(Song of Songs 2:8-14) “The voice of my lover! Behold he comes, leaping across the mountains, jumping over the hills, like a gazelle or a deer. Now my lover stands behind our wall looking through the windows. My lover speaks to me, arise my love, my beautiful one! Come, the winter is gone, the rains are over. Flowers have appeared on Earth; the season of singing has come: arise my beautiful one, come to me my love, come. How lovely is your face, how beautiful is your voice.”

This is Christ, our beloved bridegroom, calling us to be His bride. I do not speak of a physical love, but something much deeper — the spiritual love of God our husband and we His wives.

God has captured me, has saved me from the world of materialism. I truly love the life of humility and simplicity. I envy no rich man for his wealth. This is Christmas time. I give away everything that has been given to me. And my sons, the brothers, do the same. I go to our homes for the homeless and destitute. This is my castle. I am delighted to see the brothers at work with the homeless and destitute.

Right now I am in the house called Bethlehem, one of our homes for children. The brothers lift up the children with a smile on their faces, which is the sign of their love. The heads of the children are laying on pillows, their diapers are changed, their urine and mess are removed. The brothers are powdering the kids who cannot move their hands and feet. The kids are at peace. There are songs of Christmas playing in the background; they squeal with joy.

There are some visitors from the outside world of business people and from the United States; we are delighted to see them. These folks are moved to visit the poorest of the poor in this busy time of Christmas. Some of our kids are naked, some are crying, some laughing and giggling. They are with us having been cast out of their homes or forgotten by their parents, or, they are brought to us by the police or citizens who do not know what to do with them. Once they are with the brothers, the visitors give thanks that there are the religious brothers who care for them, feed them, clothe them, comfort them and play with them.

These brothers, who come from all over the world, love the children, the sick, the elderly, the HIV-positive and the lepers who are in the 14 countries where we serve as missionaries, free of cost, without any financial rewards. We are a brotherly community, we are not a priestly community. The brothers do not have university degrees but they are natural in their love and intelligence in dealing with the poorest of people.

I find myself happy to be with these brothers. They remind me that human nature is good despite our sinfulness and weaknesses. These are young men who are strong, patient, and generous. Yes, we are sinful and weak, still these men are holy, saintly, strong, and intelligent. They have within their hearts a great volume of love, love like St Joseph who cares for the child Jesus and protects the divine Son of God from the tyranny, power, and pride of the world.

I give thanks to God for His call to the brothers and myself to serve the poorest of people. I have found the love of God here on Earth. I thank God for the men and women, the business people and the professionals who are Jamaicans or have come to Jamaica and gone to the many other countries where we live with and serve the poorest of people.

It’s Christmastime, come and share your time, talent, and gifts with the brothers and the poor. I promise you that you will have a happy and holy Christmas.

Please contact us at 876-562-1479