Author: ANTONINO

by (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

1.
I went to Africa in 1964 without any preparation to deal with cultural differences and different religions. I believe that the same thing happened to many good missionaries who left their lands and the house of their parents and embarked on this fascinating adventure with the purpose of “bringing God to uncivilized pagans”.
2.
When I was ordained as a priest I had the privilege of being ordained with two other Black African colleagues. I still remember a statement of my Bishop when he said: “I am not ordaining European Priests to serve European People, and African Priests to serve African People. I am ordaining Priests of God to serve the Church of God and the People of God”.
3.
One of those two African Priests told me that when he was attending his primary school he used to walk a few kilometers back and forth from his family’s hut to school with three other colleagues. And he saw the three of them being atacked and killed by wild animals. He was the only survivor. One of the things that this story taught me was that walking through those longs paths of Africa was something that had to be done but always with extra precautions.
4.
One day I saw, for the first time, a scene that in my colonialist mind was barbaric. That’s when I concluded that those people were really “uncivilized”. This was the first of many events like this. One family of four people were walking. The husband was walking alone, ahead of his family. His wife was following him. Not side by side like “civilized people” do but behind him. Besides she was carrying their baby on her back, holding the hand of a small child and carrying a bag over her head. Adding to my shocking experience and revolt, I noticed that he was a strong man and was carrying a staff on his right hand “to make his walking easier”. The staff had a spear on the upper extreme as “decoration”.
Fortunately it didn’t take too long to learn the real meaning of all this scene that was labelled by me as wild, cruel and male chauvinist.
When I learned the meaning of this tradition that had been labelled by me as cruel and chauvinist it was transformed into sacrificial love and tenderness.
The reason why this and other men walked in front of their families was to be ready to take all risks, even lay their own lives, to defend their families from any dangerous attack from any wild animal.
5.
Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter, is called the “Good Shepherd Sunday”. Reflecting about that episode of the African tradition I see a page of today’s Gospel talking about Jesus the Good Shepherd. Jesus always walks in front of us not always to make our lives easier but to make our lives safer. In the time of Jesus there were four political and religious parties. And Jesus was the Shepherd of all of them.
6.
“I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for His Sheep. The hired man, since he is not the Shepherd and the sheep don’t belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep… I am the good Shepherd and I lay down my life for my sheep. (John 10: 11-18)

With many stories like this I didn’t civilize Africa. Africa civilized me and many people like me. I believe that one of the biggest surprises for many Missionaries who went to Africa was that when they arrived to Africa, God was already there.

Love & Peace,

(bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

I knew that Alfred had something against me. He stopped talking to me and greeting me. And the irony of our culture is that when we most need to talk to clarify misunderstandings what happens is that some people stop talking with one another.

This friend of mine was still very sad when he told me that his father and his uncle (his father’s brother) didn’t talk with one another for twenty-three years until his uncle died. And then he added: «What a waste!… How many birthdays, Christmas parties and many many other parties and events happened during those twenty-three years from which they had excluded themselves, along with their children and grandchildren!… «Do you know that Helen doesn’t talk with her mother-in-law»? When I hear this, I know that there is something wrong between them. Something that needed to be clarified with a simple conversation but pride deprives them from such a joyful experience. There is a Portuguese Association to help the homeless with the name of «Conversa Amiga» that means «Friendly Talk». The slogan is «Quando conversamos somos mais humanos» that means «When we talk we are more human».

I knew that Alfred had something against me. When I told him: «Alfred I sense that there is something wrong between us but I don’t know what. Can we talk?». I felt very sad when he just told me: «Leave me in peace». And I left him in «peace». But was he really in «peace»? I wasn’t. I was, and I am, hurting.

During the many apparitions of Jesus after His Resurrection when He appeared to his friends, even when the doors were closed, instead of our «good morning, or good afternoon or hello» He always greeted them with the word «Peace». But did the word «Peace» in the mouth of Jesus have the same meaning of the word «Peace» in the mouth of my friend Alfred when he said «Leave me in peace»? Of course not.

The word Peace translated to Aramaic in the language of Jesus is «Shallom». And this word Shalom leaves no room for confusions. Shalom means «I desire for you prosperity in your life, good health, harmony, good relationships with your family, friends and neighbours. I want for you all success, including financial success. I want for you everything that is good. I desire for you the best you can have and need».

That’s the reason why during this pandemic, when during Mass I invite people to greet one another with the sign of Shalom (because nobody should touch each another) I can see them with joined hands like in a contemplative prayer, bowing their heads, in the direction of one another and always with a smile and telling one another «SHALOM».

What a wonderful moment. What a profound preparation to receive or make the Sacred Communion. I have to confess that this moment always touches me deeply and makes me a better person.

For all my friends and all my enemies here is my SHALOM!

Fr. Bernardino Andrade
18/04/2021

(bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

Even if I believe in plans, I have to confess that my life and the life of many people, like me, is made more by events than by plans. Things happen. And very often they change our plans and our lives forever. There is a saying that goes like this: «If you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans».

Last Sunday was Easter Sunday. As usual I had the privilege of celebrating the Eucharist in English with the beautiful community of Penha de França. Because it was Easter Sunday, I thought that it would be a good idea to say the Our Father in the languages of the forty-seven people who were attending Mass. We had the Our Father prayed in nine languages: English, Polish, Indian, Spanish, Chinese, Greek, Ukrainian, Irish and Portuguese.

It was so beautiful to experience the vast diversity of languages praying to the same Father, being so different, and so united, in the same Eucharist. It was really a preview of what heaven will be like. We looked so different, but we were so united. This is what we dream for tomorrow’s world.

Then at the end of Mass, I thought that it would be a good idea to count how many nationalities were in this little chapel. The result was very surprising. Who would ever guess that in those forty-seven people in this small chapel, singing the same hymns, praying the same prayers, speaking different languages with so many different accents, being nourished by the same Word of God and the same Eucharist, wearing different masks sanitized by the same alcohol gel, observing social distance because of the corona virus… that we would have sixteen nationalities? Cultural diversity is not a problem. Cultural diversity is a Blessing.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

11/04/2021

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Are you curious to know which nationalities were represented at Mass last Sunday ?
From the quick “survey” done of everyone present, we discovered that these were the 16 nationalities represented:

British (9), Irish (5), Indian (1), Colombian (1),
Venezuelan (1), Swiss (1), . Polish (5), Ukrainian (1),
Namibian (1), Zimbabwean (1), Singaporean (1),
Greek (1), South African (8), Dutch (1),
English (1)….. and….. Portuguese (9)

When I was a missionary in that immense Africa and working in the city it was not uncommon that the missionaries working in the interior would invite me to travel to their missions and give some small retreats in Portuguese. Most of the times I would fly in small planes of four, six or the maximum of eight passengers.

One of those events happened before Holy Week. I flew in a very small plane from the city of Quelimane to a village called Milange, next door to Malawi.

The weather was beautiful. I was seated on the front seat, side by side with the pilot. I could see every switch he touched and could ask any questions. We were flying in between mountains. We could enjoy the view of the wild animals, the tea and palm tree plantations that were making those valleys so green and so breathtaking. We could even see people working in their fields.

This was my trip from the city to the village close to Malawi. I did my job and one week later I had to return.

The weather was gloomy, the rain was abundant, and the clouds were dark and frightening. This time I was seated in one of the back seats, far away from the pilot. When the airplane flew through those dark clouds it would dance up and down like a dry leaf on a windy day. Nobody screamed, nobody talked to anyone else. All of us were glued to our seats, grabbing the arms as if they were our only salvation. I knew that we were flying in between mountains and I was «sure» that the pilot could not see them. My thought was «if we fall among these mountains none of us will have a funeral». Nobody will be able to find us and the wild animals will take care of our bodies. It was a really terrifying return flight.

But I had a spiritual experience that has been part of me for the rest of my life. When I saw those dark clouds I always thought: «I am sure that beyond that cloud there will be sun. But after that dark cloud there was no sun. After each dark cloud there was another cloud. Then I would think again: «after that dark cloud there will be sun». But there was no sun. And from a dark cloud to the next dark cloud I always kept my hope alive, looking through the window of the pilot. And we never were able to catch a bit of sun. But at the end of the trip something much better was waiting for us. That thing was a safe landing.

Today is Easter Sunday. Good Friday was not a pleasant day for Jesus. Actually it was a very dark cloud after so many dark clouds that He had to go through. But at the end, Jesus had a safe landing. It was Easter Sunday. He left the tomb. Jesus resurrected. Jesus is alive again.

Albert L. Roper was a prominent Virginia attorney. He once began a thorough legal investigation into the evidence of the Resurrection of Christ, asking himself the question: «Can any intelligent person accept the Resurrection story?» After examining the evidence at length, he came away asking a different question: «Can any intelligent person deny the weight of this evidence?».

Good Friday and Easter Sunday tell me, and all of us, that it doesn’t matter how many dark clouds we have to go through, we can be sure that walking with Jesus we will have a safe landing.

Today on this Easter Sunday we can decide to get closer to Him and walk closer to Him. He is going to be our pilot, and I am sure we will have a safe landing.
Love and Peace,

Fr. Bernardino Andrade
Easter Sunday, 2021-04-04