away from the streets like some of the youth who were frequently detained in the juvenile detention center. Even when he stayed with his “godmother” at the bed and breakfast, it was only for a few days. All his strong relationships were formed in the streets; it wasn’t just with the other homeless young people. He had strong ties with everyone who worked in the street. He wasn’t really a dynamic person. Actually, he was a reserved taciturn person. The truth be told, he was always sniffing paint thinner. Part of this was due to his limited mental capabilities. Wanderson was a little special. His family placed him in the state orphanage because they were too poor. Maybe there were other reasons but none of them were malicious. Unfortunately, for Wanderson and many of our homeless youth, it was a sign of rejection. He never overcame this rejection like almost all our youth. They can overcome almost all kinds of abuse but rejection strikes them deep in their souls. Over the years, he had very minimal contact with his family. In fact, they were unaware of his passing, The police were not able to get in touch with them. They knew of his passing through us.

When Wanderson disappeared, no one was too worried. We thought he was at the bed and breakfast. Then we noticed his prolonged absence. We called his “godmother” and she informed us that he had not appeared there for weeks. Finally, Mary and I had to file a missing person report. We had his birth certificate and we also brought a recent photo. Later in the evening on the same day, the police got in touch with us and informed us that Wanderson had passed away. He died of natural causes. Apparently, he was walking in the streets and collapsed. A passer by called the ambulance and they managed to revive him once but his heart eventually stopped beating before they got to the hospital. He was brought directly to the morgue. This was why we did not have any records of him in the hospitals. We went to the hospitals first before going to the police. The death report stated that no drugs nor violence were involved. His body just gave up after living all those years in the streets homeless. Unfortunately, this is quite common for most of the children and teens who become homeless at a young age. Wanderson was only 25. We have known him since 2014.

Mary helped teach him how to read. Some one from Florida sent us a book in Portuguese. I can’t recall the title but it was a book about Aesop’s fables. It was the first and only book Wanderson had read in its entirety. Perhaps it sounds like nothing for most people but for Wanderson and us, it was a great achievement. However, it wasn’t just about achieving something. It was the time spent together. I remember that there were some people from Florida who corresponded with him. One Christmas, he bought a Christmas card with money he got from begging to send to the person with whom he was corresponding. Wanderson was complex. Sometimes he was moody and aloof but, at the same time, he was open to people who showed love and attention. It was like a contradiction. Well, our homeless youth are complex. We take them as they are.

At the cemetery, we had to find the administrative office first to find out where exactly he was buried. It was no easy task. Nothing is easy here especially when you are poor in this city. Our homeless youth are the poorest of the poor. It took the administrator a while to find the exact lot where he was buried. When we got there, there was nothing. It was a small section with brown dirt. There was no plaque, no tombstone; just brown dirt. There was a man was sitting in a makeshift tent. We asked him if we were in the right place. He made some phone calls and then pointed to an area and told us that Wanderson was buried somewhere around there. He informed us that in order to conserve space, they bury people in layers. Wanderson was buried between two people. Then the man tried to convince us to pay for a plaque which he will do for a good price. I told him that we were there to mourn and he left us alone.

The young people brought several candles and his “godmother” brought some flowers. She even had a bar of chocolate. It was Wanderson’s favorite chocolate. We had a photo of Wanderson with Daniel and myself at a museum we visited. All three of us were laughing. It was the way we want to remember him. We placed the photo on the ground and the lit the candles. I opened the Book of Common Prayer and did a simple memorial service for him. Then I asked each person to take a moment at the grave site alone to say a prayer and our farewell to Wanderson. Of all our years in this ministry, this is the first time we have done anything of this sort. It is good for all them to know that we are here for these moments too.

We left the cemetery feeling a lot better than when we went there. We felt like we gave Wanderson a proper goodbye. He died alone in the streets. However, we wanted to have something religious even if it was just for ourselves. Wanderson was someone special to us. He did not leave this world like an invisible person. He left us with good memories. He remains alive in us through this memories. Thankfully, we also have hope. We have a King who inclines His ears to those who are forgotten and rejected in this world. This King is willing to listen and accept those whom the world throws away like the good thief at the Cross. Wanderson was always open to people who showed him love. Many times, he was held back by his intellectual challenges but it did not prevent him from showing that he was open to receive love and kindness.

We left the cemetery with the burning hope that one day we don’t have rely just on our memories to be with him.

As Jesus entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’ Luke 17: 12-19

One of the most successful homeless youth is Bruno.

No one would say this by just looking at him. His appearance is the epitome of a homeless person. He wears clothes which should have been thrown away months ago. He also drags around a blanket like the character from the Peanuts. He uses it as a makeshift bed for his pet dog, Lala. He carries a bag pack with a broken zipper and it looks like all its contents would fall out any moment. In other words, Bruno looks like a complete mess. There is nothing there to suggest that he is a successful person.

He has a tragic past too. His infancy is one of abandonment and rejection. To make matters worse, he suffered abuse in the hands of his caretakers in the state orphanage. Everything which could go wrong went wrong for him. Bruno is also very intelligent. He could have gone far if he had the opportunity when he was young. Unfortunately, the unstable circumstances of his infancy and teenage years in the streets stagnated his intellectual growth. He is still quite advanced but his reasoning is very much like a highly intelligent 14 year old. This intellectual stagnancy is common among our youth. They don’t have much stimulation and opportunities to grow intellectually.

Many people have tried helping Bruno. At least, they have tried to help him in their way. Some people give him clothes. Others have offered a place for him to stay. A woman even asked him to work for her circus. The circus is still a thing in Brazil. Bruno has refused all these offers. As sad as this sounds, he has accepted the fact that he will always be a homeless person.

In the past, he did attempt to do something different. However, life has never been fair to him. In most cases, people weren’t able to follow through with their promises. Sometimes, people with good intentions just don’t understand the complexity of helping someone like Bruno. This young man carries a lot of emotional and spiritual baggage. He needs to deal with them at his own pace. Sometimes people want to rush things and they end up getting disappointed. Bruno feels disappointed with himself. Perhaps this is why he feels that it is safer just to accept that the fact that he will always be a homeless person. It is easier for everyone concerned. Whether we agree with this or not is irrelevant. Sometimes people tell him that he can become whatever he desires to be. In this city, we have thousands of homeless people and none of them desired to be where they are. I am sure that they had hopes and dreams. Many did not achieve what they wanted. There are millions around them who have settled to a mediocre existence. Cliches don’t reflect real life even though many like to throw them out liberally. We decided that we are not going to be one of these people. Instead, we choose to listen to Bruno and allow the Holy Spirit to use us in his healing process.

One day, Bruno shared that someone walked past him and commented to her companion that it was tragic to see someone like Bruno. This was said within his earshot. He was a little offended. He did not think that he was such a tragic case. He said that he has everything he needs. Furthermore, he continued, his circumstances do not determine nor hinder the person he desires to be. There was no need for him to elaborate any further. He is one of the few homeless youth who is actually living the life he wants to live. Bruno wants to be a person who loves people. I am not saying that Bruno is a saint. He is far from being a saint. No one who knows him will say that he is a saint. However, everyone will agree that he loves to be friends with anyone who stops and talks to him. He is one of the most open and welcoming youths in the streets.

Almost all our youth beg to survive. Some do odd jobs. A small minority are petty thieves. Bruno doesn’t really beg per say. He actually talks to people. He hardly asks for anything unless it is dog food for Lala. The people give him food and money. Sometimes they even buy him clothes. He sometimes asks us to keep the clothes because he doesn’t want them to get ruined. Most of the time, he ends up giving them away to someone else. Sometimes people give the strangest things to him, like a pound of uncooked rice. He is homeless and there is no way he can cook. Everyone knows this. At least most people do. Bruno takes these and gives them to families he knows who need food. Some of these families told us about it. He shares whatever he receives even with people he doesn’t know. We have seen this in action several times. People like to give things to Bruno because he is different. The thing that sets him apart is his sense of gratitude. It goes beyond the conventional means of expressing gratitude.

In the streets, the homeless people say, “God bless you” whenever someone gives them something. Over the years, I have heard this phrase countless times. It is quite mechanical. It is not, in essence, a genuine expression of gratitude. It is just like how most people say, “Thank you” to a grocery clerk. It is not really gratitude but more like saying “the transaction between us is over”. It is a far cry from the spirituality of gratitude which the gospels convey. Therefore, it would be wrong to assume that saying all the culturally sanctioned phrases of gratitude transforms us into grateful people. Don’t get me wrong. A society which doesn’t use any expressions of gratitude would be a horrible place to live. However, gratitude shouldn’t be reduced to mere saying of these words.

In the parable from the gospel text above, only the Samaritan returned to thank Jesus. It is interesting that Samaritans and the Jewish people at that time did not interact with each other. In fact, the Jewish people despised them. It is interesting that their common suffering helped the Jewish lepers overcome their societal prejudice and receive the Samaritan as one of them. At least, they allowed him to seek healing together. Jesus just saw them as people who needed to be healed. They were suffering and He had the power and compassion to heal them. Jesus advised them to follow the ritualistic protocol for lepers which enabled them to return to society. The Samaritan, however, was not allowed to go to the Jewish temple. The Samaritans have their own temple and priesthood which still exists today. This particular man could have gone home to his temple and perform the required rituals to be integrated into society. However, he saw something in Jesus which the others failed to see. They were so concerned about getting something from Jesus that they hardly paid any attention to the Giver. The Samaritan saw the face of God in Jesus. He felt the need to return to Jesus to thank Him for allowing God’s love to shine through Him. Jesus said, “Your Faith has made you well.” The rest were just healed of their leprosy. This man received something more. His soul was renewed and restored through his faith. He went home knowing that God loved him.

Bruno wasn’t always a grateful person. We have known him for a long time, almost twelve years now. We see him everyday. We have witnessed his growth. I used to chide him for his lack of gratitude. He used to be one of those who expected to receive without giving anything. Then something started changing in him. When or how this change happened, I could not say. However, we witnessed a change in him. The most obvious change was that he used to sniff paint thinner all day long. Now, he doesn’t do it at all during the day especially when there are people around. He would rather talk to people. He discovered that each time he speaks to someone, something good and holy stays with him. He has become more aware of God in his life. He is not particularly religious. At least, not in the conventional sense. You never hear him say “God bless you”. However, he likes to write in his notebook, “I love and adore you, God.” I used to think this was strange because he doesn’t usually exhibit any religious sentiment. Now, I realize that Bruno is growing to recognize God’s face in the people whom he meets. These people approach him, not because they feel pity or sorry for him. They approach him because they too sense God’s love drawing them towards. It is God’s love that is slowly changing him. The proof of this is his gratitude because this is only way we can respond to God’s unconditional love. A person who knows he or she is loved is always a grateful person regardless of their life circumstances. In this sense, Bruno is quite a successful young man. He always has something to be grateful for: the mere fact that he is loved despite having nothing materially.

Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 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 17:7-10

It is strange that this teaching is connected with the initial plea of an apostle; “Increase our faith”. It seems like Jesus is completely changing the subject instead addressing this initial request. He also uses some complicated words for our modern ears. The word, “slave”, can be explained away by the historical context but the use of the word, “worthless”, is quite disturbing. Jesus, throughout his ministry reminded us that we are precious to the Father and, now, He seems to contradict Himself saying that we are worthless slaves. Perhaps the only way we can escape this dilemma is to reflect on faith and its nature. Then maybe we can have a better understanding of this whole teaching.

We will start with the nature of faith. It is a difficult question to answer and almost every answer is never fully satisfying. Sometimes critics of religion think that faith is believing something that is illogical and absurd. Some religious people also say this. However, there is a big difference between faith and belief. There are many things I believe and most of them have no bearing on my daily life. In fact, sometimes a lot of atheists believe in the most ridiculous conspiracy theories and non scientific nonsense. Even then, their lifestyle is hardly effected by their beliefs. Faith differs from this because it is transformative. It is life-changing.

In the gospels, it seems like faith involves trusting God to do the impossible. Perhaps this is the intention of the request of the apostle. He wanted Jesus to help the apostles do the impossible. Jesus does not correct the apostles. Therefore, we may conclude that they were right in thinking this way. We need faith to receive something beyond our capacity as human beings. Jesus teaches that the faith we possess is sufficient. God does not require much from us but only to act on what He has given us.

Often times many claim that they have little faith. The truth is all of us have very little faith. Apparently, it doesn’t matter. It is enough to uproot a mulberry tree and plant it in the sea. I had to look up mulberry tree. I discovered that mulberry tree is common here in Brazil especially in our city. I have known it by its Portuguese name. It produces fruits which look like black berries. It is a favorite among our homeless youth. The problem is that the fruits are high up in the branches and most of the times our young people are not able to get to them. They would prefer to have faith to get to the fruits. However, it is interesting that Jesus used an example that is concretely present in our reality. It also teaches us something about faith. It does something concrete and real in our lives, it is not wishful thinking as some of our critics would like to imply.

In our daily lives, we have very little need to move mountains and uproot trees. I have seen my brother-in-law effectively remove a tree with a chainsaw without saying a single prayer. Faith has a higher purpose than doing these mundane things. It awakens our souls to search for something better, richer, and greater than what is presented to us in this world. This awareness is not mere knowledge. It is what Jesus said in the beatitudes,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Seeking righteousness is not about doing the right thing but about being set right in our existence. Our souls recognize that something essential is missing in our lives. We know that this something lies beyond us but our faith implanted in our soul by God gives us the conviction that we can find it. There are people who claim that they don’t have any faith. These say so because they think that faith is associated with belief and they find it hard to believe something which does not speak to their souls. Faith uses a language of symbolism. Sometimes these symbols fail to stir the faith of the person. The problem is that there are many inadequate and misleading symbols present in this world. They all attempt to seduce our souls into believing that they can satisfy the longing of our faith. In our prayer, instead of asking God to increase our faith, it would be more helpful if we ask for spiritual maturity and discernment.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:13-14

Our faith stirs our soul to seek for meaning and significance in this life. Sometimes we can put our faith in the wrong things. However, one thing is for sure, we cannot find peace and harmony in our lives until we discover the true object of our faith.

Most traditional churches including the Anglican Church commemorate the feast day of St Francis. He is very popular figure in Western Christianity but does not hold a prominent place in the Eastern Christian circles. Our homeless youth only know of him through the ministry of the Franciscan friars here. The ministry of St Francis is seen more than heard here. Perhaps this is the way he desired.

St Francis had a simple faith and he used it effectively to remove many mountains in his path. Before this, his faith or search for fulfillment led him to wrong places and decisions. However, he was always attentive to the gentle voice of his faith. He eventually overcame his first mountain which was his family wealth. It gave him access to wrong and misleading illusions. Then he overcame his own personal aversions to the simple life. Without wealth, he was condemned to a life of simplicity. He overcame his aversions by serving a leper. He showed compassion to a leper who had repulsive sores. He wanted to see this leper the way God saw him. Throughout his life, his faith continued to help him overcome many mountains and trees until he was able to see God’s presence in the simplest of things of nature. Finally, just before his death, his faith helped him to discern his own pride of having founded a religious order. He wanted to control its direction and learned to give up this control. There was never a moment in St Francis’ life where he believed that he had fully discovered God’s love and presence in its entirety. His mustard sized faith helped him overcome obstacles along his spiritual path until he found the true purpose of his life.
At the end of his life, he realized that he was just a worthless slave who was privileged to be part of something great God is doing in this world. St Francis’ faith did not add or subtract to any of God’s actions. His worthiness was not increased by his participation in God’s work. St Francis understood, through his faith, that he was invited to participate because God loved him. Our Father loved Him not because of anything he achieved but because he is a precious child of God and consequently St Francis’ eyes were also opened to see those around him as precious children of God.

This is what a faith the size of a mustard seed is able to do. We have this faith. God has given it to us. We don’t need more faith. We just need to put it to use where we are. All we need to do now is to remove the mountains and trees hindering us from discerning God’s unconditional love present in this world.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. Luke 16:19-31

Parables remind us that the profound answers to Life are found in our everyday lives; things we were tend to overlook or consider insignificant. God gives us opportunities to draw closer to Him through things that are right there before our eyes. This parable of Lazarus and the rich man may not be a common everyday occurrence for many reading this text but to us it is a living reality.

In this city Lazarus is found everywhere. In fact, we have our own “Lazarus” sitting just outside the apartment building where we live. Therefore, this parable is a description of our reality and a challenge to us personally.

I might have mentioned this before; São Paulo has the largest homeless population in the Americas. The latest research from various sources have concluded that we have about 93,000 people living in a state of homelessness. It sounds unimaginable for many. It should disturb many too. However, in this city, it is an everyday thing unfortunately. The largest gathering of homeless people is found in the area where we live. I often refer to this area where we live and meet with the children and young people as the “old center”. It is, in reality, the historic center. This might conjure up images of quaint historic buildings with their ornate architecture. These buildings are present here but in various degrees of deterioration. It is also common to find abandoned skyscrapers and apartment buildings which could be used as cheap and affordable housing but the lack of empathy has paralysed any efforts to make use of these buildings in a more beneficial manner. As of now, they sit rotting while there are thousands of homeless who sleep in tents outside of them. However, this is not the focus of this reflection, well, empathy is but we will let the parable speak to us about that. For now, I just want to share why we have such a number of homeless people here. Those who are in this situation find this area a safe haven for them. I don’t know the exact number but I know that just a three blocks from where I live, there are about 200 to 300 homeless people living in tents. They are usually harmless. Many suffer from mental illness. The local residents are accustomed to their presence. They are not alarmed nor disturbed by the presence of the homeless. Most of the time, people just ignore them. It is not because they are callous and cruel. It is just a situation which has become normalized. No doubt, the rich man saw Lazarus begging outside his door. Most likely, he had walked past him countless times and never even noticed him. It doesn’t mean that he was bad. It just means that he did not concern himself with others apart from his own personal concerns like most of us.

Recently a young man decided that he was going to sleep just outside our building. It is not uncommon in our neighborhood. This young man is about the same age as the youth to whom we minister to in our ministry. In fact, he is not a complete stranger to us. We have seen him before where we meet our young people. However, he suffers from severe mental illness. Most of the time, he lives within his head. He has conversations with himself. He doesn’t acknowledge people around him. He is harmless but sometimes he has heated arguments with an imaginary person. He never changes his clothes but strangely, he doesn’t smell bad. He refuses to wear any shoes. His feet are covered with black oily substance. He is never hungry. He doesn’t beg, at least outside the building. He just sits alone. I think he feels safe here. Everyday we walk past him, sometimes twice a day, on our way to meet our youth and then when we return home on a cold night to drink our hot chocolate and sit on our warm couch. He is our Lazarus but without the dogs.

It is interesting that Jesus mentioned the dogs. We live in a culture that has a strong affection for dogs but Jesus did not. Dogs were considered unclean back then because they are natural scavengers. People considered them a little less than a nuisance. However, they were tolerated in some instances because they protected the houses of those who fed them. In this parable, Jesus points out that even an animal considered to be lowly and unclean showed compassion to Lazarus. The dogs licked his wounds some thing which is their way of caring for an injured member of their pack. The dogs had empathy to receive Lazarus into their fold.

The other detail that sets this parable apart from others is that Jesus gave the poor beggar a name. In all likelihood, he was a real person. Even in his parables, Jesus refused to allow someone like Lazarus to suffer anonymity. Our Lord reveals to us the difference between His values and the world. In this world, the contrary is true. Even today, we know the names of billionaires living miles away from our reality both physically and metaphorically and yet most of us don’t know the name of the cashier whom we see everyday in our grocery stores.

Lazarus is someone who is accessible to Jesus due to his unfortunate circumstances whereas the rich man lives an isolated existence. Only select people have access to him. However, the truth is found in everyday circumstances accessible to all peoples, rich and poor.

Many tend to read this parable as a cautionary tale of heaven and hell. This is quite an unfortunate interpretation. It is not a descriptive narration of the afterlife. It is about living our abundant life in the here and now. In the Parable, Abraham reminded the rich man that Moses and the Prophets were always taught the essence of the Law but the rich man did not heed it. Jesus Himself repeated this teaching,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.” This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37-40

These two commandments are so connected with each other that it is impossible to obey the first without fulfilling the second one. Jesus gave us another commandment which is even more powerful and explicit.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. John 13:34

The teachings of Paul reiterate this teaching in the famous text 1 Corinthians 13. The epistles of John and James remind us of this teaching in beautiful poetical language. All the disciples that went out into the world to preach the good news knew that this is the essence of the gospel. The Love of God graciously bestowed upon us transforms us into agents of Love. Without Love, all our words and actions become like clanging cymbals.

Love is an acknowledgment that the other exists and his or her existence is important and essencial for our own existence. It is not about showing charity. I use the word charity in the popular sense.
In the way it is commonly practiced the person who gives doesn’t believe that the person receiving has anything to offer in return. Love is acknowledging that the divine presence in the other has something important and profound to contribute to our lives. Every person and thing in existence is an expression of God’s personhood. When the Love of God dwells in our hearts, we are able to see His Light shining brightly in the other regardless of their status or condition in this life.

Our “Lazarus” is lost in his own world due to his mental illness. We decided to just acknowledge his presence with a nod. He responded to it reluctantly without making eye contact. One day, we greeted him with “good morning” and he surprised us with a rich smile which lit up his whole face. He is really a handsome fellow. He responded with a “good morning”. On another occasion, we past him by chance in a completely different location. We waved at him and he saw us and was truly happy to see us. He rewarded us with his smile once more. He wasn’t as out-of-it as I thought. We found out his name recently. His name is John in English. With a name, it is easier. He is no longer a stranger. We can discover his personality and maybe a few words to him each day. He doesn’t need much. I mean he needs a lot of help but for now, he wants a safe place. Hopefully, he knows that we want to be his friend and transform his safe place into a friendly one, too. I don’t where things are going with this relationship but it is definitely going to enrich us. I pray that it would enrich John, too.

No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Luke 16: 13

There is no beating around the bush on this one. The text demands us to reflect on the subject of money.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Most of us like money a lot. We need it to survive and having a little bit more promises us a lot of comfort. It makes life easier and there is nothing wrong with that. We may not love money like it is everything in our life. Unfortunately, money is not satisfied being a servant. This is where Jesus takes issue with it. It just refuses to be a servant. It always wants to be our god. It demands our complete and utter devotion. Unfortunately, there is growing sentiment in the world now where many are not afraid to admit that they only love and care about money. There are also churches preaching that money is a blessing. Jesus never used these words. He always told us to get rid of it.

Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33

This wasn’t a command given to a specific person like the story for the rich young ruler. It is given to those who want to be His disciples. Therefore, we have a lot to consider. There is no point trying to find a loophole using the words of St Paul where he is often quoted by whose who feel very comfortable with money,

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I Timothy 6:10

Some argue that as long as they don’t love money, they are fine. St Paul did not write this to give us a loophole. He agrees with Jesus. Money sets itself against God. In other words, it is a demon. It can deceive us easily. Therefore, let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling and not be deceived by the lies of this world.

You may have heard some say, “Money doesn’t solve all our problems.” It is something all of us might agree to without much controversy. The problem is that this is not true. Money solves a lot of problems and we live in a world riddled with problems. There is no one here without any problems that money can’t help. Jesus understood this because, like us, He had His fair share of problems.

Jesus had family problems. The gospels tells us His family thought that Jesus was mad. This wasn’t because Jesus was preaching and healing people but Jesus wasn’t fulfilling His responsibilities to His mother. He was the first born and it was His duty to provide for His parents in their old age. In all likelihood, our Lord was doing this when working as a carpenter until He answered His higher calling. His family could not understand why He would abandoned His trade and neglected His duties to His mother. A little money could have resolved this issue. Jesus had problems with the religious authorities. They hated Him but, in this gospel text, the evangelist states that the Pharisees were lovers of money (Luke 13:14). If Jesus had been a rich man, their attitude would have been completely different. Jesus had financial problems. He had no place to rest His head. He really had very little money so much so that they had to fish to get a coin to pay His taxes. The gospel tells us that women supported Jesus financially. Women had limited access to money in these times even if they came from wealthy families. These women gave of the little they had. Jesus could have gotten rich if He wanted. He healed many rich people. I am sure that they would have supported Him financially. However, our Lord practiced what He preached. Even the living Son of God was wary of the power of money. We need to take heed of this.

Money solves a lot of problems but Jesus says it is sinful or dishonest. Many of us like to think money is neutral, but not Jesus. It is as sinful as the forbidden fruit which led to the fall of humanity. It was for the same reasons. It gives an illusion that we can be our own gods.

The thing for us to remember is that there is nowhere in the gospels where Jesus promised us a problem free life. To the contrary, Jesus promised that we will have more problems. He said our families might hate us if we follow Him. He said our friends might abandon or betray us. In other words, all the things which happened to Him might happen to us. However, He did promise one thing. He said that despite all these problems,

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

This is good news. Abundant life is available even if we don’t have money. It is available even if our lives are riddled with problems. God’s love is greater than all these. It transcends all these. This is especially good news for our ministry. We don’t have the financial resources to resolve all the problems of the homeless youth. However, we have life which is graciously bestowed upon us through our Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t need money to share this Life. Lack of money cannot hinder us from sharing this Life. Therefore, the most relevant question to ask is what exactly is abundant life. We cannot be vague. Money is quite clear of what it gives to us in this life. We need to be clear about Abundant Life.

Perhaps the controversial parable can help us here. Jesus is not praising the manager for his deceitfulness. He is praising the manager because, despite his dishonesty, he knew exactly that he needed friends to have a good life. He used money, albeit dishonestly, to gain friends. He did the right thing for selfish reasons. Jesus is not allowing us to be dishonest. We interpret Jesus’ words according to His Life. Jesus is pointing out that despite being selfish and corrupt, he still understood the importance of relationship.

The abundant Life Jesus promised comes through our relationships. Beginning with our relationship of God who fills our hearts with unconditional Love and then this unconditional Love helps us to see God’s Love present in this problem riddled world. God’s unconditional Love will help us to use the dishonest things of this world for an opportunity to share His Love. In the streets, homelessness is a problem of a sinful society. We cannot solve these problems. However, we have an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge God’s love present in the circumstances. Therefore, how does money come into all this?

Jesus is teaching us to use our money to gain friends. He is not saying that we buy our friends with gifts. He is saying that we use our money to remove obstacles hindering us from developing our friendship with people. In other words, Jesus is teaching us to live a lifestyle of generosity. This is the only virtue we can use to counter the sinful influences of money. Generosity should not be confused with liberality. This is just another way of showing devotion to the god of money. Generosity is recognition that every thing we have comes from God and we give back to Him following the example of our Lord. Our Lord used all His resources to serve people; good and bad. Generosity is not just about money although it plays an important role. Generosity is a lifestyle. We have to be generous with our time and space; space includes our home, too. Sometimes it means putting away our headphones and engaging in a conversation with a person. It means making time for people despite our busy schedules. It doesn’t mean we give our time, space and money to anyone we meet in the streets. True generosity comes with wisdom. Generosity means being open and available to become God’s instrument of blessing in someone’s life.

We can only be truly generous when we understand and experience the grace and love of God in our own lives. Without the confidence of God’s love for us, we cannot be generous.

In closing, I want to share a living example how the generous use of money brought abundant life to a person. Many of you might recall me writing about Patricia. She was a homeless woman who was the matriarch of a family who lived in the streets for three generations. We developed a close relationship with her over the years. Last year she suffered a stroke and was partially paralysed. It happened at the time when the family was finally able to rent a small room and break the chain of homelessness. Even though health care is free here, there were still many expenses. She needed diapers, a wheelchair, rides to the hospital for physical therapy…the list goes on and on. They did not have money for any of these. We helped initially but it was a great burden on our personal finance. I did what the manager of the parable did without being dishonest, of course. I called upon a friend of mine who is my childhood friend who happens to live in Brazil now. He gave me a generous gift to help Patricia. We were able to help Patricia with all her needs. For one year, Patricia was able to have all her medical needs met. The generosity of my friend helped us build a stronger bond with not just Patricia but with all the homeless youth. It motivated them to help in whatever small way to alleviate the sufferings of Patricia. When Patricia was able to walk again, she would walk quite a distance just to sit and talk with us weekly. We had some great conversations. She also said that she had great joy for Life and she was especially grateful to God for our friendship and the friendship of all our youth. She had a full life. Unfortunately, Patricia caught the flu and her body gave up on her. She died a few months ago, almost exactly one year after her stroke. However, for one year, she knew that she was greatly loved and she acknowledged this Love with gratitude. She knew that she was well loved and all these was because of God. This is the abundant Life that we all seek. Knowing that we are loved unconditionally.

Generosity helped her understand that God is Love.

Now large crowds were travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-27

This is a tough one!

Not only are these words hard to follow; Jesus uses a word which is rarely associated with His teachings. He is teaching us to hate. However, the “hatred” is not towards our enemy but the ones who almost all cultures and religions in the world advise to cherish and love. These words should disturb and perturb us. Disturb the way we think about life as well as perturb our attitudes towards it. One of the more popular translations of the Bible in Portuguese decides to tone down these verses. They translate these words in this manner;

“Whoever comes to me must put father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself in second place in order to be my disciple.”

It removes the word, hate, altogether. It sounds milder even though the essence of what Jesus said is still present. However, it lacks the intensity. It is this tension which Jesus wanted to emphasize.
Without this, these words lose something significant and important. They become a mere practice of the intellectual. However, being a disciple of our Lord demands a change in lifestyle. It is not a mere assent to certain doctrines. It requires us to reevaluate everything in life. It transforms the way we relate to people in the world. All this begins with our most intimate relationships.

The emotional intensity of these words also requires us to be hesitant in the manner by which we interpret them. We interpret them according to the virtue of the person saying them. Jesus never uses the word, “hate”, in any of His teachings. He never used it against His enemies. He definitely never once used it in reference to a person. Therefore, we cannot assume now that He is teaching us to hate the most precious people in our lives. Jesus said,

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil.’ Matthew 5:17

One of the Ten Commandments is to “honor thy father and mother”. Something which is present throughout the gospels in Jesus’ treatment of His parents. The gospel of John relates the story of His first miracle. Even though Jesus knew it wasn’t the right time to act, He still conceded to His mother’s request. He did not fall prey to motherly manipulation. He wanted to honor His mother. Even at the Cross, while suffering intense pain and humiliation, Jesus was concerned about the welfare of His mother. He entrusted the care of His mother to a disciple. He ensured that she was never left alone. The gospel of Luke narrates a story where Jesus resurrected a young man only because the young man’s widowed mother would have been alone and abandoned in this world. He confronted the Pharisees for twisting the Law to justify lack of obligation towards their parents. Therefore, when our Lord said these words, He did not mean that we should turn our backs against our parents, wives and children. His disciples who walked with our Lord would know that Jesus never turned His back on anyone. However, He turned His back on the world. He rejected the world and its teachings.

Our parents, in their care and concern for our well being, teach us how to survive in this world. This is the nature of parenting. It is an universal trait, not only found in humans but also the animal kingdom for the most part. A good parent teaches a child not only to survive but also to flourish in this world. We form our family units to continue this practice. Our society depends on it. We send our children into the world with the hope that they become successful people. In order to flourish in this world, we need to adopt the values of this world. We need to function according to the ethics of this world. We need to tow the line.

In Jesus’ culture whose practices and customs are still alive in many of the cultures of the Asia Continent, parents are held accountable for the success and failure of their offsprings. Even today, the parents of these cultures are held responsible for finding the right partner in their children’s conjugal relationship. Everything is dependent on the parents. Failure to submit to their bidding is considered not only sign of disrespect but also rebellion and hatred towards them. The worst thing one could in these cultures is to bring shame to their parents’ name. Unfortunately, we still hear disturbing news of parents murdering their children for dishonoring them. It is very serious affair. It is not a mere offense but a complete disruption of the very essence of a family unit to follow a path different than the one which one’s parents prepared their children to take. The path that Jesus walked and walks on is always different from the ones our parents taught us. Our parents are imperfect beings like us. They do the best they can and they want us to be successful. However, their idea of success is limited and not always in line with that of the gospel. Every generation thinks that it has understood the Truth of the Gospel. However, the Gospel is too immense and great for its Truth to be captured by one generation. Every generation needs to rediscover the fullness of the gospel. Even Mother Mary had a hard time grasping the Truth of the gospel despite the fact that she was aware of the greatness of Her Son’s ministry from the time of His birth.

When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ Mark 3:21

What was this “it” which convinced His family that Jesus wasn’t quite right by their standards. Well, there were many things “wrong” about Jesus. We tend to overlook them because we come from a different culture. Firstly, it was extremely unusual for someone of Jesus’ age, during His time, to be single. A successful Jewish man, by the time of His age, would have a wife and many children. Secondly, Jesus violated the strict social system. A son should always follow the profession of the father, in our Lord’s case, he should have remained a carpenter. He came an itinerant preacher. Perhaps the most concerning thing was His teaching. He did not have proper religious training according to the authorities. They even confronted Jesus by whose authority He said and did things. They wanted Him to name a rabbi who had trained Him. This was what they considered proper authority. Most importantly, the teachings of Jesus shook the very foundations of His society. They still do and this is perhaps why most of the time people ignore His teachings. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and forgive unconditionally even if the offender repeatedly offends us. There are other difficult teachings but these two are enough to mess up our world. I recently heard a Hassidic rabbi explain about the formation of a nation. He said that in order to unite a nation, it is necessary to have an enemy to hate. Without this hatred, a nation cannot function. Where there is hatred, there cannot be forgiveness. The rabbi is against this of course. I found him to be fascinating because his teachings based on the Law are very similar to Jesus’ teachings. In other words, Jesus was fulfilling the Law when He taught these things. However, it was and is radically different to the things of this world.

Nietzsche, the formidable enemy of Christianity, admired Jesus for His strength and courage. He considered Jesus the only true Christian who ever lived. At the same time, he attacked His teachings because Nietzsche thought that the gospel made people weak and failures in this world. The problem with Nietzsche is that he was right. The teachings of the gospel are incompatible with this world. They do not make us flourish in this world. Therefore, we cannot have our cake and eat it. We either choose success in this world or failure by living according to the life of Jesus.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

Success in this world has nothing to do with morality. There is a kind of morality present in this world but it is void of Love. The morality of Jesus makes Love the only foundation. Not a sentimental interpretation of the word but concrete lifestyle change reflecting the essence of God in this world. It makes people a priority and not just the select people whom society deems as deserving our priority. It is morality based on revealing God’s love to everyone. In our ministry, we play a parental role to our children and youth in the streets. We are not their biological parents and therefore, our priority is not making them successful in this world. We are their parents through the Holy Spirit. They are our children through the miracle of the Holy Spirit. We have only one task. We have to help them to grow to be successful in the Kingdom of God. This world would never give them a chance to be successful. They don’t fit its criteria but they qualify perfectly for God’s Kingdom. This is all that matters.

I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. Luke 12:49-52

I usually go to bed late at night. It is so late that I am a little embarrassed telling anyone the exact time. I have always been like this. As a young child, my parents would send me to bed early because of school. I needed to be up by 6 am. Instead of sleeping, I would lie on my bed in the dark wide awake while my siblings slept soundly in their beds. I grew up in Singapore which is a big city trapped on a small island. Only the wealthy could afford houses. The rest of us lived in tiny one or two bedrooms apartments. Space was a luxury. We have to be creative to find a private space in our home. My father used to wait for everyone to go to bed and then he would sneak into our room and say a short prayer in the dark. He wasn’t aware that I was spying on him.

I come from a strong practicing Roman Catholic family. Like most Catholics I know, we never talk about our faith openly unlike the protestants. Even in my household, spirituality was a private matter. My father prayed in the dark every night. After he left the room, I would mimic his actions. My mother was a home maker. She would wait for everyone to leave for school and work and then recite her prayers. I was the youngest in the family so I used to watch her sit and use a prayer book every morning and evening. She never said anything about it to me. I never asked. However, it impacted me.

Every Sunday, our family would walk to church for the 7 a.m. mass. It was sheer torture for me to listen to the ramblings of the priest at such an ungodly hour. My parents thought it was important to give the first hours of the first day of the week to God. Eventually I enjoyed going to church but not for religious reasons. I had a lot of friends there. My friends and I never discussed anything religious. Like most good Catholics, our religiosity was restricted within the four walls of the church. Things followed this routine until I was sixteen and I visited an Anglican Church for the first time.

My neighbor who was about my age had recently become an Anglican and wanted me to visit his church. It was about the same as the Roman Catholic Church, liturgically speaking. However, just before the communion, the congregation prayed the prayer known as the Prayer of Humble Access. Nothing in the actual words were new to me. However, reciting the prayer in the midst of a congregation of all ages touched my soul in a profound way. I felt a fire being kindled in my soul. I realized that I had only heard about Jesus until then. At that moment, I felt His Love consuming me in a real and special way. Despite all the warnings I heard about taking communion in a Protestant church, I went forth to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. It was as if I received it for the first time in my life. Something in me changed. I went home excited to share this new and wonderful thing with my parents. They were the ones who taught me everything about God. I shared what happened. My mother thought it was the end of the world. My father warned me sternly that I was never to return to the Anglican Church. I thought that there was going to be peace and joy but instead there was division and tears.

I was truly confused. The love I felt in my heart gave me the confidence that everything would get better. This is what Love does to our souls. It gives the assurance that God’s love will overcome all obstacles which prevent us from living full and abundant lives. However, in order to overcome these obstacles we need to confront them. Many times these obstacles come from the very ones who taught us everything about Love. You might wonder why is this so? There is no adequate answer and maybe there shouldn’t be one. It suffices to know that Love is a purifying force. It is a fire burning away all impurities so that we can grown into a richer and fuller understanding of God’s love. Sometimes it is necessary to leave behind false notions. The process of purification is not pleasant. It is painful. It requires a change of mindset. Sometimes people are not ready for it.

The words we heard from the gospel text today are considered part of the tough sayings of Jesus. These sayings are not rules to make our lives more difficult. They are meant to prepare us for reality. They also free us from false illusions. We tend to think that the goodness and love of Jesus will be readily received by everyone. In fact, many times it is rejected and misunderstood. Love is a purifying force. It always guides us to take a step closer to God. No one can say that they don’t need to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Love. However, there are many who would prefer that Love remains in the small limited space of their lives.

Even Jesus faced this difficulty with His family. Jesus often spoke out of His own life experiences. The gospel of Mark tells us that his family thought Jesus was out of His mind. It is strange to see that even Mother Mary was included with this lot. One would think that she, of all people, would understand what Jesus was doing. She experienced God’s love in a manner that no human being in this world could have ever experienced. She was God’s chosen instrument to bring Jesus into this world. She paid a price for this special place and suffered willingly for God. Therefore, we might think that she shouldn’t be too shocked with what Jesus was doing. The problem is that Love of God acts in mysterious ways. It was so strange and different that even Mary wasn’t quite prepared for it. There is a lesson here for all of us. We should never think that we know how God’s love will manifest itself. It is a mystery in the sense that we can not reduce God’s Love to a mere formula. God’s love is free to act in the way He pleases. All we can do is to be open to His Love. One thing is for sure. God’s love opens up our world. It never closes nor restricts it. We will never know why His family thought He was out of his mind. One thing we know for sure is that Jesus was revealing God’s love in a way that was radically different from what was unexpected and this was divisive.

My parents prohibited me from entering the Anglican Church again. I obeyed for two weeks. Finally, I decided to have a heart to heart conversation with my parents. I told them that something had happened to my soul and my whole body is yearning to be a place where I can learn about this fire in my soul. It wasn’t about a church denomination but about being in a place where I can grow in the knowledge of God’s love. To my surprise, my father understood. It took my mother a while. He asked me to attend Roman Catholic mass every Sunday and I could go to the Anglican Church after. He did not want me to make a definite decision until I turned 18. For two years I attended two churches and then I chose the Anglican Church. Eventually my parents embraced the fact that it was the Love of God that led me to where I am today. They realized that it wasn’t a defiance against the things that they taught me. It was something that flowed naturally from the lessons their spirituality had imparted in me.

The Love of God which purifies our hearts and souls will bring divisions in our relationships. We should not be discouraged or offended when this happens. It is the kind of Love that is incompatible with the values of this world. It is the kind of Love that exposes the obstacles we, as humans, create in our relationship with each other. Some might want to hold on these obstacles. However, this does not mean that God’s love is unable to penetrate their souls. His Love will always overcome. This is the assurance we have. However, let us also pray that we don’t become the ones who become an obstacle to God’s love. There is a danger that this might happen, too. We need to be always be open to the purifying power of God’s love. Sometimes, it is very human for us to doubt when God’s love does something new in our midst. It is in our human nature to resist these changes.

We can follow the example of Mother Mary. She was on the side of Jesus’ brothers and sisters and then we read that she was at the side of Jesus at the foot of the Cross. She was open to God’s love even though she had some doubts initially. The most important thing is for us to be sensitive to God’s love burning in our hearts and always open and humble for this Love to transform us.

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 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 10:38-42

There is a tendency to think that this gospel lesson is about “doing” versus “being”. At least, I have encountered many people who interpret it as such. I have heard preachers argue that we need Marthas and Marys in the church. I even heard a sermon on “Being a Martha”. It struck me profoundly. I think I mentioned this several times over the past 12 years in my reflections. It seemed to totally disregard what Jesus was saying. No doubt, there were good intentions in the preacher’s conclusion but, like Martha, he missed the point. Martha invited Jesus as a guest into her home. He wasn’t like any other guest. Jesus was special. Unfortunately, she failed to see this because she was too concerned doing things that did not really matter. The uniqueness of Jesus dissipated in her mind the moment He entered her house. She treated Him like any other guest. She concerned herself with things which would not have a permanent impact in her life, unlike Mary. Furthermore, it is unfair to assume that people like Mary don’t do any work. In fact, Mary Magdalene did extraordinary things. We cannot read the gospels without acknowledging her importance. Her presence is noted in all the significant events of the gospels. It can be argued that she was one of the greatest disciples according to Jesus’ standard. She was definitely a servant of all but the most important thing she did first was to sit and listen to our Lord.

In our experience both in the parish and our ministry now in the streets, we have encountered many “Marthas”. Their good intentions are never doubted. They usually plunge in head first into the ministry. Their enthusiasm is many times contagious. However, it doesn’t last long. They get frustrated and angry. Then we don’t see them anymore. They are like the seeds in the parable of the Sower that fall into rocky ground. They spring up fast but wither away just as quickly because they have no moisture.

Martha invited Jesus into her home. Obviously she saw something special in Jesus. However, the moment Jesus stepped into her household, He became a problem for her. It was not a bad problem but a problem. She wanted to get everything ready for her guest. Therefore, she busied herself trying to solve little problems to make her guest happy. There is nothing wrong with this. However, Jesus is not an ordinary guest. He was, well, Jesus!

The gospel text tells she got distracted. This is never a good thing. If I could put this in another way, she missed the point of having Jesus in her home. She invited Jesus the person and then treated His presence in her home as a problem to be solved. Whenever we deal with problems, we are obsessed with finding solutions. She got distracted from the real purpose of having Jesus in her home. Mary sat and listened to Jesus. This is really what Jesus wanted. Many times He has said so in the gospels. He wanted to share with the world the message of hope and love. If we don’t listen to Him, we won’t understand His message. If we don’t understand His message, then we won’t know how to serve Him. We might go about doing things which don’t really matter. Some might argue that someone needs to feed Jesus and Martha was doing something real and practical. However, Jesus was no ordinary guest. Martha failed to recognize Jesus was an unique individual and instead He became a generic guest when He stepped into Her home. Mary listened to Him. She wanted to hear what He has to say first before acting.

In my youth, I read a spiritual book called “Sit, Stand, and Walk”. I have forgotten the name of the author. Of course, I did an internet search and found out his name. However, it is not quite relevant to what I want to share. I don’t remember much of its content. The title alone spoke volumes to me. It is a good summary of the Christian spirituality. It transcends the theological arguments of “works” versus “grace” which is often times not very interesting for the person in the pews. Most people want to know how to live their faith in meaningful ways. This is the idea behind “Sit, Stand and Walk”.

In the Old and New Testament, we have countless of examples of prophets and disciples who began their spiritual vocation by sitting. When we sit, we wait expectedly for God to speak. It is not something easy. In the gospels, listening to Jesus requires a lot of work and reflection. Even the apostles, on many occasions, asked Jesus to clarify His teachings. Most importantly, when we sit and wait, we are acknowledging that God is a personal God. In other words, we believe that He will speak and reveal Himself to us. Many times, we feel like we are too busy to sit and wait and we outsource this part to others who end up doing the same. Unfortunately, these never hesitate to pretend that they are His spokespersons. In the end, we get distracted with the wrong things.

There was a time when I was a little conflicted with the idea of a personal God. I did not question His existence but rather the idea of a personal God portrayed by the churches. Unfortunately, it has been trivialized to such a point that the personal God seems very similar to the misconceived idea of Santa Claus. I looked to the Jewish tradition to gain a better understanding of a personal God especially Hasidic Judaism. After all, we inherited this concept from Judaism. I started reading Jewish mystics like Abraham Herschel and Martin Buber. The first thing which struck me was their uttermost reverence for God’s name. It is not mere religiosity but a profound understanding of having a personal relationship with God. We must not forget that even though the most sacred Being comes to our level to speak to us, we must not reduce God to our level. His Name is still sacred and must be treated with reverence. We must never forget that God wanting to communicate with us is the uttermost gracious act of God. Therefore, it would be disrespectful on our part to act in His Name without listening first to His voice. These Jewish mystics teach us that God is constantly speaking to us through people, things, and circumstances. However, we need to listen. Listening entails waiting. God cannot be rushed. He speaks when He is ready. His words always compel us to act.

Our spirituality begins with sitting and waiting to hear God’s voice. The New Testament helps us to discern God’s voice. The whole ministry of Jesus is about teaching us to discern God’s voice. Jesus taught some hard things. He taught us not to serve two gods. Neither one will be the true one when we try to do this. We must love our enemies. We must go and heal and restore lives. God’s voice will compel us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Anything contrary to this is not from God. God revealed His fulness in the person of Jesus. Therefore, He is our standard through whom we discern difference between what is of God and what is of our own sinful nature.

When we hear and listen to God’s voice, then we will have the courage to stand and walk in this world. Mary did some things which were extremely bold for her time. She anointed Jesus’ feet. We can imagine that, in the first century, this act would have been frowned upon. Mary did it knowing that she would receive criticism. Jesus commended her actions. She was at the foot of the Cross even though it was painful and uncomfortable for her. When all the disciples were thinking about throwing in the towel after Jesus’ death, Mary went to the tomb to anoint His body. Mary was a doer. She walked the talk but before she did anything, she sat and listened. Her actions had lasting effects on our faith. Jesus said she chose the right thing. Therefore let us follow in her footsteps and sit and listen with confidence. God will speak and then we can stand on His words and walk with boldness and confidence like Mary.

Just then a lawyer 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 neighbour 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 neighbour?’ Luke 10:25-29

The gospel text above ends with a question and Jesus answers this with a parable which is very familiar with most of us; the parable of the Good Samaritan.

There was a time when we were doing a weekly bible study with one of our homeless youth. This is a young man who has been homeless since he was 8. He had never heard of parables and wanted to know what they were. In the years of leading bible studies, no one has ever asked me this question. It is because we who are in the church are so familiar with them that we think we know their meaning and significance. Familiarity is sometimes confused with knowledge. They are not synonymous. I found this out when I tried to explain it, it wasn’t that easy.

Parables are not allegories, even though they contain symbolic references like allegories. They are not moral tales like fairy tales, even though they do contain sometimes moral teachings. Parables deal with real life. They contain things which the common people can easily recognize to demonstrate a profound spiritual truth. The parable of the sower is a good example. The people lived in an agricultural society and sowing seeds was part and parcel of everyday life. The parable of the lost sheep is another example of something happening frequently in that community. In the gospel text above, Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is quite interesting one. It tells about a reality which is often ignored about Jesus’ society. It was a dangerous and violent society. However, we will get to it in a moment. Let’s dwell on the parables in general for moment. Jesus’ use of parables
reveals something more important and relevant to us as modern people. It teaches us about the spirituality of Jesus, something for us to emulate as His followers. Jesus participated completely in the everyday lives of the people. He did not learn to use parables from a book. He learned them through his daily life with the common people. He looked for spiritual truth revealed in the simple and everyday things of life. Just like we use the common elements of bread and wine and through faith we see something deeper and spiritual in these common elements. The parables invite us to seek for God in simple and everyday things. The world tends to look for God in spectacular things. In the gospels, often times the Pharisees asked for signs. Jesus refused to succumb to their demands. Instead, He reveals that the wisdom of God present in the mundane things of life. This is why He often says in the gospels,

“The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.”” Matthew 13:13

Jesus uses parables to answer a question. The parable of the Good Samaritan is an answer but not to just to the question of “who is one’s neighbor”. It is an answer to the original question; “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Perhaps people might get worried whether this parable is promoting actions over grace. In other words, the argument that we are saved not by actions but by grace. This argument dwells on the idea that eternal life is something after death. It promotes an idea that God will judge us with a scale where our good works are measured against our faults. However, Eternal Life is living in a loving relationship with God.

Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
1 John 4:20

The parable of the Good Samaritan is quite sophisticated. Literarily speaking, it is quite brilliant. Jesus sets the stage. A man suffers a fate beyond his control. His clothes were stripped so that there was no way of anyone knowing his religious and ethnic identity. Back then and even in some places today, people’s religious and ethnic identity is recognized by their attire. No one who passed him knew anything of his circumstances. He could have been a robber himself who was lynched by a mob. Nothing is known to the passerby except that he was badly hurt and dying. Everyone who passed this man had good religious arguments for their actions. The priest walked on the other side because he was not allowed to touch an injured person or a corpse. He was not close enough to know if the man was alive or dead. The Old Testament is clear about this.

“Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days.” Number 19:11

The priest had liturgical duties. He could not forfeit them for the sake of helping this man. He believed that he had higher priorities than helping this man. The Levite had good reasons too. He was a teacher of God’s Law. Today, he might be considered a theologian. He had an obligation to teach. He needed to keep himself pure too. They did not act this way because they were merely selfish. They did it because of their convictions. Let’s just allow them this argument because this thinking is still present in today’s society. They are always religious arguments to back up acts of omission. However, Jesus wasn’t trying to attack anybody. This is important to remember. He was answering an important question. This parable is about eternal life.

The Samaritan was considered by the Jewish society as a heretic at best. The religious authorities believed that the Samaritans did not have a perfect understanding of God’s Law and their liturgical practices were corrupted and were an abomination to the priestly tradition. In other words, the Samaritan did not have a proper understanding of all things religious. However, according to this parable, this was irrelevant. The Samaritan was sensitive to God’s Spirit. The parable doesn’t tell us this but the Life of Jesus does. The ministry of Jesus is about healing. It is not about religiosity. It is not about rituals or theology or philosophy. It is about healing. This man needed healing. God wanted to heal him. The Samaritan responded to God’s prompting. Every act of Love is a response to God’s grace calling us to act. God’s grace invites to participate in His loving actions in this world.

This is how the Samaritan responded to God’s call. He committed himself to this man. He became his servant. He did not know anything about this injured man. Maybe in another circumstance this injured man might have despised the Samaritan. It was very possible. However, in his most vulnerable state, the Samaritan was God’s chosen instrument of Love.

There is a word in the English language and Portuguese has its equivalent too which I find annoying and condescending. The word is “gratifying”. People have said to me that it must be very gratifying to help someone. The problem is that it reduces something important and eternal into a mere emotional experience. The Samaritan did not help the injured man because it is gratifying to help someone. He was moved to help because he responded to God’s prompting. He was moved to help because God’s compassion touched his soul. Something marvelous and wonderful happens to us when we respond to God in this manner. Hope becomes real and alive in us. The kind of hope which is only found when we respond to God’s love. Hope which opens our eyes to see the Light of God shining brightly in this world even when people around us think we are enveloped in darkness.

Recently, someone asked me if we ever get distressed in our ministry because the situation always seems hopeless. In a way, she is right. Most of the young people we know and have a good relationship with will never overcome abject poverty. Many of them might die homeless. Their lifespan is short, too. Bad food and harsh living conditions besides the stress coming with homelessness contributes to this tragic reality. On the outside, this is a depressing and hopeless situation. However, Jesus never stands on the outside and observes. He participates. He is involved. He serves. He loves. He invites us to do the same. When we listen to His voice, we join Him. Then we discover His presence, wherever Jesus is present, there is eternal life. Whenever Jesus is present, there is Love. Love gives us hope.

This week I was talking with Bruno. Now, this young man, on the outside, looks like your stereotypical homeless person. He wears mismatched clothes. He eats leftover food from restaurants. He complained that sometimes people walk pass him and comment that he is in such a sad and tragic situation. They shake their heads and walk on the other side. Bruno told me that he does not believe his situation is bad. In fact, he thinks that despite his situation, he is quite happy and hopeful. I actually understood what he meant. Bruno is a very sociable person. He has many friends. We have had many good moments and frustrating ones, too. However, Bruno knows that he is loved. Therefore, he has hope. It might not be hope in the mindset of this world. It is hope that comes from Love and it is eternally present. However, we would never discover this if we did not commit to the voice of God beckoning us to participate in the ministry of Jesus in Bruno’s life.

His voice is always beckoning us to join Him. Let’s be attentive and open to His voice.

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 labourer 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.”But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
Luke 10:5-12

Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me. Luke 10:16

The most devastating thing to a person’s soul is rejection. Our youth can overcome abuse in all its forms. They can overcome the devastating effects of abject poverty. However, rejection causes them to question the very core of their identity. It shapes the way they see the world. After years of relationship building, some of them share their experiences of rejection with us. Many times it is not rejection per say but a result of a tragic situation. One young man doesn’t remember his mother’s face at all but only remembers that she left him at the orphanage when he was eight. He waited until he was fifteen. She never came. Now, he erased the memory of her face. The pain was too great. The truth was that his mother could not afford to raise him. She made the tough decision and chose one of her two children. As a child, he interpreted her decision as a personal rejection. Others have parents had to work to support their children and left them alone locked up in a tiny shack made out of scrap wood. Most of these parents did not deliberately reject their children. However, the child reads all these as such. This is the tragic situation of life. In the gospel text today, Jesus sent the seventy out as healers. This is the goal of all disciples that we become agents of healing in this world. It is important as healers that we don’t interpret the world like a child. As Paul said,

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

The healer needs to have a good grasp of the complex nature of Life. Discernment is of utter importance. Healers need to know the difference between rejection and obstacles which life throws at us. Sometimes people misinterpret obstacles as rejection and formulate negative ideas and concepts which become rooted in our souls. Sometimes healers are too quick to shake the dust off their feet when they really need to stay and overcome obstacles hindering healing. I have done this several times. I have misread obstacles and thought that I should leave. I almost made this mistake with our ministry in 2008. I thought I was done because of some obstacles. In the process, I nearly forfeited a blessing which has enriched my life in ways I never imagined.

This reflection is for those who want to be healers. It doesn’t matter if we want to be healers to a specific community like myself or one lonely person we know or a relative who is an addict. Part of the process of being a healer is overcoming obstacles. There are some obstacles which require lots of wisdom. Being a healer, or in other words, a messenger of the good news, requires maturity. Jesus did not send out all his disciples, only seventy who were ready.

In the gospel episode above, Jesus used some key words; “peace”, “listen” and “reject”. Let us ponder a little on these words.

The ministry of Jesus is a ministry of peace. In our final blessing in the Anglican Liturgy, the priest says these words, “The Peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.” In a poetic and succinct manner, these words define the gospel meaning of peace. The peace of this world is an attempt to appease all sides involved which tends to fail continuously. The gospel is talking about bringing hope and joy to the hearts of those who are spiritually and emotionally exhausted. The young man whom I wrote about in the beginning grew tired of waiting for his mother’s love. Now, he takes solace in things which are detrimental to his body. He needs the peace of the gospel. The peace of God brings hope and joy. It doesn’t overburden the soul. Religion tends to do this. This is why Jesus tells us our spirituality needs to surpass the spirituality of the Pharisees who were the epitome of all things wrong with religion.

Then Our Lord mentions “listen”. In order for people to listen, we need to learn how to communicate. We need to communicate in the language of the people whom God has called us to share His peace. I am not referring to a foreign language. We need to learn to use the proper symbols and expressions which would open up the people’s hearts to receive the healing message of the gospel. This takes time. We cannot learn this “skill” unless we ourselves are open and willing to participate in their lives. We need to listen to them first in order to learn their language. Only then we will know how to use the words of love which will penetrate the walls built around the hearts of people.

Finally Jesus uses the word, “reject”. Now, rejection is real. Some of our children did not just misinterpret rejection from their families. In some cases, there was real rejection. The blow is more devastating to them because as a child they were always ready to love and receive love. When Jesus sent His disciples out, they were challenged to be like little children. They went out into the world ready and willing to love. We will never become healers without this readiness to love. When I first worked in this ministry in the early nineties, I had one objective. I wanted to convince the homeless teens and children to leave the streets. All my efforts were focused on this. Unfortunately, I never succeeded, not a single one left the streets through our efforts, well, maybe one or two. However, I was stressed out and disappointed with myself. Then I thought it was all over and decided to try a different approach, maybe even a different ministry. In fact, many who worked in this same field told me that it was a fruitless task. Then I met an Anglican priest who advised me to just love and enjoy the young people. Sounds like a simple notion but it changed everything. The young people stopped being a problem to be solved. They became people whom I enjoyed spending time with. Then the healing came and consequently their openness to receive our message of healing.

The seventy disciples had Jesus as their model. He was present with them in flesh and blood. They saw Him act and love the people. They heard His words of healing. They had a living example for them to imitate. In some way, we can argue that we don’t share this privilege. However, nothing can be further away from the Truth. The basic foundation of our faith is that Jesus is always present with us. We professed that Jesus is God and therefore, He is also omnipresent in a real and concrete manner. When our Lord instituted the sacrament of Bread and Wine, He commanded us to do this in remembrance of Him whenever we gather together. The remembrance part is the sacred practice of recognizing that Jesus is present in our midst in a real way. We participate in communion to remind ourselves that we need to use our eyes of faith to recognize His presence in the world. Our Lord is present in the hearts and minds of many. Those who respond to His promptings become living examples of His love to the rest of us. If we follow their examples, we, in turn, also become living proof of His real presence in this world. Personally, I believe that the best argument for the existence of God is the presence of people who bring healing love to those around them.

I have had the good fortune to meet many of these people who manifest the Spirit of Jesus in their lives. One in particular is an Anglican clergy who renounced his ordination after a brief stint as a missionary. He was an excellent priest, very well received and loved in all the congregations where he ministered. His faith is a contagious one. It permeated joy and hope. I met him in my teens when he was just a seminarian. I even attended his ordination. Eventually he asked to be send out as missionary to a predominately Muslim nation. I was initially sad for selfish reasons. I wanted him to be close by. However, I eventually left for Brazil, even further away from where we came from. He went with the intention of offering peace to the people. They received it. However, there was an obstacle but it wasn’t religious animosity. It was a peaceful region in this respect. However, the people thought that his message was exclusive to Christians and nothing more. As he tried to participate in the life of the community, he became more aware of the obstacle between him and them. He realized that they did not reject him but his office prevented him from communicating effectively with them. He returned to his diocese and after much prayer decided it was best to renounce his ordination. He did it with the blessing of the church.

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. 1 Corinthians 9:21-22

It wasn’t an easy decision. However, becoming the messenger of hope and joy was more important to him than a title. In doing so, he lived his ordination vows in ways more profound than one can imagine. He returned to the community and, now, he is well received. They even call him, “father”, which is term of endearment in that particular culture in recognition of someone who is a guide for the younger people. His faith continues to be contagious and full of joy and hope.

We should not be too quick to shake the dust off our feet. Sometimes an obstacle can be mistaken as a rejection. Some young people who once rejected us at are drawing close to us. There is a young man, Felipe, who never was friendly with us. Incidentally, there are many homeless with this name and I have never mentioned this one before. He used to be a petty thief and I think he thought that this was an obstacle between us. Recently, he started being more friendly towards us. He told us that he was “calm” now. This is a street slang to say one has left behind a life of crime. He even hugged us and talked with us for a while. Thankfully we did not shake the dust of our feet in relation with him. He just needed time. Now he is ready to receive something from us.