Christmas: Coming closer to Jesus through homeless people

By Fr Vaclav Klement

Rome, Italy, 25 December 2017 -- This is the first Christmas spent in the center of Rome, near the Rome - Termini train station, at Sacro Cuore Salesian house attached to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart built by Don Bosco in 1887. We find ourselves in heart of Rome, amidst many tourists, travellers but also among many poor people. Indeed also during the winter season, when the temperature drops below zero, there are dozens of homeless people sleeping in the streets around.

The contemplation of this Christmas Day is about how do we touch God - Man, Jesus Christ in his flesh. During the liturgy of Christmas Night we pay respect and kiss the Babe of Bethlehem. Those who have the luck to be pilgrims in the Holy Land, they kiss the place in the Bethlehem Basilica of Nativity where Jesus was born. And we listen to many sermons about God becoming one of us.

Every day praying the Rosary around the Termini station, I spot dozens of homeless people in their sleeping bags or self-made mobile night survival kits. Indeed you can witness the same in all big cities around the EAO region or around the world. When you walk around Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong or Sydney, you can meet every day during the night time hundreds of homeless people.

Yesterday night I brought a small cake to one of them with the wishes of Merry Christmas... a small gesture. Just to greet Jesus on the streets. Fortunately there are many groups who go once a week to help these people, including one volunteer group of Salesian Parish of Sacro Cuore.

I wish our Christmas prayers and meditation will not stop in our Chapel or Churches. I pray, our Christmas celebrations will help us to see the face of Jesus in many of our brothers ... also in the streets.

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