Written by Bishop Andrew Gentry   

Beloved Friends,

The question of how the Holy Family would fare today in America came to me as I was thinking about how Joseph and Mary would handle say for example how to find shelter in Asheville. Joseph is a carpenter by trade and Mary was to be a stay at home Mom. Joseph could hope to find work here with some of the construction going on but it would be no guaranteed possibility. They are not married in the legal sense though they are in the traditional understanding of marriage that is particular to their ancient Jewish beliefs. Their skin colour is dark brown and some people they have already ran into are suspicious of them as undocumented aliens especially among the police departments who have stopped Joseph to search him and Mary and their car for illegal drugs. Neither speak English well so that is a sure sign that they are "not our kind of people" and no one here in Asheville can speak Aramaic besides that must mean that they are Moslem and maybe terrorists!

Joseph tries in vain to find a homeless shelter but at one he is told that he must be convert to the religion of the people who run the shelter to stay there and that he and Mary cannot share the same room and when they see Mary they tell Joseph no way Jose! Joseph is very confused since his religion says that hospitality especially to the foreigner and stranger is sacred, something that the Child in Mary's womb will try and teach others especially the ones who will claim to follow him!

Mary is getting close to delivery and no one wants to help them. They go to the hospital only to be told that they do not have a green card or the proper ID and worst of all no money or insurance. The baby is really beginning to say Hey Mom soon! Joseph finally finds an empty parking lot off the main road and pulls to the very end so as not to be noticed and Mary gives birth. A few homeless folkes come by and pay their respects but that is all. The religious people generally ignore them and tell them to go to the DSS office for food stamps and the like. Mary is denied assistance and Joseph is left to look for any work he can find. This is the beginning of their journey in a country that claims to be compassionate but is only to those who can afford to be so.

Peace
Bishop Andrew Gerales Gentry