You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. Matthew 5:21-22

In the past, I would have skipped these verses altogether in my sermon. It is not that I didn’t think they are important. I always found it hard to add anything more to them. However, many things have happened in our lives and ministry in the past few years. We have experienced a government that has neglected people in the worst crisis in modern times. Many times we have felt helpless and angry. In these situations, I found these verses disturb ing. I am sure that many might think that these verses are not too hard for anyone to follow. We just have to watch our language. Treat people with respect. You know the drill. However, these are easy things to do when things are comfortable in our lives. A few years ago, our friend lost her kind and well-beloved daughter to an accident. The driver responsible for the accident was texting and did not pay attention to a stop sign. Our friend’s daughter ended up in a coma and a week later she left a two year old child and a grieving husband to be alone in this world. The driver instead of showing any remorse posted her picture saying that she got a new car out of the whole deal. One can’t help but say that this driver is a complete….wait a minute. Jesus said that this is the same as murder.

Violence is a constant presence in the streets. Our children suffer from it and they also commit it. We have witnessed this countless times. Each time there is a sense of disgust and anger which arises in our souls, sometimes even thoughts of violence towards the perpetrators. Again, the words of Jesus haunt us. They reveal that murderous attitudes are lying dormant in our hearts. We use words like “fools” or “idiots” instead of physical violence to express our disdain. Jesus says this is giving into our murderous nature. It seems to be a little unfair. After all, we do have the right to be mad at those who treat others in a cruel and unjust manner. I thought that there is room for righteous indignation. However, Jesus warns that this is a dangerous road. It can ruin our worship. It can contaminate our faith. It can make us become like the Pharisees and the Scribes whose spirituality we are to surpass.

Jesus says difficult things about adultery and divorce. Let us go deeper into these teachings and let us be clear here. This is not about sex. It is about being unhappy in one’s life and some times this is justifiable. People can be in abusive relationships and desire to be with someone else who will treat them the way they should. This seems like a good thing to do. After all, Jesus desires for us to have abundant life too. However, He has a problem with it when we use the instruments of this world to achieve our goal.

There is a saintly theologian who says all the ten commandments can be summed up into one law. “Thou shall not covet.” Often times, we tend to think that the last is the least. However, this theologian interprets it as a summary of all the things which came before it. The sin of covetousness is the desire to possess the thing which doesn’t belong to us. We believe that we should have these things and use any means to attain them. Consequently, we adjust the image of God according to one that satisfies our desires. We create an idol that will condone our use of violence, slander, manipulation and selfishness to achieve our happiness. Everything which Jesus warns us against doing. However, it doesn’t mean that as followers of Jesus we are to surrender to whatever life throws at us and do nothing about it. Fatalism is not the message of the gospel.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Remember these verses. They came before these teachings and are connected to them. The beatitudes represent people who are dissatisfied with what the world offers to them. Jesus has high hopes for us. He is speaking to us as if we are these people. He wants to make sure that in our frustration and dissatisfaction, we do not use the resources of this age to carve a place for ourselves in this world. Jesus is offering something new but we cannot see and comprehend it until we stop trying to build our own version of the Kingdom of God with all the wrong tools. This is why Jesus tells us,

“Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

Our spirituality is a composite of “Yes” and “No”. We say “yes” to the things that are within our power to do and “No” to those things which are beyond our ability and capacity. It is humbling to discover that most of the time, we have to say “No” but it makes our “Yes” even more powerful.

In the streets, Taina is one of the most difficult homeless girls. She is, by no means, a difficult person. She is quite a shy person and has never been rude or disrespectful to us. She is difficult because her condition makes us feel helpless and lost. She is a second generation homeless girl. She had four children before she turned 18 and all of them are third generation homeless. Taina is not an irresponsible person neither a promiscuous one. She just doesn’t know anything else besides being homeless. She sleeps in the streets and has done so from the day she was born. On rare occasions her family were squatters in one of the many abandoned buildings in São Paulo. To make matters worse, she is quite an intelligent and artistic person. We see her potential but she doesn’t believe anything will come out of it. Her mother is in the streets with her. She has spent her whole life being homeless too. This is a family who have accepted that homelessness is the only option for them. Sad to say, they are not wrong. There is nothing they can do which will change this. We feel helpless and useless when we see this young girl. We cannot make any promises that will guarantee a better life for her. There are just countless of “No”. We can only say “Yes” to being present in the streets for her. It seems rather weak and insignificant compared her needs.

Usually we stay in the streets until all the children and teens get a little bored with our presence. Thankfully, especially for our personal ego, we are leaving the streets later than usual nowadays. Since there are about two hundred children in the area, so we don’t get to see everyone every day. One day as we were on our home, we heard someone running after us. We turned around and it was Taina. We thought maybe she needed some help with money for food or diapers. Instead Taina came up to us and said that she just wanted to say hi. She had seen us but didn’t get the chance to come around and just wanted to make sure that we didn’t think she was ignoring us. She hugged us and even gave us a kiss. Then she just left. We were quite amazed with her little deed. We felt like we received a special gift.

There is something Taina saw in us even though we can not do much to improve her lot in life. We saw something in Taina which many don’t see because they cannot see beyond her homelessness. Taina doesn’t want us to change her condition. She knows better than us that it is an uphill battle. However, she wants people to love her as she is and she wants to love people, too. However, not many are giving her the opportunity to do so. Like ourselves, Taina also has to say “No” to many things but she is able to do much with the limited “Yes” in her life. On that particular day, Taina saw an opportunity and shared her love with us. She wanted to share the little she had with us. Now, it remains with us for eternity.

Instead of lamenting about the countless “No” we are forced to say, we realized that God can do much with our limited “Yes”. Like the other story about two fish and five loaves. We will save that one for another time.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:20

Prior to this, Jesus mentioned that we are the Salt and the Light of the world. These are important things that shape our daily spiritual lives. However, before we reflect on these things, we need to heed Jesus’ warning. We are to be different from the Pharisees and the Scribes. These also believed that they were the salt and the Light of the world. We always tend to think of them in a negative light. It is not entirely our fault. They were represented as the primary opposition in the gospels. Jesus defined the Pharisees as people who lived their lives on the surface. They did not dare to go deeper than what it was written. They were satisfied dwelling in the superficiality of life. Consequently, they interpreted their roles without much depth nor insight. They believed that they were the salt. They were convinced that they preserved the identity and vocation of the Jewish people. They believed that they were the Light because they upheld the purity of the Law. They believed it was their duty to point out to others the error of their ways and maintain the pure doctrine of their faith. There are many who follow the footsteps of the Pharisees today. It is an easier path to follow. This is why Jesus warns against walking down this road.

In Jesus’ time, one of the uses of salt was to heal. Salt was also used to preserve food and even as a form of currency. In the gospels, the most prominent part of Jesus’ ministry is healing. Wherever He went, He healed. Therefore, I want to focus on this aspect of salt because it plays an essential role in our ministry. Our children and teens need healing. One of the messages they have received since they were young is that they are not wanted. They have accepted this message as the truth even though it paralyses them. Sometimes people with good intentions unknowingly contribute to this lie. They go to the streets and try to convince the children that they will be accepted if they do such and such a thing. We were one of them. We thought that if the children got a good education and started working, they would be accepted. There is nothing wrong with this. However, unknowingly, we were implying that their rejection was their own fault. Besides, it is not easy for someone who has been homeless since 10 or younger to get an education which is considered worthy of a good job. It is also not easy for someone that has experienced rejection all their lives to overcome their sense of inferiority and get a regular job. Our children carry a deep wound in their souls and they need healing. However, they will never show their wound to anyone. It is too personal for them. In the same manner, we never want to reveal what is deep in our hearts. There are things that we experience which are so deep that we don’t even understand them. Most of us put up barriers that keep people out. We are afraid that we will be rejected if people can see our vulnerability and imperfections. Our children are no different from us. They are fearful to show themselves to the world but at the same time, they don’t want to be invisible to the world.

Our children need healing. They desire to know that they are accepted. It cannot be an acceptance with conditions. This is the spirituality of the Pharisees. They only accept people when they follow their doctrines and traditions. Jesus accepted people unconditionally. It was His unconditional love which helped us find our way in this world. We were once and maybe still are people who are wandering aimlessly without knowing our true purpose. This is, in essence, the definition of sin in the Bible; missing the mark, or rather, not knowing why we exist at all.

We cannot be just the Salt. We need to be the Light so that we can see where and how to apply the healing salt. These two elements are inseparable. Sometimes we are afraid of the Light because it exposes everything we keep hidden in the dark. We only have reason to fear the Light if we think of it as a force which judges and condemns us. This again is the message of the religion of the Pharisees. Their message is a message of condemnation. However, Jesus did not come to condemn but to heal. This is the biblical meaning of the word, salvation. It means healing.

The Light reveals who we are truly. We can see how God sees us and we can see the obstacles before us which hinder us from being the person we are meant to be. There is conflict in our souls. We are polarized. There is a lot of talk that this country being polarized. It is not just restricted to a particular country. It is a worldwide phenomenon. However, it goes beyond politics. This divide exists in our souls. We see children and teens who have much goodness and love in their hearts and yet sometimes they do things which are completely contradictory to their nature. They sense and know this but they are helpless to change it.

“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” Romans 7:19

There are about two hundred homeless children and teens who live in the streets where we minister. As you can imagine, the streets is a tough place and you have to be tough to survive. The girls, for obvious reasons, have to be tougher than the rest. One of the most intimidating girls is Dyana. Often times we saw her yelling at the other kids or her boyfriend. No one messes with her. Initially she hardly spoke to us for months but not because she did not like us. Even though we did think so initially. Eventually we realized that she is quite shy girl. One day she approached us and asked if she could do something with us. We were little surprised and happy at the same time. It was almost as if she became an entirely different person when she was with us. She revealed her more gentle and tender side.

On another occasion, there was a new trans teenager in the streets. As usual, the new ones are always a target for the others. One of the older boys got in an altercation with her and it was gradually escalating. I was keeping an eye on the situation. Then I saw Dyana stepped in and protect the trans teen. She stood between the teen and her aggressor. At one point, she even yelled at the aggressor saying that he would have to hurt her first before laying a finger on the newcomer. Eventually things calmed down and I never saw the newcomer again after that day. The next day I told Dyana that what she did was very special and kind. She smiled and said, “I can’t just sit there and let this poor girl be bullied.” We don’t know anything about Dyana’s background but it is obvious that she did not have it easy. She did not choose to be homeless but she is not going to allow her condition stop her from showing compassion and love to those who need it. She doesn’t do many activities with us but is always respectful and gives Mary a hug whenever she sees her. This is the real Dyana. The Light has revealed her heart to us and now we can become agents of healing too. Now, we cannot see her as that intimidating person, instead we see a kind person trying to get out of the tough exterior.

Being the Salt and Light of the world is not a chore. It is actually one of most wonderful aspects of the gospel. Jesus invites to participate in seeing the beauty and depth of God’s love in this world. Many have passed by the streets and think Dyana is an unruly teenager girl. We are the salt and the Light of the world. We see what others cannot see. We had a glimpse of the beauty which God sees in this young girl and now we can proclaim God’s healing into her life. However, we will not be able to recognize this beauty unless our spirituality goes beyond that of the Pharisees.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”Matthew 5:3

In my last parish, I preached a sermon on the rich young ruler. You know it. It’s the one that ends with the unforgettable saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” We used to have a Bible study immediately after the service. Before we could start, a member insisted that we talk about the sermon. She was obviously disturbed by it. She wanted to know how a middle class American like herself had any chance of entering the Kingdom of God. I was impressed by her honesty. She did not attempt to justify nor deny her privileged status. Most middle class Americans live better than Roman Senators in Jesus’ period. Her sincerity gave the other members the courage to have an open discussion on what it means to be rich in the light of the gospel. We had to put aside our bible study and had a heart to heart discussion about the subject. Needless to say, we did not reach any plausible conclusions. This is not the point. Jesus gives us a lot of things to wrestle with and hopefully in the process, we discover the deeper meaning of the gospel for our lives.

Just for the record, I do not believe that Jesus wants us to sell all our belongings and give all to the poor. I believe that this was something he said specifically to that young man. Although, we have examples of many saints in our Christian tradition who have done this. However, this is not what Jesus desires for all of us. In the gospel of Luke, there were several wealthy women who supported Jesus in his ministry. Jesus never expected them to give up everything. The second important thing I want to clarify is this is not a subtle self-promotion on my part. It might seem like Mary and I am doing what Jesus said. It might seem that we have left everything to serve in the streets. However, we are still rich; I mean, we still have lots of resources. This is perhaps why there is a qualifier attached to this beatitude, “in the spirit”. You can be poor but still be rich in resources. If I find myself in dire straits, all I have to do is make some phone calls or write to the churches and I believe many will come to our aid. During the Pandemic, especially during the period of quarantine, I was confined in a comfortable apartment lacking nothing whereas there were millions in Brazil were forced to risk their lives and work in order to put food on the table. Many have died as a result of this. I had resources to deal with the pandemic. I belong to the privileged class but we know many who are poor in spirit.

In the beginning of this year, we received a call from Kawanna. She is one of the homeless teens who has become a squatter in an abandoned storage space under a highway bridge. It is not appropriate for housing by any means. They lack running water and electricity. However, many families who occupy these spaces usually have skills that enable to get these things through creative means, usually bordering on illegal. This abandoned storage space is divided into tiny rooms and Kawanna lived there with her partner. It is her first real home and they have been there for a year. Often times, they invite the other children and teens to take showers and have a warm place to stay during cold nights. The space is tiny but their hearts are big. Unfortunately, immediately after Christmas, her partner suffered from a violent psychotic episode. Mental illness is common plague among our homeless children. This resulted in a violent physical struggle and Kawanna had to leave her home for her own safety. She was back being homeless again. As you can imagine, the streets is a dangerous for a lonely 21 year old girl. She had no one to turn for help. She called us.

We asked what she needed from us concretely. We assured her that we were willing and open to help her in any way. Unfortunately, all she could do was cry. She was at a complete loss. She had no family support. Her mother had abandoned her since she was a child. Her friends in the street would offer drugs to soothe her pain. She did not want that anymore. She felt that everything was working against her and it was hopeless situation. She was truly poor in every possible way.

Jesus said that someone like Kawanna is truly blessed. Seeing this young beautiful girl in tears with no support and hope makes it seem like Jesus was out of His mind to make such a statement. After all, who in their right mind would consider her “blessed”. We put all our strength and energy to avoid being in her situation. Yet Jesus sees things differently. It is so different that it is hard for us to comprehend. Whenever we read this verse or any other verses which make us feel uncomfortable, we tend to skim through it without dwelling too much on it. This is because we are comfortable where we are in this world. This is the problem. We may not be ready to receive what He wants to offer us. Kawanna, on the other hand, reads this verse with joy and hope. She is ready to receive what the Lord has for her. She has received nothing in this world worth holding onto.

Our homeless children and teens do not have any hope in this world. They do not believe that the politicians whether good or bad will change their lot in life. They don’t believe that education is going to open doors for them. Sad to say, they are right. It is not that they lack ambition nor drive for life. They just don’t trust this world. After all it has rejected and despised them from the day they were born. However, this does not mean that they are hopeless. This is perhaps the most fascinating thing about our children. They still have hope to find meaning and fulfillment in Life. However, they don’t share our definition on this matter. We have our feet planted in two Kingdoms. We like to have treasures in both worlds. Eventually we will discover that only one of these treasures will endure. Our children know that there is nothing in this world for them. They have eyes and ears only for what the Kingdom of God has to offer to them. And what exactly Jesus offers to them?

After the tears have dried, Kawanna, asked us if we could help pay for a night in a hostel. It was a temporary solution but it was necessary for that night. Nevertheless, we had no idea how to find a permanent solution. We were honest about it. We were also honest about our concerns for her. We shared that we wanted what is best for her and will be willing to help her explore all possibilities. There is something special and beautiful about this young girl. We have known her for a while. In spite of all unfairness she had experienced in life, she is one of the most caring and loving girls in the streets. Our friendship with her opened the doors for the others teenage girls to approach us. Kawanna listened and then she hugged us. This was what she needed to hear. She did not call us to solve her problems. She was no fool. She knew that nothing would be resolved immediately. She was feeling vulnerable and lost. She wanted to hear that she was still loved and accepted. For her, this was the most important thing in her life. This is the treasure she seeks to live a fulfilling life. The moment of sadness almost disappeared immediately. Kawanna talked about her interest in plants and music. She showed a renewed zest for life. Later in the week, she convinced her partner to seek medical help. It seems like they are back on the right track. We learned that the things which make life beautiful and special are not living a comfortable and peaceful life in this world but receiving the people that Jesus has put in our lives. These people are the Kingdom of God. These are the treasures which our children constantly seek in the streets. They are open to find them and they discover them in all shapes and forms. Sometimes for us, wealth and success in this world can distract us from appreciating these eternal treasures.

Being poor in spirit is not desirable but it opens our heart to realize what are the most valuable things in Life. In this way, it is truly a blessing. We don’t have to be poor to understand this. We just have to be open to know that the poor have valuable things to teach us about life. We need to have eyes and ear to listen and humility helps, too.

I first came to this city in 1994. Almost thirty years ago; sometimes it’s hard to believe it was that long ago. I travelled 56 hours by interstate bus from the city of Manaus in the Amazons to São Paulo. It was from one extreme to another in many ways. When I got off the bus, I was confronted by this huge and chaotic mega city which seemed strange and familiar to me. I have always been an urbanite. From the bus station, I managed to find my way to the missionary center without the aid of a cell phone nor GPS, all these were non existent at that time, at least, not for the general public. My Portuguese was basic. I had only been living in Brazil only for six months. Upon arrival, I was introduced to the team who worked with the homeless children which then consisted of an American couple, John and Patty, one Brazilian, Marinette, and, a German, Karin. Almost immediately, I was invited to a picnic they organized with some of the older homeless teens the next day. They thought it was a good way to introduce me to the children and teens.

The next day, we went to the streets to pick up the teens for the picnic. The homeless youth then hung out exactly at the same place were we meet them today. There were literally hundreds of children of all ages sleeping in the streets. I remember that the official count was about three to four hundred just in that particular area. They were dressed in clothes that were literally torn and tattered and their faces were covered with specks of dirt. They looked like personalities from a Dickens novel. Almost all of them had with them the same kind of blanket but filthy in varying degrees. Curiously, the same blankets are distributed to the homeless population today. The children were sniffing some pink substance in a plastic bag. I found out later that it was nail polish. It was the cheapest drug available then. Today our children sniff paint thinner which is basically the same stuff. My team mates introduced me to three older teens, Nelson, Pedro and another one whose name I can’t recall. They were the very first homeless youth I met in this city.

We went to a park together and they were curious about me and asked a lot of questions. I understood some things but my Portuguese was not good enough to have any profound conversation. It did not bother me. I was interested in just being with them. Later on I discover that these friendly young teens robbed together. It was hard to believe as well as disturbing to think that they could be dangerous criminals. It contradicted who they were when they were with us. In the park, they just appeared like any teenager who was having a good time with a bunch of older friends.

Karin did not stay long after my arrival. She eventually got married and settled down in Germany. Marinette, unfortunately, died about less than a year later due to allergic reactions to antibiotics. Just after six months in the streets, I became the most senior team member excluding the American couple who stayed until the very end of our time. They took care of the other aspects of the ministry which allowed the rest of us to spend more time in the streets. Mary arrived shortly after and soon we fell in love and got married. Everything happened here in the streets of São Paulo.

Nelson was the only one of the three who we saw most often after my first meeting. He got more and more involved in crime as he grew older. He was stuck in a vicious cycle and could not find a way out. Once he was shot eight times. Miraculously he survived. Then, just like that, he disappeared. In fact, no one even remembered him in the streets after a while. We assumed that he died. Sadly, a large percentage of the three hundred homeless children and teens never made it past the age of 25. It was also during the time of the AIDs pandemic and about 90 percent of the children were HIV positive.

On the second day of this New Year (2023), as we were talking with the children in the streets, a man approached us. He was almost completely bald. He looked like a young man who had aged prematurely. We were too engaged in our conversations to pay attention to him. His face looked friendly and I assumed that he was a curious passerby. He looked at us and said, “I know you!” Then he went on to mention the names of Karin and Marinette. Mary could not remember him and to be frank neither did I. For some reason, almost instinctively, I blurted out, “Nelson!” Then he smiled and said, “You do remember me!!”

He had been in prison for 14 years. It was his personal wilderness. In prison, he was tempted to join the local prison gang which is the largest in Brazil. They wanted him to become part of their brotherhood. This is how they see themselves. In the streets, every addresses them as the “brothers”. Many of his friends did not resist but Nelson decided it was time for a change. He said it was during this time, he felt that the reality of Christ in his life. I am not sure what this really meant for him. Time did not permit us to delve deeper into this. However, it was obvious that it has had a profound impact in his life and a radical change. The amazing thing is that he claims to remember almost every detail of our conversations and things we used to do together. He especially remembered Karin fondly. She was a major influence in his life. This was almost thirty years ago. I hardly recall anything.

Upon his release, he went out to look for jobs and is still seeking employment. He does odd jobs here and there but has not found nothing permanent yet. Since he has been out, he had been robbed twice. He said this in a way that he almost sounded like he was proud of it. He said, “I was an aggressive robber and now I am a victim.” Even though no one wants to be a victim ever, Nelson liked the fact he did not feel the need to be violent when it happened. It was almost as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He emphasized that he is a “softy” and he was fine with it. He is now free to be who he really is without having to prove anything to anyone. He is at peace with himself. It took him a long time to get here.

Nelson is 48 years old. When I first started working with the homeless children and teens, I was only 24. I was old enough to be their older brother then. Today, I am as old as some of the grandparents of our children and teens. Nelson asked what we were doing now. It felt good to say we are doing the same thing as we did thirty years ago.

In reality, it is very difficult to answer what we do exactly. We know why we are here but how we go about our ministry often varies. We do a little bit of everything. When the children are hungry or thirsty, we buy food and drinks for them. When they need a place to live, we try to find a safe place for them. When they are sick, we make sure that they are taken care of. However, these things the children can get without us, or rather, we are not the only ones in the streets able to do this for them. There are many who can perhaps do a better job at these things than us. For some of our kids, we are a permanent presence in the street offering something different than the rest. In the streets, drugs are always present and available. There is the overwhelming presence of violence and oppression. There is much hatred and anger. The worst of all is the constant reminder of their rejection and abandonment. We want our children and teens to know that all these things cannot hinder the power of eternal love which is always present in their lives. Many times, it takes them a while to realize this because of their pain and loneliness. However, it is not just a one way traffic. We also need our children and teens to help us understand the eternal love of God.

If someone asked Nelson what we did for him, he would not be able to give a straightforward answer. Most of our children and teens might feel the same. However, they always introduce us to strangers as people who counsel and teach them. Sometimes they exaggerate and claim that we do things which we have never done like cutting their hair etc. We are something that they did not have in their lives. They also give us something which is lacking in our lives. If someone wants to know the specifics, then there is nothing we can say which would be adequate. All we know is that together we discover something good and beautiful based on the foundation of the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. John 1:35-39

This is such a strange story sandwiched between the Baptism of our Lord and Peter’s calling. I must have read this text countless times but never paid any attention to its peculiarity. This time I was drawn to it. Maybe it is because I am busy preparing for our time in Florida. I have been reflecting on what to share with the churches. We have been here ten years. If I had been a parish priest in a regular church, I would mostly likely be thinking about moving on to another parish. It is not because I do not like to stay put in one place. I often have the feeling after spending a long time in one place that I have nothing to offer anymore. However, I do not feel this way about our ministry here. I still feel there is a lot of room to grow. One of the older homeless youth said jokingly to us, “You are one of us now. You found something special in the streets and now you just want to be here all the time.” He is right. Despite all the violence and hostile challenges before us, we do want to be in the streets.

It is curious why the evangelist John mentioned that it was four in the afternoon. He thought it was crucial information but the exact reasons are lost to us. Maybe it is better this way. It gives us the freedom to read this and allow the Holy Spirit speak to us personally. As for me, it talks about the perfect hour to make a decision. It marks the end of the day before a new one begins. The disciples followed John the Baptist because they were seeking for a spiritual place which they could call their home. Jesus invited them to come and see for themselves.

I loved parish ministry. I enjoyed visiting people in the hospitals. I enjoyed visiting people in their homes. All the precious conversations I had with the congregants are part of who I am now. However, I am not a big fan of meetings, I have to admit this. In parish ministry, meetings are indispensable. Then the time came for me to make the decision. I was at a point where I could decide to remain where I was or move on. I was ready to go but I wanted to find a place I could call my permanent home. In the same sense, the gospel story tells us the disciples of John were faced with a crucial decision. They could remain as John’s disciples or follow Jesus. There was no contradiction in being one or the other. Strangely, it was John the Baptist who pointed out Jesus to them. In many ways, it was my years as a parish priest that pointed to me the direction which I should take in my life. It helped me discover who I am and the things which helped me sense that was living my vocation. There was the comfort of remaining where I was. There was nothing wrong with this. However, my soul was seeking its permanent home.

Not all of us feel at home at the same place. John the Baptist had many disciples but two decided it was time to move on. The others felt that they were in the right place and remained with John until much later. Those who remained were by no means inferior to those who left. Each person felt spiritually at home where they were. I asked the Lamb of God to show us where He lived. He asked me to come and see the streets of São Paulo. The hour was coming. We decided it is time to stay where the Lamb of God is most present to us. Maybe one day, the Lamb of God will bring us to another place. It is possible. After all, our Lord said,

‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Matthew 8:20

It is not the place in itself which makes it our home but where we see His presence clearly. It is late now but there is something else I want to say.

There is another reason why I was drawn to the this text.

I was hoping to have a relaxing week before our trip. However, you know, “Best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry.” We had a young man, Wanderson, whom some of you pray for regularly, was admitted to the hospital. He had a serious case of pneumonia. The cold winds in the streets were not helping his condition. We had been after him for weeks to go the doctor and even offered to pay for his cab. However, he was stubborn and behaving like a typical male. For some reason, there is something in our masculine outlook that thinks our illness will go away naturally without any effort on our part. To make matter worse, he is HIV positive. He looked exactly like someone in the final stages of this dreadful disease. Finally, he was in such a bad state that they had to take him in an ambulance. He is not doing well but he is receiving the necessary treatment. It was quite stressful to see him in this condition. Now, we have to find a way to visit him which is not as easy as it sounds here in Brazil.

Then, one of our favorite girls who had left the streets became homeless again because of a breakup. She was desperate and depressed. She really did not want to go back to sleeping in the streets with the others. She felt that she might be tempted to use drugs again and all the other negative activities of the homeless life. Unfortunately, she has no where to go and no family support. She called us because we were the only ones she knew who could help her. She was afraid to sleep in the streets alone and rightly so. There are lots of predators lurking around looking for victims in the streets. She had been sneaking into the subway station after it closed so that she can be a protected area while she sleeps.

In both instances, I thought about Jesus inviting the disciples to see His home. I wondered what I would have done if either one of these young people had asked to come to our home. They didn’t. I am ashamed to say that I was a little relieved. Most likely we would have opened up our home if they had asked but not without a sense of .…I don’t know exactly. We are busy preparing for a trip. This seems like a weak excuse.

Thankfully, Wanderson is in the place where he needs to be. The young girl knows that we will do anything for her to help her avoid sleeping in the streets. She told us that she will let us how we can help her. We did pay for her to stay in a hostel of her choice. We saw her today and she seems to be doing better. She even asked a lot of questions about our trip and asked us to take tons of pictures.

We like having our children and teens over to our home. Felipe has come here before and so did Igor. We even baked a cake and had Aline over for her birthday. We usually love having company. We have an extra bed for guests. However, our relationship with our children and teens has grown over the years and their opinion of us matters greatly to us. I am afraid that they might see our home and feel that we are too different from them to be their friends. Our home is not luxurious by any means. Nevertheless, for those who have spent their whole lives sleeping in the streets and come from homes where seven people sleep on one double bed, our home is like a palace in comparison. Besides, our children and teens never get invited to homes as guests. When they do, they tend to clam up as soon as they enter an environment which is foreign and intimidating to them. It never happened to the ones who came here recently but we saw this when we first started working in this ministry in the mid nineties. Ever since then, we realized that the children needed to be prepared. It seemed to me in the gospel story, John the Baptist prepared his disciples and when they right time came, they knew exactly what to do when they stayed with Jesus. Perhaps, we have come to a stage in our ministry where our home becomes an extension of the things we do in the streets. There will come a time when someone like this young girl might need a place to feel safe and secure and if she asks, “where are you staying?” we want to say, “Come and see where we live.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2:15-18

São Paulo Mercy Ministry turns ten this year. I can hardly believe it. In 2013, we started with nothing except with the conviction that God was calling us to minister to the homeless children and teens of São Paulo. I wasn’t entirely sure if it would take off. I imagined that the idea sounded a little crazy for some. After all, Florida was thousands of miles away from Brazil and one has nothing to do with the other. Thankfully, our Bishop saw it differently and officially recognized us as a mission of the diocese with the permission of the local Brazilian diocese naturally. It is a miracle of love that we lasted so long. Like I mentioned before there is no pragmatic reason for people and churches of Florida to be involved in this ministry except for sheer purpose of sharing God’s love. Our initial support came from small churches. It was amazing that despite their limited resources they said “Yes” together with us to be a presence among the homeless children and teens in the largest city in South America. We started with nothing and now we have received much more than we ever imagined.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29

There is no denying that we have received a hundredfold since we started this ministry. Many people, some whom I never met and some maybe in mere passing, have constantly encouraged us with their words and affection. We also have people who correspond with us who are from other parts of the world and in some instances of different faiths. These people have become part of our lives as much as the children albeit in different and unique ways. Many have adopted these children in their hearts. They often write to us asking about a specific child or teen. This ministry over the years has developed into something which I always hoped that it would become. It created a bridge between the church and our homeless children. Even though this church in particular is thousands of miles away, Love is able to overcome the divide.

We could not have remained here all these years here without receiving love from the children and teens. I have to admit it has not always been easy. These are young people whose very first experience in life is one of rejection. They were cast away by the very ones who were supposed to love them. Most of their parents also suffered the same fate and are just repeating this cycle of rejection and abandonment, understandably. It took a while for our children and teens to accept us. Being friendly is not the same as being accepted. Even their initial friendliness is due to the novelty of meeting someone new, especially someone from away. This phase is brief. After a while, when they realized that we are not going away like the other foreigners who are here short term, they did not know what do with us. They had to figure out whether we are worth carving out a space in their lives. This process took some time. In some cases, there was a lot of resistance and even hostility before anything concrete happened.

Erica was one of the very first girls we met in 2013. We visited her in the juvenile detention. She was detained for stealing but she claimed to be innocent. It was later proven that she was telling the truth. She was a little standoffish and made it seemed like she did not appreciate our visit. We decided not to impose ourselves upon her and stopped our visits. After a while, we saw her in the streets again upon her release. She basically confronted me and enquired why we stopped our visits. I was honest with her. I told her that I thought she did not get anything from it. She did not say anything. The following years she would just ignore us, I am not sure if it was deliberate. For some of the kids, we are just invisible. Most likely, they do not know where to place us in their lives. We were not offended. In the streets, there are always some who ignore us while others respond positively to us. It balances out in the end. We are never left alone. Besides, everyone has their season.

Frankly speaking, I do not remember when it happened but one day Erica started interacting with us. By this time it has already been more seven years since our first meeting. She started acknowledging our presence more and more. Sometimes, she would even sit and talk with us for long periods of time. Little by little we discovered about her past. Her mother is a crack addict and abandoned her in an orphanage. She grew up with very little contact with her. In fact, there was a time she hardly remembered what her mother looked like. The only thing she has to remind her of her mother is a weak lung. Her mother used a lot of drugs when she was pregnant with her and now Erica is asthmatic as a result. Erica grew up in the midst of homelessness and crime. This is the norm for her but she hated both these things and felt stuck in this world. She felt like she needed to use drugs and engage in crime in order to belong with the other teenage girls. However, she did not want to become like her mother. From very young age, she realized that if she wanted anything in life, she had to fight for it. Once she even commented to us, “I am a woman, black and poor. No one is going to give me anything freely. I have to fight for everything in order to survive.” I told her that she was right and she was surprised. Maybe she thought that I was going to contradict her.

Erica’s survival skills were developed based on the idea that no one loved her enough to care for her. To be frank, she was not the easiest person to love. She can be very manipulative. She attempted to get money from us on several occasions especially during the quarantine when food was scare in the streets. We helped her but she wanted to get as much as possible out of us. Then the other teens stepped in and stopped her. They made it clear to her that we are not the kind of people to be manipulated. Then she changed. Manipulation is a survival skill for her and we knew that it would take time for her to realize that it was not necessary to use this ‘skill’ with us. Eventually, she learned that whenever she needed something, all she needed to do is ask and we are more than willing to help her. It is hard for her to comprehend that we are willing to help her because we like her. She and Kawanna decided that they needed to leave behind the streets and drugs and crime. However, they have both been homeless all their lives and they have no family to help them. They reached out to us in this process. They desire to be independent but we had to explain to them that the road to independence is a process. Everyone needs someone who loves them to help them achieve it.

There are a lot challenges facing Erica. She never went to school and consequently she is illiterate. Recently, she went to the local library and was amazed at the number of books. She asked us if we could help her get a card. She has been teaching herself to read and has been able to read simple things. We gave her “Alice in Wonderland” once and she grabbed it and placed it close to her heart. Just before Christmas, she and Kawanna wanted to know if we could one day go for a walk in a park nearby together. They want to just spend time with us.

Our journey with Erica started with hostility and indifference and now she is one of our favorite people in the streets. She still has a lot of rough edges like the rest of us. The most important thing is that she is learning that there are people in the world who genuinely care for her. One day, I asked her what she hoped to do in the future. She told me that she wanted to make sure her mother has a place to stay when she gets out of prison. She wants to help her mother have a better life.

These ten years we have not done great and marvelous things but we have created strong bonds with children and teens like Erica. There are many more like her and every day new “Ericas” are making the streets their home. They might be hostile or even distant for now. We know that eventually they have the potential to become our favorites.

I want to end with the above gospel reading. When I read this, I thought to myself that this text best describes our ministry. God summons us to come to this place to see His Son in the streets of São Paulo. We have met Jesus alive and well in midst of these children and teens who were castaway so freely by the world and yet have so much to offer to those who are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and hearts.

Have a Blessed New Year.

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ Matthew 1:18-21

The best sermon I heard on this gospel text was given by unassuming deacon in my final year of seminary. I can not remember her name but I will never forget her. Actually, I think her name is Gladys. She was a conditional candidate for ordination. This means that she did not need to complete the full theological education like the rest of us because her priestly ministry was restricted to a specific community in an isolated region of Ontario, Canada. The area was only accessible by air or sea. Understandably, most of the priests from away found it hard to endure living in such an isolated place. Gladys is part of the community. She grew up there and had always served her parish as a lay person. She did everything; cleaned the church, set up the altar and said the morning prayers, attended to the sick and buried the dead. There was not much marriage going on there. All the young people have moved away to the city for better job opportunities. In many ways, she was more prepared for ordained ministry than the rest of us who spent many years studying theology.

We were asked to prepare a sermon based on the above text. There were four of us. It was not a competition but it did not stop our egos from wanting to be the best of the lot. This was not the case for Gladys. She always expressed that she felt insecure and small compared to the rest of us “intellectuals giants”. Nonetheless, she preached the best sermon. It was simple and beautifully crafted. I still remember it today and from my own sermon I can not remember one word. It doesn’t matter. It was most likely drivel next to this simple servant’s sermon. No attempt at false humility here; I am just stating a fact. Therefore, it is only fair to state that this reflection is inspired by her sermon.

She focused on the person of Joseph, someone whom I tend to overlook when reflecting on the Christmas story. There are so many strange and wonderful things going on; the virgin birth and Jesus, the angelic visitation. Joseph just appears as a humble Christmas ornament in the midst of all these things. Gladys saw it differently. She perceived the significant role of this simple man in the Christmas story.

In reality, Joseph was an exceptional man for his time. All signs showed that his betrothed was unfaithful. According to the societal norms, he had every right to lash out against her but instead he chose to act in compassion and mercy, an attitude we see manifested in Jesus’ life down the road. Of course, we know that an angel came to Mary’s rescue and Joseph realized that he was going to be part of something great and wonderful. However, this did not shelter him nor his family from being subject of gossip. First century Israel is not much different from our present times. People then loved a scandal as much as today and Mary’s pregnancy would not have gone unnoticed. Joseph must have endured a lot of things in his brief life. It never stopped him from protecting Mary from the harsh judgments of society and providing Jesus a safe place to grow up. Something which most of the parents and adults in the lives of our homeless children have failed to do. Nevertheless, it does not mean that our children did not have a person like Joseph in their lives.

In reality, this world would be a living hell if it was not for people like Joseph. They are always present in our lives but very often they are overlooked unless we allow people like Gladys to shed some light on them. Moreover, it is the nature of these servants not to attract attention to themselves. They prefer to serve in an unassuming manner. They do not do this to be humble or anything of that sort. This would be attracting attention indirectly. They are just practical saints. They see a need and they try their best to fulfill it. The best place to look for these saints is behind the scenes. It is easier to find them in the churches. In fact, our churches would not have endured all the difficulties and challenges through the ages if not for these servants. They keep things running. They are usually the ones who dress the altars to make them look beautiful and festive on Christmas Day. Usually in my life experience, these saints have almost always been women. They do not just set up the altars. They also bring the flowers to the sick and lonely people who are unable to participate. They are the ones who literally pray for everyone on the prayer list. In my experience, they have been my personal consultants sometimes they advised me even when I did not ask for it. I remember on one occasion after a long tedious sermon preached by a visiting missionary, one of these saints came up to me and said, “Stephen, when you become a priest, please don’t preach long sermons, don’t torture the poor people!” I am aware that it was an indirect criticism towards the priest. These quiet saints have strong opinions. Their quietness is not to be mistaken for passivity. They do not hesitate to make their voices heard. I heard her words. Ever since then, I was made sure that I followed her advice and she has helped me become a better priest.

The children and teens who respond in a positive manner to us in the streets are those who have been touched by a quiet saint previously in their lives. Usually, it is a grandmother but sometimes it is a neighbor or someone they met in the state orphanage. Most of the time, they are also women. It is the love and compassion of these quiet saints which opened the doors for us to minister to these children. We are just fortunate to reap the fruits of the seeds planted by these saints. Unfortunately, there are ones who never had anyone like that in their lives. They are the ones who struggle with violence and bitterness. However, these are a minority. I am not going to jump to the conclusion that there are many quiet saints in the world. I think that the broader picture proves this to be untrue. They are few and far between. Therefore, when we come across one in our lives or communities, we need to treasure them. They are the ones who pave the way for the rest of us to recognize love and compassion in this world.

In a way, I am where I am because of many conversations with these saints. One of these quiet saints once told me, “You will get your instructions from the Holy Spirit where to go and what to do.” She said this in regards to our ministry here the streets in 2012. She passed away before we could return to thank her for all she has done for us. Thankfully, I did write her a long letter which she received before she passed away. She was the Joseph of our lives. She did everything in her power to make sure we were able to do what we were called to do. Above all, she reminded us that only one voice matters in this life and we need to heed it. She did the same too and this is why she was a blessing to many. Perhaps there were some blessed by her life and never realized it. The problem is that they did not have a Gladys in their lives. She opened up my eyes to see the beauty in the person of Joseph. I am fortunate that I met Gladys. I think she is still serving in a community of neglected and abandoned people. I can not know for sure because no one writes anything about someone like her and other quiet saints. They are always in the background. However, without them, our lives will be a like an altar without any flowers and decorations. It would be plain and dull.

This Christmas I want to thank all these quiet servants who are happy to serve silently in the background. I want to acknowledge their love and dedication to the Living Christ. Our ministry would not be where it is today if it were not for these quiet saints.

Our ministry here is one mixed with tragedy and joy. Unfortunately, you can not have one without the other. Very often, we find moments of joy in the midst of a tragic situation.

A 17 year old boy died. His name was Henrique. We have known him since he was just seven years old. He came to the streets together his brother, Eric, who was just a year older. They were just two tiny kids back then but they made up for it by being terrors. It is normal for newcomers to act out. They were trying to establish their ground. The problem is that they were too young and they did not know when to stop. Initially most of the children avoided them. They were convinced that these brothers were aggressive lunatics. In reality, they were merely acting act what they learned in their home. Their mother clearly suffered from mental illness. She was very unpredictable and even violent at times. The other adult in their lives was their step father who was violent, too. The boys used to tremble when they saw him. This was the sad reality of young Henrique and Eric. They had to escape to homelessness to find some peace in their lives. However, they did not always sleep in the streets. There were periods when they were interned in a state orphanage but they always kept coming back to the streets. When they turned thirteen, they remained in the streets for good.

We have a stronger bond with Eric than Henrique. The latter is more of an introvert. Eric tends to interact more with us and he will call us collectively as “Uncle Mary” even though he knows our names individually. Henrique used to be one of the kids who ignored us. When he was younger, he played games with us, However, after he turned thirteen, he thought it wasn’t cool to hang out with us. He was trying to integrate into a group of teens who frequently robbed. Then he was caught and spent a few months in the juvenile detention center. Upon his release, he saw me in the streets and gave me a hug which surprised me. I guess that we were a familiar face that he missed while he was locked up. Ever since then, he always made an effort to say something to us. It was obvious he had affection for us. One time in his feeble attempt to connect with us, he sang the words of the Yellow Submarine, the song almost all non Beatle fans know. His efforts were much appreciated.

Once, he came up to us and asked if we could buy some lunch for him. He had been trying to get food all day to no avail. Henrique was growing teenager and he had a healthy appetite. Among our homeless teens, there is an unspoken rule that we are the last resort when it comes to food. Even one of the older youth told us that they did not want to abuse our goodwill by asking for something which they can get themselves. We bought Henrique lunch at an all-you-can-eat restaurant and in the process, I got into a little argument with the restaurant staff. He thought Henrique got too much food which was not true. The staff was being prejudiced. I guess it made an impression on him and afterwards he kept thanking us and offered to share his lunch with us. On another occasion, he asked us if we could buy a pair of flip-flops. He had lost his shoes and his foot was hurt from walking barefoot. We got him a pair and then months later he called out to us to show us that he still had them. It is strange that when we did these things for him we never thought anything of it. Now, they are the strongest memories I have of him. I am glad we were given the opportunity to show him that we liked and cared for him. I am glad that he sensed it too.

He died a tragic and violent death. The details leading to it are unnecessary. He was gravely hurt and suffered internal bleeding. He agonized for hours before his death and thankfully, his girlfriend was by his side. She called for the ambulance and it only arrived hours later when it was too late even though the hospital is only a couple blocks away. This is the sad reality. The poorest of the poor are the last of everyone’s priority list. Throughout the time, he was crying out for his mother: the very woman who made his early childhood a living hell. He still hoped that she would comfort him in his most painful moment. Unfortunately, she was coherent in her response. She did not even show up at his funeral after all the effort his girlfriend made to get in touch with her. In the process, they found out that Henrique and Eric have a brother and sister whom they never knew existed. Both are much older than them and were adopted at a very young age. Their sister lives in France. Coincidently, she was in Brazil searching for them at this time. Through her, they found out that their older brother lives in another state in Brazil and now is a lawyer. Only their sister reached out to Eric. However, he is not sure about living with a complete stranger. Eric does suffer from mental illness. However, for the most part, he is a lovely person.

Kawanna called us immediately when she found out about Henrique. As she was no longer sleeping in the streets, she only found out about his passing much later. She is trying her best to leave everything behind to find a way forward. However, it has not been easy for her. We have been helping them in the process especially with food and emotional support. She has a strong emotional connection with her still homeless friends. They are the only family she knows and Henrique was one of them. She wanted to process his death with us. She remembered that there was a family who wanted to adopt him when he was in the orphanage. In Brazil a child of a certain age can choose to accept or reject adoption. Henrique was older then, maybe about 12 or 13. He chose to reject the adoption even though he liked the family. In his heart, he was afraid that they might reject him. Besides, he still hoped that he would be reunited with his mother. Kawanna encouraged him to return to the orphanage and accept the adoption. She thought that it was a good chance for him to escape this cycle of misery and poverty and maybe one day he could come back and help others in the same situation. As much as I liked Henrique, he was not that kind of person. It is not saying that he was self-centered or ungrateful. He just was not that kind of person but Kawanna thinks about these things. She is always concerned about the well-being of those around her. She says that she wants to get herself established so that she can help others. Maybe this sound like wishful thinking, like those who claim they would help people when they strike the lottery, then when it finally happens they forget all their promises. Kawanna together with Erica left the streets to become squatters in an abandoned building. They frequently go to the streets and share whatever food and clothing they gather with the other children. On one occasion, I saw them buying bread with the little money they had to feed the others. Many times, I saw them even take some of the younger ones back to their place so that they do not have to spend the night in the cold streets. Some days both these girls will leave a message for us at night just to say, “Good night”. They know that they can not give anything materially to us but they can share their love. Something we accept with gratitude. Listening to Kawanna share what she said to Henrique brought comfort to our souls. Maybe one day she will be there with the children and teens doing what we do and maybe even more. For the time being, we can encourage her to pursue her goals and help in whatever ways necessary for her to achieve them.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:7-10

I rather like to use the word, “religious”, to describe my spirituality. For a while there, I was prone to use the word, “spiritual”. I was taught that religious people were like the Pharisees and Sadducees whose faith was bogged down with painstaking observances of rituals and works. Unfortunately, in time I realized that most so-called “spiritual” people have the same attitude and posture as the very people they criticize. It did not take much to conclude that changing the term around is not going to hinder us from becoming like Pharisees. I am not saying that we should not forego using certain terms especially the ones with derogative connotations. We cannot be so naive to believe that changing terms will automatically change attitudes. For this to happen, we need something more profound to occur in our hearts. John the Baptist warned the Pharisees that a mere splashing of water is not going to modify their attitude. They need to show fruit of repentance, another word often thrown about without much ponderation. Surely, John is not advocating a system of merits. He was preparing the world to receive the gracious gift of God. Therefore, what does he mean exactly by the fruit of repentance?

The worst thing we can do is reduce this to acts. There is no indication that John is saying we should do good works to show that we are truly repentant. This would be more in line with the spirituality of the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his time. They displayed their charitable works as evidence of their piety. This practice is still carried out. Many believe that charitable works will cover a multitude of sins. In many ways they do. People can tolerate tyrants and corrupt religious leaders if they see them giving a plate of food to a poor hungry soul. This is not the fruit of repentance but an appeal to sentimentality. In the same gospel, we can read Jesus had some harsh words to say about such actions. Good works should be done in a quiet manner without drawing attention to the deed itself. These words are very much overlooked and neglected in this age of social media.

In the streets, there are people who distribute food to the homeless. I am grateful for their actions. They are meeting a concrete need which we (Mary and myself) do not have the capacity to fulfill on a large scale. Most of the homeless including our children only get one complete meal a day. Furthermore, the homeless population is growing on a daily basis here. The demand is growing everyday. However, once a homeless person commented that the people distributing the food never hide their disdain towards them. At first, I was shocked by this comment. Then we saw it for ourselves. We still do not understand why someone would humiliate the very people they are serving. It never occurred to me that it is possible to do something good and at the same not acknowledge the humanity of the person who is on the receiving side. During this festive season, people often come to the streets bearing gifts. They distribute them to everyone especially the children. Then they take tons of pictures and after that, we never see them again until next Christmas maybe. All these are good actions but I doubt that these are the fruit of repentance.

My attitude towards the Pharisees and the religious leaders changed over the years. There was a time when I associated them with the other person. The ones I believed who did not follow or understand the teachings of Jesus unlike myself, of course. I did not realize that I was espousing the attitude of the Pharisee in my criticism of them. Today, I see the Pharisee as a mirror. I realize that they represent who I am or can become. After all they were people just like myself. Therefore, I have to imagine myself in their shoes and listen to the harsh words of John. What is my fruit of repentance? Just because we are in the streets with the homeless children does not automatically mean that we are bearing the fruit of repentance. Maybe most people might be impressed with what we do. The Pharisees liked it when they impressed people with their charitable acts. Our spirituality needs to be better that this!

A few weeks ago, I shared that we witnessed three consecutive acts of violence in a span of ten minutes. They disturbed us profoundly especially because one of the teens who committed the act has a close connection with us. Seeing him in this dark state made us feel a little repulsed towards him. It was hard for us to separate the deed from the person. I know these are harsh sentiments to harbor but we can not help our feelings. Last week, this same boy approached us and apologized. Well, he said that he was sorry that we saw this side of him. He tried to explain that he was going to buy a bicycle so that he can start working with food delivery. I know that his justification does not make any sense and he knows it too. However, it was obvious that he was appealing to us not to think of him as a monster or a hopeless case.

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13

The world will consider this young man as a hopeless criminal at best or a monster at worse. We live in a harsh society. Many times people including the head of state made comments such as a good criminal is a dead criminal. In some instances people have told me that human rights are for righteous people. These things are said out loud without any reticence. In the act of baptism we symbolically die to the world. If we participate in this gesture without its implication taking root in our lives, then we are nothing more than the Pharisees of Jesus’ time. However, if we are willing to listen to the voice of our faith, then our baptism means we stop thinking and judging like the world. We are dead to its standards but now alive in the person of Christ. We espoused the Spirit of Christ and we bear the fruit. of this new lifestyle. This young man was asking us to be merciful to him. Not in the superficial manner but in genuine love. We found the incidents to be extremely disturbing because we know that this young man is much more than his actions. We told him that it made us sad when we saw him doing those things because we know that he is a much better person than his actions. He sat down next to us and was moved to tears. He knew that we meant it.

We realized that bearing fruit has nothing to do with proving our repentance but it is seeing these lost and abandoned children in a different light through the merciful eyes of the Good Shepherd. It benefits no one but ourselves. It helps us understand what it means to be in the gracious love of God.

For now, I will consider this as the fruit of repentance. Perhaps in the future I will discover more things about it. I am sure that our children and teens here are going to help us in the process and when they do, I will definitely pass this learning along to anyone interested.

When she introduced herself for the first time, both of us had the same image of a teenage witch from the comics of our childhood. Besides, it is not a common name here in Brazil. She is the first one in the streets. Consequently, we never forgot her name even though she disappeared soon after our first meeting which was a few years ago. Then just like magic, she reappeared again last year. It was during the worst period of the Pandemic when food was scarce and the death toll was high. She ran up to me with her childlike smile and before she could say anything, I blurted out her name, “Sabrina!” She was amazed that I remembered. It sealed our connection with her. Of course I never told her the only reason why I recalled her name. She doesn’t need to know this. Nevertheless, useless knowledge paid off this time.

She is one of the many girls who have started drawing close to us. This is something new. Usually we have more boys in our circle of friendship. Now, we have a growing number of girls who interact with us. Initially they were apprehensive. It is harder for them to believe that someone might want to show kindness to them without any ulterior motives. Regrettably, they have ample reasons for thinking this way. Now, they are letting their guard down and are slowly approaching us.

Maybe it is because we have been here for a long time. In fact, among all the social workers and church people who worked with the homeless youth, we are the only ones who remained. We are also much older now than when we started and hopefully a little wiser. Some of these girls were preteens then and now they are in their early twenties. The same girls who used to snub us and sometimes were even hostile towards us are now counted among our favorites. They just needed time. We knew this but frankly speaking, I never expected that it would take so long. It did and we are glad that we persevered. It is worth it.

Getting back to Sabrina, she does not always sleep in the streets. She usually spends few months sleeping in the streets and then she disappears. She developed a pattern. On the first few days, she is usually full of energy and happy. Most likely she is relieved to have escaped her living conditions. Something she recently revealed to us however, only in pieces. It is rare for someone to tell you their whole life story in one sitting. Most of our children share their stories in small doses. For some reason, she was rejected by her family and was forced to lived an older man. She was quick to follow with the fact that he was gay. She did not want us to conjure up unnecessary images. Unfortunately, her stay with him created other problems which brought her back to the streets.

As I was saying, she is always happy the first few days in the streets and then she gradually slips into a melancholic mood and then she isolates herself before leaving the streets. This is the cycle I observed so far. I mentioned it to her and she was surprised. She said, “Uncle Stephen knows me very well.” In one of her low emotional states, I saw her taking out a piece of paper and starting to draw. She looked peaceful and happy when she did it. We decided to surprise her with a gift of a coloring book which we did but we forgot the coloring pencils. The the next day, she purposely went to one of the centers where the teens can take showers and found some color pencils. She colored a page for us to see. Eventually, we bought her case of color pencils and a sharpener. She was so happy and hugged us tightly. From then onwards, we were always greeted with hugs. She finished her book real fast and then unfortunately someone stole it. Usually it is due to jealousy more than anything else. It really upset her but we bought another set of books and new case of color pencils. When she received them this time with big smile on her face and said, “Meus eternos amores!” It is hard to translate or perhaps it sounds much more meaningful and beautiful in her native language. She means to say we are her eternal beloveds. It was a great gift to receive from a girl who has much to give but has always been rejected.