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.

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he 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: 39-43

Next year, Brazil will have a new president. Dignitaries from all over the world will be present. There will be much pomp and pageantry involved. It is customary in this world to usher its King in this manner. Regardless of who the president is, he will be restricted in his interactions. He is not free to be with whomever he wishes to spend time. He will always be surrounded by a select and elite group of people. It does not matter what his convictions may be. He is not going to be with the sick, the abandoned, the widows and orphans. If he wants to be successful, he needs to carefully choose his companions.

I actually had the opportunity to meet an ex-presidential candidate by chance. She did not run in this recent election but in the one before. She was not one of those fringe candidates whom we find in every elective process. She had some prominence among the people. The problem was that she was a kind and humble person. In our chance meeting, she made the initial move to approach me and introduce herself. By mere coincidence, on another occasion, she was in the same apartment building where we live to do an interview with a reporter. The maintenance staff of our building told us that she took time to spend with them. She is not running for office in our state so she has no need to campaign here. They found her to be a very simple and ordinary person. We knew that she will never be elected in this world. This is not the kind of king that this world desires.

The world desires a ruler who will make promises beyond their capacity to keep. One who will tell lies to get what they want and create an illusory world for people to believe. Unfortunately, quite a number of people are willing to accept all this without question. It is not stupidity nor ignorance. It is just human nature. I am not making a subtle criticism towards any president much less against the one who won the elections. Personally I felt a sense of relief when he won. However, it does not imply that everything is going to great for the next four years. I have lived long enough not to succumb to wishful thinking. Our hope as Christians is not founded on worldly rulers nor their political maneuvers. These act according to the principles of the ruler of this world, one based on deceit and lies. Our Lord responded to these endeavors in silence. A gesture that says more than any eloquent speech proffered by the most best intentioned politician in this world. However, He did speak regarding His Kingship and it was to the thief who was crucified next to Him.

At the Cross, the thief knew that there was no hope for him anymore. He saw Jesus in the same position as him, a situation of hopelessness and abandonment. Nevertheless, this did not stop him from recognizing that Jesus was indeed a King. It is the most bizarre place to come to this conclusion. Logically speaking, the other thief would be considered the smarter one. After all, what is the point of putting your hope in a King who cannot get Himself out of a hopeless circumstance. Some of us might be tempted to imagine that the thief was trying to secure his place in heaven. In reality, during that time, the concept of heaven and hell was not firmly rooted in the spirituality of the people especially among the Jewish people. We can see this from the debates between the Pharisees and Sadducees. Not everyone believed in the afterlife. The thief was not looking for a King who would serve His needs. He recognized something in Jesus which he believed was important in a King. He saw Jesus to be a compassionate and loving sovereign whose life reflected all the goodness and beauty which he appreciated even in the final moments of his life. The thief, perhaps, never had this in his life before. I am speculating here. I am basing this on the young thieves we know in the streets.

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ John 18:33-34

In recent report, people were asked in the UK if it should remain a monarchy. There was overwhelming support for it but the reasons were appalling. Most of them said that the monarchy was good for tourism or made the UK feel special for having something different. Even a prominent politician argued that the monarchy was good for tourist attraction and media attention. In other words, monarchy is nothing more than a mere entertainment gadget and something to occupy our free time. Recently, I walked by the entrance of a church and saw signs claiming that Jesus was able to change ill fortune. It went on to list a series of things Jesus was going to do for those who believe in Him. It seems like it is saying that Jesus is worth believing because He serves a purpose.

The thief saw something much more than a mere utilitarian king on the Cross. He saw Jesus pure and simple. This was enough for him to know that Jesus is King. It was genuine recognition of Jesus’ love. He did not expect Jesus to do anything for him. He just asked Jesus to remember him. A promise Jesus kept because wherever the gospels are read in this world, we remember this good thief. He might have been a notorious murderer most of his life but we remember him for his confession of Jesus.

Therefore, this very question which Jesus asked Pilate is valid for us today. Do we believe that Jesus is King because we are told about Him and things He can accomplish for us or do we see Him as King like the good thief on the Cross? The Good Thief saw the sovereignty of Jesus for Himself. None of the taunting words and jeers blinded him from seeing Christ’s true nature. His hopeless situation did not stop him from recognizing Jesus as the King even in the darkest place. He saw something in Jesus which convinced Him that this is truly the King of Kings.

This is our challenge in a world slowly slipping into something unrecognizable. In all likelihood, we are part of the problem too. It is time for us to seek for ourselves a fresh new understanding of Christ the King. We cannot rely on hearsay to understand His sovereignty. We need to see Him in action at the places where people are constantly being crucified and humiliated. The King of Kings does not dwell among dignitaries of this world. His place and throne is on the Cross where He is constantly exalted and only those whose faith like that of the good thief can see why He is absolutely different and special.

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’ Luke 21:5-6

Not too long ago, I used to start almost every reflection with the phrase, “sitting on the steps of the Cathedral”. I hardly mention it now. At times we even completely forget that we used to wait for our children there. We are still in close vicinity of the Cathedral. Despite its towering, it is easy to forget its existence. All these years, we have never seen a representative from the Cathedral reach out to the homeless. There are at least a thousand who sleep outside its doors. Actually, there was someone who did approach them once. It was not a priest but rather a transitional deacon who came out to chat with the homeless. He was not even a Brazilian but a Vietnamese. He hardly spoke the language. Nevertheless, he was well received by the homeless. The language did not hinder his love. Then he was gone. I am sure he is somewhere else doing exactly what he attempted to do on the steps of the Cathedral. Beside this young deacon, we hardly see any priest or religious orders associated with the Cathedral interacting with the homeless.

Despite these discrepancies, I like the Cathedral. I would be horrified if someone told me that one day it would be destroyed. Once someone vandalized the walls and it disturbed us. On another occasion, we heard an overzealous evangelical Christian pray for the destruction of the Cathedral. One needs to understand the mutual animosity between the Roman Catholic and Neo-pentecostal Christians in this country where one considers the other a demonic force. I do not remember much of her prayer except this one particular thing. I guess the rest was irrelevant after such a devastating statement. This cannot to be compared to horror which the apostles would have sensed when Jesus told them about the Temple. For starters, there was only one Temple and it was the symbol of their identity and unique vocation in the world. Jesus claimed that it would be totally destroyed. Unlike our over enthusiastic evangelical acquaintance, He did not harbor any animosity towards the Temple. He merely stated the fact, not to shock nor frighten his disciples. No doubt He wanted to warn them not to be impressed with the wrong things. Symbols as powerful and wonderful as they, after all, are mere symbols but not to be confused with the real thing.

Perhaps some might read about the Cathedral and feel a tinge of sadness in their souls. Yes, it is tragic that something which represents the presence of the living God is not itself a channel of that love to those just outside its doors. At the same time, it should not surprise us. Nothing in this world lasts forever. Good intentions eventually wither away too. Nature reveals to us that everything eventually deteriorates and eventually they just die and decompose. Besides, symbols of God’s action in this world cannot contain the infinity of God’s love. Even though this does not seem to stop us from trying to restrict God’s actions and power within the framework of our created symbols. The Cathedral was built to reflect God’s majestic presence in this world. Instead, it has become a place for the princes and nobility of modern times to celebrate their special events. Jesus does not need an overpowering symbol to assert His presence. He is present in a quiet and unassuming manner.

In our case, He is just outside the entrance of the Cathedral.

The problem is that it is not always easy to identify His presence outside the designated religious symbols. Consequently when these are taken away from us, we tend to feel that it is the end of the world. We think God has abandoned us. Without a doubt, there is much darkness in the world and the absence of symbols of light might drive us to despair. For some reason, darkness always seem to dominate our imagination. Maybe it is because we are discipled to be sensitive to it. We are constantly bombarded with news of the darkness in the world. Sometimes we talk about it when all other superficial subjects have been exhausted. Every time two or three are gathered, they always talk about how the world is going to h…. It seems like we only reflect about God’s goodness in the confines of our “temple”. However, all temples eventually fall apart and we need to be prepare ourselves to recognize God’s presence beyond our religious symbols.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Matthew 6:22

We are going through a dark period in this country. It has been happening for some time now. There is surge of crime and violence. Just yesterday, we saw three separate acts of violence within ten minutes. This is disturbing in itself but what makes it worse is that the perpetrators are known to us. The victims are just regular hardworking people who hardly earn enough to survive. The cruelty and callousness of these actions brought much despair and a sense of hopelessness to our souls. Ironically, all this happened right by the side entrance of the cathedral with their security staff watching the incidents and yet doing nothing about it. This in itself is symbolic of the present state of things. This is the reality.

I have to admit that whenever I see any acts of violence, my heart is filled with disgust and rage. We have witnessed these unfortunate incidents many times and yet it still disturbs us to the core. I realize that my reactions are natural. However, if I allow them to strive in me, then I am merely perpetuating this culture of cruelty and violence which is also very natural to humanity. I would become salt that has lost its saltiness. I cannot abide by my natural instincts. I cannot feed my natural tendencies with thoughts of hatred and revenge. I need to rise beyond my human nature. The only clear example we have is in the person of Jesus.

Despite all the darkness around us, Jesus has called us to see the Light. It is a different way of looking at life. It does not avoid the difficult and cruel nature of life. He invites to look at it with a different perspective. He wants to use our eyes to seek His Love but not be impressed with the darkness.

Just before we witnessed these heinous crimes, we gave one of the older youth a gift for his birthday. It was really nothing much. It was two cans of his favorite soda and two chocolate truffles. Things that he really loved. He was one of those who decided that he was not going to engage in criminal act and not even beg. He lives entirely on donations and sometimes scavenges things for recycling. Therefore, he cannot afford to indulge in these simple pleasures. He was so happy and he said jokingly to the other kids, “These are my true friends.” The rest laughed. Even though it was said in jest, he meant it. Later on, after the incident, he was with us and brought us to another location so we would not be witnessing more scenes of violence.

Last night, my mind was occupied by the sad scene we witnessed but today I realized that we have many images of Light which we saw in the lives of these children and teens. They live in a world surrounded by darkness but the Light is present among them. The birthday boy was one of them. He is not, by any means, a saint. At the same, none of us are. All of us need to deal with our imperfections. However, the gospel draws our attention not these things but to the presence of the everlasting Light guiding and revealing to them how to live their lives in a better way through following the example of our Lord Jesus.

The world might fall apart. It is quite discouraging. However, Jesus invites to not to be impressed with the darkness around us. We are called to seek the Light in the midst of our darkness. Only then can we become the salt and light of this world.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everyone can color and, moreover, it is fun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.” Luke 16:25

I think the subject was about hell, or maybe, it was the afterlife. I can not remember. Whenever we have Janaina over for lunch, our conversations never stay in one place. It has been years since we had her over for lunch. Two or three years, I think. Before that, she was here at least once a week. I always found her to have a curious and perceptive mind. She shared that she feels like she can share her thoughts and doubts with us freely without being judged. We are forever grateful for this. Eventually this parable came up in our conversation. At that time, I was not aware that it was going to appear again in our Sunday lectionary. She mentioned that she heard pastors use it to describe the nature of hell or the afterlife. Poor Lazarus is always getting left out. He was neglected in the parable by the rich man and now even in the interpretation of this text, religious leaders are paying more attention to the pretext than on the actual protagonist. People should always be our focus! There were two significant figures in this parable. They have something important to say to us today but it was almost time to go the streets. Janaina was planning to join us today. It was her first time after many many years. She said that she was a little nervous. It was strange to hear this.

As we stepped out of our building, many Lazarus of various degrees were waiting for us. I think this parable is closer to our reality in many ways. Thankfully, none of them had sores nor were dying of hunger. It was strange that Jesus was quite specific about the details in this one. He even gave his character a name unlike his other parables. It is possible that he knew a beggar named Lazarus, someone who the rest of the world would neglect. Sad to say, we have seen beggars with open wounds and other gory details that I am going to skip for the sake of decency. Many times, we avoided such people not because of a sense of superiority. It is just too distressing. In our context, most of them are people whom the city terms collectively as crack addicts. It sounds like they are a bizarre tribe of people. They have names too. They are people. I look away sometimes despite knowing all this. I don’t think that the rich man was a mean cold hearted person. Jesus never said this about him. Perhaps he is just like us. He did not want to think about the distressing things which existed in the world. He wanted to be in a place where he was safe from everything which made him feel uncomfortable. In the end, it ended up robbing him of his life.

Finally, we got to where we usually meet the young people. We have been experiencing unusual cold weather recently. Consequently, many of our children have been staying in their hiding place for longer period of times. It is usually warm there. I don’t blame them. We warned Janaina that she might not meet anyone today. No matter what happens it is good for us to be there waiting for them just in case someone ventures out. Sometimes hunger drives them out. It gives us an opportunity to get them something to eat. We sat and waited. Suddenly, a huge number of teens approached us. Many familiar faces but some new as well. They came over and gave us a hug. Usually the homeless youth are not so expressive with their affections. I suspected that maybe the police were watching them and they wanted to be close to us to feel safe. The police usually don’t bother them when they are with us. There were no one watching them. It was true affection. Shame on me, I thought to myself. They sat next to us and started talking. A little girl, Anna, who is third generation homeless, sat next to me. I asked her if she wanted to color. She said, “not even a bit!” It was quite amusing to hear her say this. I took out a book and started coloring, hoping to entice her to do the same. She didn’t take the bait. Instead, she watched me do it and then she rested her head on my arms. Perhaps she just wanted affection from an adult.

For some strange reasons, we were surrounded by girls with variations of the same name. There was another Ana. She has never spoken to us before. She is about 13 maybe even less. She sat and started coloring with us. She was particularly interested in Mary. Janaina sat there listening to the conversations of the other kids. It was quite amazing. Everyone wanted to talk with us or be near us today. This doesn’t usually happen. Most of them did not even notice Janaina except for Ana Paula, our third “Ana”. She is a little person. We have known her since she was a young child. I don’t believe this girl has ever lived in a house before. Her mother is homeless too. Her physical condition made it impossible for people not to take notice of her. Thankfully, no one teases or makes fun of her. Among the homeless, there is a tenderness towards people with different physical conditions. Ana Paula is very serious and interacts with us on occasions. I think she likes us but is a little reserved showing her affections. Janaina intrigued her. Finally she stood up and asked how we met her. This is a curious question. No one has asked us this before whenever a friend comes with us to the streets albeit not a frequent occurrence. We asked Janaina if we could share her story. Permission was given.

We told Ana Paula that we met Janaina in the streets in 1994 when she was about eleven years old. Back then, she was one of the children that we came to meet in the streets. My most vivid memory of her was eating a Christmas dinner together in the streets organized by Franciscan friars. It was a small and quiet affair. For some reason, most of the homeless were not around in that area where we had the meal. There were just a small group maybe thirty. It made the meal even cozier. We sat and talked together for hours. It was beautiful; an eternal moment if I could add. Janaina remembers that meal too. Thankfully, when she turned 23 or so, she decided that it was time for her to move on. She struggled for many years to find some stability. She got married and her first child helped her to decide once and for all that the streets was no longer an option. However, she still has many friends who are like family to her still living in the streets. In her heart, they will always be precious to her. Today, Janaina is a dear friend to us. We cannot imagine our lives without her presence. She brings so much light and joy to our lives. Ana Paula listened but didn’t say anything.

As we got up to leave, Janaina reached out and hugged Ana Paula. Later we had a cup of coffee together and she asked if she could go to the streets again with us. It is important for her not to forget her “family” in the streets. I know some people might think that the others will look at her and have hope for themselves. In reality, it does not work that way. They might be fascinated that she was once from the streets. Then it just ends there. They do not make the connection to with their own personal struggles. Janaina knows this. She has been there. However, she wants to go the streets because she realizes that it does not take much to bring joy and love to these children. In the parable, Jesus said that Lazarus just wanted the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. He did not expect the rich man to adopt him or buy him a nice house. He just wanted a little attention and consideration. Janaina wants to give more than crumbs.

We went back to our comfortable home later on that night. We ate our meals. It was cold outside and even colder in our homes. Homes in São Paulo don’t have heat nor running hot water. Nevertheless it could be worse. We looked out of the window and there were quite a few sleeping in the streets with just blankets to keep themselves warm.

It is quite an uncomfortable parable.