Author: ANTONINO

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART
– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

VI SUNDAY OF EASTER.
Introduction: Today’s Scripture passages declare the profound truth that those who believe in Christ are to obey his commandment of love – “Love others as I have loved you.” When we celebrate Mother’s Day, let us remember with gratitude that it is generally our mothers who practice the agápe love of Jesus

1 – THAT IS THE KIND OF LOVE I WANT IN MY LIFE

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. The medic took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. Since he, himself, was not busy, the medic took time to evaluate the man’s wound.

The wound was well healed, and so he talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, the medic asked his patient if he had another doctor’s appointment as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman said that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. In answer to the medic’s question about her health, the old man responded that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s disease.

When the medic asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late, the man replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. The medic was surprised, and asked him why, if his wife didn’t know who he was, he went every morning faithfully for breakfast with her. The old man smiled and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.” The medic, with tears in his eyes, said to himself, “That is the kind of love I want in my life.”

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. In today’s Gospel Jesus commands us to practice this type of sacrificial and selfless agápe love as he practiced it.

2 – RUNNING TO HER MOTHER’S ARMS

Claudia, a successful 31-year-old girl, has lived with her mother in her mother’s apartment all her life. Her mother is a very simple woman with no studies, no driver’s license and no job.

Because she was already 31 years old, Claudia decided that it was time to leave the nest and decided to rent an apartment close to her mother’s house. All the arrangements were finalized. According to her, to avoid the «temptation» of returning to her mother’s home she even bought new furniture. The day came and she moved. Claudia changed her clothes and was ready to go to bed. Then all of sudden she got this strange feeling: «This is my first night alone. This is my first night away from my mom. What if I am afraid? ». Claudia got up, changed her clothes again to her working clothes and went to bed properly dressed just in case she felt the need during the night to run to her mother’s arms. Just in case.

Looking at that beautiful and professional woman, who would ever guess that inside of her there was this «baby» permanently in need of a mother’s presence, affection and protection? Then I realized that inside a gentle lady or inside a tough man there is always a baby in need of a mother’s presence, affection and protection.
I keep believing that a mother’s love is the most profound image of God’s love for us. Even when we try to run away from God we always have this strange feeling. Away from God is very dangerous, very lonely and very scary.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Love and Peace, Fr. Bernardino Andrade

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

Dr. Vittorio Ventura (from Italy) and Beata Balazova (from Slovakia) have been, for a while, members of the Penha de França Community. Don’t ask them to read during Mass or to do anything in front of people because they will show their kind smile but they will decline the invitation. Not because they don’t like to help but only because, according to them, they are too shy. That’s why last Saturday when I invited them to take a special picture they said yes but with one condition. They had to wear a mask, ha… ha… ha… Well ! I think that we both exaggerated a little bit.

Any way if you come to the Sunday Mass and if you want to meet Vittorio and Beata don’t look for them among the «normal» community. If you want to meet them you have to climb a stairway and find them in the choir loft among a small group of shy people. They may be too shy but with a deep spirituality and a profound sense of community. But what I most admire in their spirituality is their option for the poor, for the suffering and for the «subversive» project of Jesus that is to «bring good news to the poor» (Lk. 4: 18). For them, this option is not negotiable. It is the center of their spirituality as it was the center of the Mission of Jesus and the center of the Bible.

Dr. Vittorio and Beata exchanged their Marriage vows in this Chapel last Saturday, April 14th. They had told me that it was going to be a small wedding, meaning a small number of attendants. It really was. Less than 10 people. But I have to tell you that it was the greatest Wedding ceremony I have ever performed during my entire life as a priest. What made this ceremony so special, besides the beautiful and different bride’s dress, so different and so beautiful, was that they decided to give their friends and guests an envelope, addressed to the “People Helping People” project and instead of wedding gifts they suggested a donation for the poor.

The returned envelopes were supposed to be anonymous. I confess that I have been smiling while writing this story. It has been written with a little bit of humor. But now I stopped smiling and have tears in my eyes. The result of the envelopes of that «small Wedding» was the amount of 900.00 Euros. Vittorio and Beata’s «small» Wedding ceremony was without any doubt the «greatest» Wedding ceremony of my entire life.

I strongly believe that when a couple makes room in their hearts for the poor, for the suffering, for God and for the world they are building a bigger room for their spouses. If in the hearts of a woman and a man who get married there is no room for Jesus, for the poor and for the world that means that they are two selfish people with shrinking hearts that take the risk of not finding room for each other anymore.

Congratulations Vittorio and Beata. You have been a 5th Gospel announcing to the world the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Have a happy journey.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

PS. When I mention the 5th Gospel is because there are 4 Gospels of Jesus, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But I believe in the 5th Gospel. It’s the Gospel or Good News of Jesus Christ according to the life of each one of us. There are lots of people in the world who will never read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The only Gospel they will read is the life of each Christian. Martin Luther King said that the biggest tragedy of the world is not the evil done by evil people. The biggest tragedy of the world is the silence of the good people. The world needs to read these Good News.

For Easter, many different cultures have many different ways of greeting one another. In the English culture we say «Happy Easter!». In the Portuguese culture it’s «Felizes Páscoas!». In the Russian Orthodox culture they say: «He Is Risen!» and the answer to that is «He Is Risen Indeed!

Many years ago Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin was one of the most powerful men on earth. A Russian Communist leader, he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. He was the editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today.

There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly of Communists. The subject was atheism.

Addressing the crowd, he attacked Christianity, hurling insults and arguments against it. When he had finished, he looked out at the audience: “Are there any questions?” he demanded.
Deafening silence filled the auditorium.

Then one man stood up, approached the platform and mounted the lectern. After surveying the crowd, he shouted the ancient greeting of the Russian Orthodox Church:

– “CHRIST IS RISEN!”
The crowd stood up and shouted in a thundering voice:
– “HE IS RISEN INDEED!”

Amazed and dejected, Bukharin left the stage in silence. Finally, he had learned the lesson that Faith in Christ’s Resurrection was deeply rooted in his Russian Orthodox Communist followers!
HAPPY EASTER… FELIZES PÁSCOAS… JESUS IS RISEN…

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

I don’t know in other places but, in the USA, it is common to advertise in the newspapers that there are seminaries, convents and opportunities for those who feel the call to become priests, nuns or to join the religious life that we also call «Consecrated Life».

Of course most of those of advertisements try to impress and attract young people by giving attractive reasons why they can consider joining those communities and that lifestyle. And it works because most of the young people have no proper information about this alternative for their lives. Unfortunately, most of the information they hear is negative, and also through jokes that denigrate a way of life that can be the best answer for their living, which is their love for God transformed into service for others.

I believe that most of us are aware of Mother Teresa and the thousands of young girls who decided to follow her and also of so many many priests and nuns who have lived their lives passionately in love with Jesus and his project. And most of them have lived a very happy life.

But ironically, there was a special religious order that had a very unattractive advertisement with a very high rate of success. The advertisement went like this:

«IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A NOBODY, JOIN US».

Holy Week is the best picture of what a «NOBODY» can be in a Christian life. And those who want to follow him must be open to become a nobody like Him. In the second reading of Palm Sunday Mass, St. Paul (Philippians 2: 6-11) says: «His state was divine, yet Christ Jesus did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave». A slave was a «nobody» with no rights and no dignity. An animal would have more rights than a slave. Is this attractive?

The prophet Isaiah, in reference to the Messiah, says something very unattractive and in a way almost repugnant. Who wants to be like this? «He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases».

(Isaiah 53). JESUS BECAME A NOBODY. If you want to become a nobody, follow him. I have tried and I don’t know if I have been a good priest but I know that, for almost 53 years, I have been a very happy priest. If I could go back in life I would follow the same road.

Happy Holy Week
Fr. Bernardino Andrade