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Friday, February 28, 2014



Outside St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, North Carolina rests a sculpture, so realistic that from not too far a distance, it appears to be an actual, living homeless man sleeping on a bench. It’s a piece by sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz entitled, “Homeless Jesus.” As WCNC NBC Charlotte reports, it’s getting quite a bit of attention.

On his website, Schmalz describes “Homeless Jesus” as a, “representation that suggests Christ is with the most marginalized in our society.” The art, which costs as much as $2,975 depending on the size one might want, shows Jesus wrapped in a heavy blanket with very little of his face showing, but his wounded feet clearly on display.

Reverend Doctor David E. Buck, St. Alban’s rector told WCNC that it’s “beautiful” and that it help reminds believers that their, “ultimate calling is as Christians, as people of faith, [is] to do what we can individually and systematically to eliminate homelessness.” The piece also seems to have some notable fans. In a CTV report, Schmalz says “Homeless Jesus” was blessed by Pope Francis and displayed in Vatican City.

So the sculpture, having the endorsements of religious leaders both home and abroad must have the community of Davidson behind it, right? Well…no. Not entirely. While some neighbors of St. Alban’s told WCNC that they like “Homeless Jesus,” others aren’t happy. The station spoke with Cindy Castano Swannack, who said she initially called police the first time she drove by it, thinking it was an actual homeless person. Additionally, Swannack said, "Jesus is not a vagrant, Jesus is not a helpless person who needs our help. We need someone who is capable of meeting our needs, not someone who is also needy."

She isn’t alone in her sentiment. In a letter to the editor of DavidsonNews.net, resident Jerry Dawson wrote:

“…My complaint is not about the art-worthiness or the meaning behind the sculpture. It is about people driving into our beautiful, reasonably upscale neighborhood and seeing an ugly homeless person sleeping on a park bench. It is also about walking by this sculpture at night and passing within inches of the grim reaper. These are the impressions that this sculpture gives. I have stepped over actual homeless people sleeping on a sidewalk in New York City and not been as creeped out as I am walking past this sculpture.”

DavidsonNews.net writes “Homeless Jesus” will, “remain permanently at the church.” Reverend Buck told the site, “It’s here because it’s wonderful art that reminds, with this beautiful (church) structure here, that our faith is expressed through our concern and care for the homeless. We think it’s the perfect place for it.”
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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Thursday, February 27, 2014

A Blessed Weekend in the Neighborhood


It's a blessed weekend coming to the Servants of the Father of Mercy neighborhood. Checkout the schedule and join us on site, in spirit or in prayer!

Friday morning 9:30am - 11am make 140 grocery bag lunches filled with snacks, treats, water, juice and Gatorade.

Friday evening 6pm to 9pm Youth & Family Night (always the last Friday of the Month) "Sock it to Me Night"! We kick off Lent by having a pot of one of br. joseph's famous homemade soups with a kick of fresh jalapeno peppers sautéed in. After dinner we'll be sitting around the family room watching "Storm Chasers" making homeless hygiene kits with socks, soaps, rosaries and shampoos in each.

Saturday morning, 8:30am - 2pm we plan to deliver hundreds of t-shirts, jackets, water bottles, snacks, rosaries and more to the homeless in So Cal. Depart Ventura SFM HQ 8:30am sharp. Depart St. Peter's in Chinatown, Los Angeles 10:15a.

Sunday afternoon, 2pm - 4pm weekly team meeting and General Council welcoming new members to the team and announcing two new initiatives - important for everyone to attend.

Blessings, prayers and God bless!
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Donate: http://servantsofthefather.org/donate_2_homeless

Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Does God Speak to Us Today?

Good question!  Yes, God does speak to us today, in much the same and diverse ways he has spoken in the past. In the Bible God speaks in dreams, angels unaware, through prophets, teachers, preachers, inspiration and locutions to mention a few. The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. If one is proud, arrogant, controlling and power seeking, it would be rare for God to speak to this kind of person. If one is poor and meek like Jesus, Jeremiah, the prophets and John the Baptist, God speaks to these types of individuals. Ultimately, he likes to speak to those who obey what he is telling them. The more we obey, the more he speaks, The less we obey, the less he speaks to that person. Mary was obedient to the message of the Angel in spite of the cost of hatred, stoning and persecution. To hear God's voice means to say yes when we know it will lead us to persecution for his name's sake.

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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Friday, February 21, 2014

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!


Why fall in the trap of judging others?  James (brother of the Lord) tells us that when we judge others we place ourselves under the law and thus become breakers of the law, because no one can keep the law - most people can't even drive the speed limit!  Good news though, there is a new law -  the law of liberty.  It's when we don't judge others and show mercy to them.  Here is how James explains it . . . "So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Yet, mercy triumphs over judgment."  James 2:12-13

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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Angelique Angel Hero





God bless Angelique who was the angel hero of yesterday's bake sale raising $49 for the homeless!  Starting at 10am and ending at 6pm we made 34 Cowboy Chocolate Chip Ranger Cookies, 18 Mexican Wedding Cookies, 32 Chunky Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies and 8 1 lb Heidi Swiss Braid Egg Bread loafs.  (Actually, we were also testing our new/used Oster tabletop convection oven.) After packing it all up into a plastic display box we walked around and sold it all to our neighbors in the surrounding area office buildings and warehouse auto repair garages.  Meanwhile, Orlando built a stage for the chapel altar and ate a few cookies for energy.  John Sanders Jones stopped by in a surprise visit and helped sprinkle sugar on the peanut butter cookies. Here are the pics from the day!  You can still donate to the homeless bake sale at http://servantsofthefather.org/donate_2_homeless

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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Friday, February 14, 2014

Saint Valentine, the Real Deal

The real 1,600 year history of Valentine's Day is not comprised of roses, chocolates and pretty cards. Instead, crime, imprisonment and execution are at the genesis of our modern day love fest, dating back to the man whose martyrdom may have inspired the holiday. There were reportedly three early Christian saints named Valentine, but the one the holiday likely comes from was Valentine, a Roman priest during the 3rd century A.D. under Emperor Claudius II.

The Roman Empire was experiencing massive turmoil at the time. Dubbed the 'Crisis of the Third Century' by scholars, this period saw the empire divide into three competing states, with the threat of invasion all around.

The Roman Emperor Claudius made the unpopular decision to ban marriage for the young men of the empire, believing that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers - they would more readily give up their life in a conflict. With the Roman Empire hanging by a thread, Claudius needed all the brazen war power he could get.

This is where Valentine comes in; the holy priest who believed marriage to be a God-given sacrament. Valentine began officiating marriages in secret but was eventually found out and imprisoned. Valentine biographer, Greg Tobin has noted that the advent of the Valentine's Day love note may have come about from young children passing Valentine's notes through the prison bars to future couples.

Tobin describes Saint Valentine's fate:

The priest was eventually beheaded and then named a martyr by the Church because he gave up his life to perform the sacrament of marriage: for the love of love and love of God.

At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day, and centuries later romantic authors like Geoffrey Chaucer and Shakespeare helped seal the tradition with references to the day in their works.
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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Thursday, February 13, 2014

OLD MOTHER HUBBARD'S CUPBOARD IS BARE, EMPTY & NADA FOR THE HOMELESS WE SERVE!


Does anyone read my posts?  God willing, our prayer is everyone will read this one and respond with a big YES!

Just left the new warehouse location of the Servants of the Father of Mercy and discovered the cupboards are bare and with NO food for distribution to the homeless next week.  There is lots of water from a BIG water collection that Deacon Manny and Archbishop Gomez had at a Mass in August of last summer, but NO food. Nada! 

If everyone that reads this would give one of the following items to a Servant of the Father of Mercy over the weekend, the problem will be solved.  Donate from Smart & Final or Costco for example:  1 box 24 chip snack assortment, 1 box chocolate/peanut butter/vanilla creams cookie assortment, small boxes of pudding, fruit or applesauce cups, boxes of granola bars, beef jerky, pop open tuna cans, etc.

For those of you that are extremely busy or live out of the So Cal area, across the US and Europe - you may wish to participate in this emergency food collection and help out too.  Go to the Servants of the Father of Mercy donate page - whatever you give this week will be immediately used to buy food for the homeless and delivered to them on the streets next week.  When you donate, have a prayer intention and make your alms giving also as a prayer for your special needs.  God will hear you!  Here is the link to donate online:
http://servantsofthefather.org/donate_2_homeless

Thank you, thank you everyone for helping!  Please share this post with family and friends and feel free to translate for ESL readers.  God bless you one and all!
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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

New Meaning to Matthew 6:19-20


The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., has long been a mini-Mecca for fans of America's most hallowed sports car. Early this morning, that museum suffered the catastrophe (photo) when a sinkhole in the Sky Dome opened up and swallowed eight rare Vettes, including two that belonged to General Motors.

According to museum officials, the sinkhole began around 5:30 a.m. while the museum was closed, and within minutes had grown to about 40 feet wide and 25 to 30 feet deep. No one was injured, but the list of Corvettes swallowed into the earth includes:
 
1993 ZR-1 Spyder
2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil”
1962 Black Corvette
1984 PPG Pace Car
1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette
1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette
2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
2009 White 1.5 Millionth Corvette

Jesus said . . . “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.”  Matthew 6:19-20
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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com  

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless
Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrotherGaryJoseph

Monday, February 10, 2014

Show Your Ink at $2 a Pop!




For almost two years we have been, with many others' help, recycling ink cartridges in order to fundraise and better serve the homeless in the region. Every ink cartridge recycled to the Servants of the Father of Mercy raises $2. Possibly your home and/or office or friends would like to collect and donate old ink cartridges for a worthy cause? To donate, please give them in a sealed Ziplock bag to a Servant of the Father of Mercy: Bro. Gary Joseph, Miguel Dorado Rubio, Nancy Pena, Mark Burke, Linda McWilliams, Catherine Delgado or Angelique Gabrielle Perez. You can also mail them to us . . . Please let us know by emailing Gary@ServantsoftheFather.org and our address information will be provided. May God bless you for your kindness and compassion for helping our homeless family with your used ink cartridges.

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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to the blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Homeless, Home, Headquarters and Helpers Wanted!

Around January 30th the Servants of the Father of Mercy began to clean out and occupy and old warehouse in the industrial area of Ventura.  The unit has 2,000 Sq. Ft. of contiguous space, private bathroom and small office.  Our new headquarters is perfect for gathering and sorting clothing, shoes, socks, blankets, t-shirts, jackets, food and water for the 1,000s of homeless we serve in the region each year.  It's also a perfect space for our prayer chapel, KidsKrafts - families making craft fundraisers, weekly Sunday 2pm team meetings and youth and family night the last Friday of each month. Some have asked for more pictures of the new place, so here are a few more of definitely a work in progress over the coming weeks and months.  The first 3 pictures are real early before pics.  The rest of the photos are about a week or so after moving in and others were taken at a recent Youth & Family Night . . .  Would you like to help the Servants of the Father of Mercy serve the homeless?  We meet weekly, Sundays 2pm, lunch is provided.  To join the team, email us at Info@ServantsoftheFather.org.  We also serve other regions and cities across the U. S.  There is a need for helpers in all areas of the country where homeless gather for support and services.









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Visit our web site: http://servantsofthefather.org

Subscribe to our blog:  www.HomelessinAmerica.blogspot.com

Follow us on Twitter: GaryJoseph@Help_4Homeless

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

The Joshua and Ryan Story


Joshua Fields Millburn, who at age 27 became the youngest director of operations at a large telecom company in the Midwest, had been asked to craft a plan to close eight retail stores and terminate 41 workers. But when he handed the report to his boss in early 2011, it included 42 names. At the top of the list he’d written his own.

Two years before, Millburn had watched his mother die and his marriage dissolve in the span of a month. When he looked around at the life he’d built for himself — a six-figure salary, impressive title, and big house full of stuffed closets — he didn’t feel fulfilled. Instead, he felt weighed down by the things he’d accumulated. Working 80 hours a week trapped in a cycle of consumerism had ultimately ruined his relationship and left him with $100,000 of debt. 

Then he came across the idea of minimalism, a lifestyle dedicated to clearing the clutter in your life and making room for the things that are truly important to you. Over a period of eight months, Millburn stopped buying things he didn’t need, gave away most of the stuff he had, and downsized to a one-bedroom apartment in Dayton, Ohio.

When his longtime friend and coworker Ryan Nicodemus finally asked, “Why the hell are you so happy lately?” he realized he was onto something. Millburn explained his new lifestyle, and Nicodemus was instantly hooked. Together (photo) they launched a website about their journey, TheMinimalists.com, and recently published a book, “Everything That Remains.” 

Okay, so well this is nothing new . . . A book written about 1,000 years ago tells a similar story, but possibly in more depth - "The Little Flowers of Saint Francis." The "little flowers" are short stories of Francis, a young twenty-something playboy, wealthy guy who was also knighted and gave it all up to be a minimalist in the strictest sense of the word. He had it down to one tunic and one pair of sandals just as Jesus had asked. Once arriving at that point, in his utter poverty he began to receive supernatural consolations, God-encounters, visions and raptures of pure peace and heaven. Joshua and his friend Ryan are on to something tried and proven while reviving the universal path for all of us.  It's all good!
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Servants of the Father of Mercy Latest News and Updates




The God Particle, Newtown, CT, talking Bibles and more . . . The Servants of the Father of Mercy very latest news and updates, only available at http://servantsofthefather.org/news
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Sunday, February 2, 2014

The First Boy Band and their Mother


While reflecting on scripture this morning, we remember Mary and the beginnings of the early Church today as we gather for prayer on this Sunday, the Lord's day.  It was during the time of the “Acts of the Apostle”, the time of nascent beginnings around 30 A.D. and the miraculous immergence of the early Church. God made it happen through the power of the Holy Spirit and the strong presence of Mary, Christ's mother remaining and living among the apostles.  She is both the womb and the catalyst of this new "boy band" as well as the mother of all women, men and children of the entire Christian church today.  By her sustaining counsel among the disciples, undoubtedly Mary gave birth to this new child, (the body of Christ) via her physical presence and the words she spoke after Jesus ascended into heaven (Cf. Luke 24:50-53).  These events occurred at a time prior to her own assumption into heaven which holy scripture does not tell us when it took place or how long Mary remained on earth in this birthing role. Today however, Christ reveals to us on this Sunday that the post-ascension Mother, “Mary spoke his words through the tree.”  The tree is the cross and we are reminded through Saint Stephen our martyred brother and model, that he is the first disciple among many that would both hear and fulfill Mary's words (Cf. Acts 7) - meaning her acute understanding of the cross.

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