Author: ANTONINO

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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Homeless who «WANT» to be Homeless

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In his book «Ghost Soldiers», Hampton Sides tells the story of a dramatic mission during World War II. On January 28th, 1945, 121 hand-selected Army Rangers slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines in an attempt to rescue 513 American and British POW’s who had spent three years in a hellish prison camp near the city of Cabanatuan.
Hampton Sides describes the first effects of liberation as chaos and fear.

The prisoners were mentally too brittle to understand what was taking place. Some even scurried away from their liberators. One particular prisoner, Bert Bank, refused to budge, even when a Ranger walked up to him and tugged his arm. «C’mon, we’re here to save you», he said . «Run for the gate».

Bank still would not move. The Ranger looked into his eyes and saw they were vacant, registering nothing. «What’s wrong with you»? he asked. «Don’t you want to be free?» Finally, a smile formed on Bank’s lips as the meaning of the words became clear, and he reached up to the outstretched hand of the Ranger.

The Rangers searched all the barracks for additional prisoners, then shouted, «The Americans are leaving. Is there anybody here?» Hearing no answer they left. The freed prisoners marched 25 miles and boarded their ship home. With each step, their stunned disbelief gave away to soaring optimism.

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One of the most unjust, ignorant, and offensive judgements and excuses to do nothing, which I have ever heard in dealing with the poor and the homeless is the despisement and the accusation that they are homeless because they «want» to be.

A short time ago the Portuguese actor, Pedro Carvalho, spent one night on the streets disguised as a homeless man with homeless people on a very cold night in the city of Lisbon. He realized that in some cases this seemed to be true: it seemed that some homeless people don’t want to leave the streets. They don’t want to leave that misery.

That observation left him completely lost. Who «wants» that kind of life? Who «wants» to check two, three, five or even more garbage cans before finding a piece of hamburger, or a piece of chicken mixed with other garbage and mixed with cockroaches, ants and dead flies in order to be able to satisfy their hunger? Then he decided to call one of his friends who is a psychologist to see if she would be able to find something that would make sense. And yes. Her answer made sense. After living like that for a while they become mentally sick. They get this pathology that doesn’t make any sense to us and neither to them. Schizophrenia is probably the most common.

One homeless man told me that he was not able to sleep more than half an hour at a time. It’s the noise, it’s the inhuman conditions, it’s the bathroom that they don’t know where to find, it’s a police officer that kicks him out just saying: «You cannot sleep here». But one of them told me «they don’t tell us where to go». They start their journey again. A very well-known psychiatrist from Funchal told me one day that «their brains don’t work like ours».

What about the institutions? I have to confess that I have tried to work with a famous institution in Funchal that is supposed to shelter the homeless, but I have never had a good experience.

One of the homeless told me that it looks more like a concentration camp and «the way they treat us is like being in a concentration camp».

My belief is that the homeless, the poor like everybody else, should be treated like a priest treats a consecrated host.

After reading the story of the soldiers that were freed from the Philippines, maybe it will be easier to understand the minds of people like the homeless, and prisoners who have been brutalized by their miserable life conditions which have left them miserably sick.

None of the American soldiers, including Bert Bank, “chose and wanted” to stay in that hellish prison.
None of the homeless around the world “chose and want” to be homeless.

«When we start by judging, we have no time to love».
(Saint Mother Teresa)

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Scripture Readings 10th February 2019, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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Isaiah 6:1-2a,3-8; Psalm 137(138); 1 Cor 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Isaiah’s calling vision in 742 BC is much quoted in the book of Revelation. He sees God enthroned, with Seraphs who had two wings covering their faces, two covering their body, and with two they flew. They praised God for his total otherness, and their “Holy, Holy, Holy” is repeated before the central part of every Mass. Isaiah expects to die after seeing God’s face. But he is symbolically purified by a burning ember on his lips, and so is fit to deliver God’s message of doom those who mistreat the poor. Only a remnant will survive.

The Psalmist thanks the Lord for answering his prayer, while calling on all rulers to join in this hymn of thanks for the Lord’s words.

Paul reminds the Corinthians of their roots and especially the gospel he taught them. He uses an existing creedal formula that he himself “had been taught”, namely “that Christ died, was buried; was raised; and appeared”. In rising, Christ has conquered death. The dead will also rise, bodily and spiritually.

After Jesus was rejected in Nazareth he went down to Capernaum, where he taught and healed many people. Today Luke describes Simon Peter recognising Jesus as “Lord”, his title after the Resurrection. Peter and his partners accept Jesus’ call, and follow him, leaving absolutely everything.

Psalm Response: Before the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – Mother Teresa and the Guide

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A story is told about Noelene Martin, a Franciscan Monk in Australia assigned to be the guide and the «gofer» for St Teresa of Calcuta (Mother Teresa) when she visited New South Wales.

Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But during her visit, he became frustrated. Although he was constantly near her, the friar never had the opportunity to say one word to Mother Teresa. There were always other people for her to meet. Finally her tour was over, and she was due to fly to New Guinea.

In desperation, the Franciscan friar spoke to Mother Teresa: «f I pay my own fair to New Guinea, can I sit next to you in the plane so I can talk to you and learn from you?»

Mother Teresa looked at him.
«You have enough money to pay the air fare to New Guinea?» She asked.
«Yes, he replied eagerly».
«Then give that money to the poor;» she said. «You will learn more from that than from anything else I can tell you».

Mother Teresa understood that Jesus’ ministry was to the poor, and she made it hers as well. She knew that they, more than anyone else, needed Good News.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
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Scripture Readings 3rd February 2019, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalm 70(71); 1 Cor 12:31-13:13; Luke 4:21-20

In 626 BC Jeremiah was appointed by God to be his prophet during the forty troubled years before the exile. Israel had fallen away from God’s covenant, worshipping pagan gods. Jeremiah warned them that unless they turned back to the Lord, Jerusalem would be destroyed – as it was by Babylon. But the prophet’s life is not easy, even though sure of God’s support, and Jeremiah suffered much at the hands of his own people.

The psalmist implores the Lord’s help in affliction, confident he will be heard.

Paul has emphasised to the Corinthians that the different abilities of each member are essential to the work of the church. In today’s beautiful reading he contrasts these diverse skills with the overriding virtue of love, needed by everyone. And more important than the gift of tongues, which the Corinthians valued highly.

In Luke’s gospel Jesus continues from last week’s reading, saying the text he had read from Isaiah is being fulfilled as he is speaking. With these words He inaugurates the time of fulfilment of the Jewish Scriptures. But his words were seen as unexpectedly gracious for a mere carpenter’s son. He could work no miracles there in his home town. He tells them Gentiles will prove more receptive to the word of God. Jerusalem would be destroyed yet again.

Psalm Response: My lips will tell of your help.

(Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalm 70(71); 1 Cor 12:31-13:13; Luke 4:21-20)

The feast day of Saint Antonio de Abad (January 17th) and the Blessing of Animals

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The feast of Saint Antonio de Abad is celebrated on January 17, the highlight of this feast being the blessing of animals – farm animals as well as pets.

Saint Antonio was a Catholic (Coptic) monk born in 3rd-century AD Egypt who was known for spreading monasticism, but is now most famous for being the first to practice the asceticism of going into the wilderness to renew one’s faith through nature. This is how he became associated with animals. (Odd side note: He is also the Saint to whom you appeal to get rid of skin diseases, i.e. “St. Anthony’s fire”!). (http://www.eventsloscabos.com/2013/feast-day-of-san-antonio-de-abad-saint-anthony-abbot/)

Every year, at this time of year, at the church of Caniço, on Sunday, a special service and procession is held for the blessing of animals. Many people bring their pets and the highlight is the participation of a group of horses.

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ROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – What I learned about God from my mechanic

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Some people think, and tell me, that I am a good driver. Usually they are kind people who like to make other people feel happy. And, I learned a long time ago, that the most special people in the world are those people who make other people feel special. Also I learned a long time ago that the most miserable people in the world are those people who make other people feel miserable.

Well… many people think, and tell me, that I am a good driver… except for my mechanic. My mechanic doesn’t think so, and he doesn’t tell me that I am a good driver. And the reason is because he is getting tired of replacing the clutch of my car! I get the impression that when he changes the clutch of my car he feels like he is ready to make the next appointment for the same kind of service. He knows that sooner or later I am calling him again.

This is what happened last week. I called him and informed him about the signs that I was getting while I was driving. The latest sign was that strange smell of a burning clutch.

I explained all the details, told him that I had the feeling that the clutch was in its final stage and, I finally asked him: «What should I do now»? His short answer was: «Nothing. Now you can do nothing. Now I am the one who is going to do the job».

I strongly believe that God talks with me through different ways. He talks with me through the Bible, through prayer and also through the events of my daily life. Through the answer of my mechanic I could see that sometimes God is telling me something like my mechanic. «Now you can do nothing. Just leave it up to me».

Sometimes we face problems in our lives that can be easily solved by ourselves. It just requires some more of our time, some more of our patience, some more of our effort or the help of a good friend.

But there are problems in our lives that when we cry to God in prayer saying: «Lord! What can I do now?» The answer from God will be: «Nothing. You can do nothing. Just let me do it for you. Now it is my job to fix what his broken. Just trust me.» “You are my son, the beloved; my favour rests on you”. Lk. 3: 22).

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Scripture Readings 27th January 2019, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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In 538 BC King Cyrus of Persia helped the Israelites to return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. There Ezra and Nehemiah shared the tasks of re-establishing the Jewish state and religion. Nehemiah rebuilt the city’s walls and administration. In today’s reading we hear about Ezra’s formal reading of the Jewish Law, and the people’s joyous celebration of God’s gift of the Law.

The psalm praises God’s moral law – and asks forgiveness for our transgressions.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he compares a community to the human body. Every Christian becomes part of Christ’s body by baptism. So all gifts come from the spirit; all gifts are necessary; all contribute to the good of the whole community. All Christians are equally valuable and wanted by God.

Our reading of Luke’s Gospel over the ordinary Sundays of Year C now resumes, to be interrupted only for Eastertide. First we are reminded of Luke’s reason for writing a gospel: he is carefully putting into an orderly sequence what he has heard from eye-witnesses, so that his hearers may “realise the certainty of the teachings” they have received. Today’s reading then continues from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, including his self-proclamation in his home town. Next week we hear his neighbours’ reactions.

Psalm Response: Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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WHAT PUNK ROCKERS TAUGHT ME ABOUT BAPTISM

One day, I was taking a walk through one of the streets of the city of San Francisco (California). With me there were two friends from Portugal. One was Fr. Aires Gameiro, at that time professor of Psychology in the Catholic University of Lisbon, and presently living in Funchal, and the other one was Jorge (at the time an immigrant from Portugal, living in San Francisco). We were just enjoying our walk, and talking about people, about ideas and about things.

At a certain moment we saw a group of young people, doing nothing, just talking and laughing together, dressed in a strange way, with strange colours and strange hair styles, also in different and strange colours. I was told that they were a group of «Punk Rockers». I thought that I was, and I think I am, very open to diversity and to surprises, but I confess that I was not open to see what I considered to be such an ugly scene. They were not doing anything wrong. They were just making an «ugly-looking» scene. If one of them hugged me I would feel the need to take a shower.

Then I said «I wish I had a friend punk rocker.» My intention was not to change him or to convert him or her, but to ask what they found attractive about that way of living and that way of dressing. Because to me, that looked so ugly and even repugnant to see those boys and girls like that. They were not doing anything wrong. They were just dressing and acting like a bunch of idiots wasting their time. How could they find that attractive, when to me they looked so repellent? This was the question I would have liked to ask.

That’s when Fr. Gameiro told me: «They are not there because they find it attractive. They are there to fulfil their need of belonging». Then he added that «the basic need of the human being is the need to belong. Most of them don’t belong to a family anymore. They don’t belong to a church anymore. But they still feel this terrible need burning them from inside out. They need to belong. And when they see any young person dressed like that they know that they belong to them.

THAT’S WHY I AM SO MISERABLE

He was what they call «a dangerous guy». One day, when this car was passing by, surrounded by body guards and in a caravan carrying «Very Important People» he pulled out a gun, killed the Mayor of the city and wounded another man». It was not difficult to catch the killer and arrest him. During one of the interrogatories he was asked: «What church do you belong to?». His answer was: «I don’t belong to anything. I don’t belong to anybody, that’s why I am so miserable».

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THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Today, January 13, 2019, the Catholic Church celebrates the Festivity of the Baptism of the Lord. Celebrating the Baptism of the Lord we are celebrating our own Baptism. Since I had this experience with the punk rockers I started calling BAPTISM, THE SACRAMENT OF BELONGING.

With our Baptism we start belonging to the Body of Christ. We start belonging to the family of God. We start belonging to one another. We are important to one another. We need one another.

Some Bible scholars think that the Church started at the Calvary when Jesus, hanging on the cross, said: «John! Take care of my mother. Mother take care of John». Life is about relationships. Church is about relationships. We are baptized to be part of the family of God and to take care of one another. Life is about belonging. Church is about belonging. Belonging is about taking care of one another.

Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Scripture Readings 20th January 2019, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

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Isaiah 62: 1-5; Psalm 95(96): 1-3.7-10; 1 Cor 12: 4-11; John 2: 1-11

Writing after 515 BC, when the Temple had been rebuilt after the exile, third Isaiah heavily criticised idolatry and other excesses in the Temple, and injustices among the people. But he also had this glorious vision of a restored Jerusalem, comparing the Lord’s delight in his people with the bridegroom’s delight in his virgin bride.

The psalm invites all mankind and all creation to praise the Lord, the one true God.

Over these Sundays before Lent we hear from Paul’s letter to his beloved church in Corinth. Paul criticised the Corinthian Christians for misbehaving during the Eucharist: the rich ate and drank too well, while poorer members of the community were left out. The church should have unity in diversity: different gifts are given to different individuals, so that all contribute to the whole.

After the Baptism of Jesus, and before resuming our readings from Luke’s gospel, we hear today John’s description of a marriage feast at Cana. A happy family occasion, to which Jesus and his newly chosen disciples were invited. Both Isaiah and Paul saw that the Lord longs to join himself to his church as intimately as possible. Water intended for use in Jewish purification rites is replaced by the fine wine of the heavenly banquet.

Psalm Response: Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

Scripture Readings 13th January 2019, Baptism of the Lord, Year C

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Isaiah 40:1-5. 9-11; Ps 103(104); Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Luke 3: 15-16. 21-22

Writing in Babylon about 540 BC, second Isaiah majestically consoles Israel in its exile. God tenderly commands his attendants to comfort Israel and to prepare a sacred way for them to return to Jerusalem. He will lead his people to freedom across the desert in a new Exodus. The coming of God’s rule should be announced to the whole world, shouted from the mountain-tops.

The psalm magnificently praises and celebrates God’s creative wisdom and power.

Titus worked with Paul and later administered the church in Crete. In this pastoral letter Paul advises Titus on setting up church structures and choosing suitable presbyters for each local church. All Christians, and especially Church leaders, are urged to lead godly lives. We should reveal God’s love to others in our good behaviour, while not disrupting the lives of others, in confident expectation of our redemption.

Luke saw us as living in a time of waiting, one of three phases he saw in salvation history. Luke’s time of promise, the period of Israel, ended when John was put in prison by Herod, after John the Baptist’s prediction that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ baptism begins the period when this promise is fulfilled. Luke’s Book of Acts describes his third phase, the beginning of the church.

Psalm Response: Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.