Commentary on the Gospel of
“A house for each family” was the slogan of a missionary community whose missionaries dedicated their entire life for building houses for hundreds of homeless poor. But the missionaries themselves were living in a depleted house. The house was on the verge of collapse. Their every night prayer seemed like their last prayer before death. Such was the condition of the house. When they were asked why they were not building houses for them, they replied that they would build only after constructing houses for all the homeless poor. David wanted to build a house for Yahweh but through prophet Nathan Yahweh asked David not to do so. God was more interested in the welfare of the people of Israel than his own dwelling. The best preparation for the birth of Jesus would be being sensitive to the sufferings of the poor and needy, people who have no home to dwell as baby Jesus was. At present one billion people are living in slums in a poor quality and over-crowded houses. It means one in seven of us do not have proper house, drinking water facility and decent toilets. If we do not do something for these needy brethren of ours, in 2020, there will be 1.4 billion slum dwellers. Diarrhoea caused by drinking contaminated water kills 1.5 million children under five each year. A staggering number indeed! At the time of anxious waiting for the birth of Jesus in a cow shed, what is our response to those 1.5 million children who die every year of diarrhoea?
