Author: ANTONINO

Scripture Readings 21st January 2018, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Jonah 3: 1-5, 10; Psalm 24(25): 4-9; 1 Cor 7: 29-31; Mark 1: 14-20

In the short book of Jonah, God sent a great fish to force Jonah back to the mission God had given him, to warn Nineveh that it was to be destroyed. But, after the fish had spewed Jonah back on to dry land, Jonah was still angry that God relented. He had run away to avoid drawing God’s mercy on the hated city, believing only Jews were worthy of God’s mercy.

After praying for pardon, the Psalm meditates on God’s goodness towards the just.

Responding to questions from the Corinthians about married life, Paul gives detailed advice – but against the background of expecting Jesus to return in glory virtually any minute There may also have been a famine when he was writing. They should not be alarmed by any current world crisis, even if normal activities are interrupted for a time. But one day the world will end. What will matter then is their faithfulness to the Lord, whatever their social circumstances.

Last week we heard from the Gospel of John about Jesus calling the first disciples. Our year B readings from the Gospel of Mark now resume until Lent, then continuing after Trinity Sunday. Mark describes Jesus beginning his ministry by first proclaiming the Good News, and then also calling the first disciples.

Psalm Response; Lord, make me know your ways.

(Jonah 3: 1-5, 10; Psalm 24(25): 4-9; 1 Cor 7: 29-31; Mark 1: 14-20)

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – Pope Francis message for the 51st World Day of Peace

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– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)
Message of Pope Francis for the Celebration of the 51st World Day of Peace
On Monday, January 1, 2018, we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. That day was also the 51st World Day of Peace. The motto of reflection that Pope Francis proposed for this year was: “Migrants and refugees: men and women in search of peace.” Here is part of what Pope Francis shared during the celebration:

Pope Francis:
“Offering asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking an opportunity to find the peace they seek requires a strategy combining four actions:
Welcoming, Protecting, Promoting and Integrating.

“Welcoming” calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. It also demands balancing our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights. Scripture reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2.)

“Protecting” has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement. God does not discriminate: “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the orphan and the widow.” (Psalm 146:9.)

“Promoting” entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation. The Bible teaches that God “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:18-19.)

“Integrating”, lastly, means allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral human development of the local community. Saint Paul expresses it in these words: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people.” (Ephesians 2:19.)
Read the full address on the Vatican’s website

God loves you and so do I.
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Scripture Readings 14th January 2018, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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1 Samuel 3: 3-10, 19; Psalm 39(40); 1 Cor 6: 13-15, 17-20; John 1: 35-41

In the first Book of Samuel Hannah, the devout but barren wife of Elkanah, prayed for a child in the temple at Shiloh. She promised if she has a son she will give him to the Lord as a Nazirite. Her prayers were answered, and Hannah gave Samuel up into Eli’s care in the temple.

Luke’s story of the birth of John the Baptist recalls the miraculous birth of Samuel, and Hannah’s song of thanks is echoed by Mary’s Magnificat. In our first reading Eli realises it is Samuel who is to succeed him as prophet to bring the word of the Lord to the people.

The psalm expresses gratitude to the Lord for saving us, recognising that obedience is better than ritual sacrifice – as later seen in the supreme example of Jesus’ obedience.

Paul devotes several parts of his letter to the Corinthians to sexual immorality, which some Corinthians did not see as sins, but Paul sees as sinning against your own body.

In John’s Gospel the Baptist prophetically points Jesus out to his own disciples as the “Lamb of God”, so they follow him instead. Like the rest of Jesus’ disciples, they come to Jesus through the testimony of others, responding to the invitation to “Come and see”.

Psalm Response: Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

(1 Samuel 3: 3-10, 19; Psalm 39(40); 1 Cor 6: 13-15, 17-20; John 1: 35-41)

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – Holy Family

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– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)
holyfamily
HOLY FAMILY – THE SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

The Catholic Liturgy celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday after Christmas. Church is about relationships. Family is about relationships. The difference between a good family and a bad family is the level of communication.

holyfamily

Last Monday, on Christmas Day, a large family with 7 children attended Mass here at the Chapel. They were on holiday in Madeira, visiting from France. During Mass I invited the family to come up to the altar and introduce themselves to everyone. I asked if each member of the family could say their name, age, and something that has been good about being part of a large family. The father of the family spoke first, and what he said was beautiful.

He said:

“Thank you very much Father. We have what can be considered a big family… seven children! Seven reasons to be happy; and Seven reasons to be sad sometimes. Seven people to love, and to be loved by…
And I would say… seven reasons to thank God!”

ADOPT A FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS

Related with the «People Helping People» project, my Parish in California, started another project we called «Adopt a family for Christmas».

My Parish already had a program called «Christmas Baskets». But Christmas baskets had their rules and their paralyzing bureaucracies. It was supposed to be for Parishioners only with proof of residence. I have never been famous for following rules especially in dealing with people’s suffering. When we build boundaries (“Parishioners only”) we build walls that exclude people. Exclusion is the opposite of the Good Shepherd’s dream. It is the opposite of church that is supposed to be a family. Besides I always believe that in Liturgy my main job is to mobilize many people to involve many people, and the same in dealing with the poor. My main job should be «to mobilize many people to help many people».

«Adopt a family for Christmas» consisted in taking the names of the people who needed help and the names of the people who were willing to help. Families willing to help would adopt a needy family and they would take care of their needs, like toys for the children, food or clothes or whatever. No association would be controlling them or telling them what to do or how to do it. The main thing would be to build a kind and loving relationship between the two families. The results were excellent.

HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY

ADOPT A HOMELESS PERSON FOR CHRISTMAS

Carla

Carla Rodrigues, one of the leaders of the People Helping People project in our Community decided to do, for the first time, something similar to «Adopt a Family for Christmas». But she went a little further. In the project People Helping People, Carla is dedicating her ministry towards the homeless. The results are slower but Carla is a woman who doesn’t believe in quitting. Or, as she says, she will quit only when God quits. That means never. God never quits on any of His children.

She knows the statistics. When a person sleeps in the streets during three days, it takes three months to recover and to integrate that person back into society. When a person is homeless for three months it takes three years to recover that person and to integrate him/her back into society. That’s why Carla knows that failures and lack of success are part of her job.

The most important thing like Mother Teresa says, is not success but fidelity.
This year, December 25, Christmas Day, instead of preparing food and clothes for the homeless she invited one of them to join her family and have Christmas dinner at her home. Her parents were very cooperative and it was a great experience.

Beto (not his true name), joined them, very clean and had also his Christmas present like anybody else. On Christmas Day, a new program was established with the name of «ADOPT A HOMELESS PERSON FOR CHRISTMAS». Thank you Carla. This is just the beginning of many beginnings and many failures. Maybe next Christmas we will have more people adopting a homeless person for Christmas.

Love and Peace
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – The Scandal of Christmas

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

I DON’T BLAME THE JEWS:

All the Jewish traditions and teachings indicated that the Messiah was going to be a powerful leader trained to conduct wars against their enemies and the powerful especially against the Roman Empire that had them oppressed under political and financial laws.

One day they heard some news that the Messiah had come. But he had come as a poor and fragile baby. Mary «gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn». (Lk. 2: 7). For the poor this was good news. God became one of them. «The Word became flesh» (Jo.1:14).

For the rich and powerful this was bad news. This news became a threat. This was a scandal. And it has been a scandal ever since. That’s why the world of business took the place of the Messiah and Christmas was transformed into a «pagan winter festival» with a crib.

JESUS WAS A HOMELESS person: There was no place for him in the inn (Lk. 2:7)

JESUS IS A HOMELESS person: My friend Sara (not her real name) lives in Funchal. She attended the University of Madeira. Sara finished her studies. She is beautiful and full of dreams. No job, no money, no house. She has a precious child with a little mental challenge. A very «nice» and «cruel» state institution decided to «help» her. Took from her this precious child and put him in his grandparents’ house where he was physically abused. What happened to my friend Sara? The street became her «house». The streets are a horrible place to sleep in. But it is even more horrible when you are a woman and when you are beautiful. Jesus was born a homeless person. Jesus is homeless person.
JESUS WAS A REFUGEE: The angel told Joseph: «… flee to Egypt. Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him». (Lk.2:14)

JESUS IS A REFUGEE: Thousands of people are, today, fleeing from their homelands because others want to destroy them.

Jesus is a homeless person. Jesus is a refugee. If I don’t understand this I will not understand Christmas.

Fr. Bernardino Andrade

MY CHRISTMAS CARD TO YOU:

Scripture Readings 7th January 2018, Epiphany, Year B

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Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 71(72); Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Third Isaiah was writing after the Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon. Future messianic salvation is offered to all who believe in the Lord and keep his commandments. All peoples will stream to the new Jerusalem with acceptable offerings.

The psalm offers good wishes to a king, perhaps at a coronation. But the king is so idealised that only the Messiah could match these expectations.

The vision of the universal Church Paul describes in Ephesians matches Isaiah’s image of the new Jerusalem. The Church, Christ’s body, led by the Spirit, is part of God’s plan for the whole of creation. Paul joyfully realises that taking the gospel message to all was always part of God’s plan: Gentiles as well as Jews are to share equally in the inheritance promised by God.

In Luke’s Gospel an angel announced Jesus’ birth to poor Jewish shepherds, excluded by their occupation from Temple worship. Today we hear Matthew’s description of Gentile scholars travelling from afar to bring kingly offerings to the new-born child. God’s plan is already being made known beyond Israel. But the scholars needed the Jewish scriptures to help find Jesus. We too need the Old Testament to help us understand God’s plan and what he has done in Jesus for our salvation.

Psalm Response: All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

(Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 71(72); Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12)

Scripture Readings – 31st December, 2017, Holy Family, Year B

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Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3; Psalm 104 (105):1 -6. 8-9; Hebrews 11:8,11 -12, 17 -19; Luke 2:22-40

God responds to Abram’s concern at his lack of heirs by promising him countless descendants. Even before male circumcision became a sign of this covenant, Abram was held righteous because he trusted in the Lord’s promise. Such was his faith that he travelled to a new land, and believed God’s promise of a son even in his old age. Sarah named their son Isaac, meaning “he who laughed”: Sarah had laughed at God’s promise that she would bear a son – now she perhaps feels the laugh is on her, caring for a new-born child in her nineties.

The psalm praises God’s goodness to his people, recounting His promises and care for them.

The letter to the Hebrews describes how Abraham’s faith was strong enough for the supreme test: would he sacrifice his son – his only son – to God? Just as God sacrificed his only son on the Cross to show how much he loves us.

Luke’s description of the consecration to God of Jesus, as Mary’s first-born son, links Jesus’ birth to God’s promises: the promised redeemer has come, and Abraham’s descendants in faith will indeed be as numerous as the stars. But God is always faithful to his promises and, in his justice, innermost thoughts will be revealed.

Psalm Response: He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.

(Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3; Psalm 104 (105):1 -6. 8-9; Hebrews 11:8,11 -12, 17 -19; Luke 2:22-40)

Scripture Readings – The Nativity of the Lord (Night/Dawn/Day) Year B

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Around 720 BC Judah was threatened by many enemies. Isaiah advised the kings to stand firm, because the Lord would give a sign: “the maiden shall be with child”. The birth of a helpless baby gives hope for the future. But this future must be founded on justice and integrity. Early Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus with these words.

The Psalms call all mankind, and all creation, to celebrate the glories of the Lord, King and judge.

Sixty years after Jesus’ birth, Paul gives Titus this summary of the gospel: our compassionate God chose to offer all humanity the free gift of being “at one” with him. But God’s revelation of salvation in Christ demands we transform our lives and “give up everything that does not lead to God”. The reading from Hebrews tells us that God has spoken to us through his son, who is “the perfect copy of his nature”.

Luke places the birth of the Christ firmly in time and space. Jesus was a man born miraculously to a virgin in Bethlehem in Judea. The peace and quiet of the undercroft, where animals gave warmth, must have been a welcome relief for Mary, after the noise and bustle of the inn. The simplicity of Jesus’ birth is important: God comes as a vulnerable baby to draw us into a relationship with him. The royal birth announcement was sent not to royalty, but to poor shepherds, outcasts excluded from Temple worship by their occupation. Joseph, of the house of David, named Jesus as his son. Jesus lived in history, growing up in Nazareth in Galilee.

By the time John’s gospel was written, Christians had come to realise that Jesus had existed as the Word of God before time began. So John’s prologue seeks to describe the complexity of the creator becoming part of his own creation.

Psalm Response (midnight): Today a saviour has been born to us: he is Christ the Lord.

(Midnight: Isaiah 9:1-7; Psalm 95(96); Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14).

(Dawn: Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 96(97); Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20).

(Day: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 97(98); Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18.)

Scripture Readings 24th December 2017, 4th Sunday of Advent, Year B

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2 Sam 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16; Ps 88(89):2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Rom 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

After seven years as King of Judah, David was anointed King of all the tribes of Israel. He then captured Jerusalem making it the capital of Israel. Then he increased his power by bringing into Jerusalem the Ark of the Covenant, the Lord’s dwelling. But in our first reading the Lord tells David not to build a house for Him, because the Lord will himself build a house – ie a dynasty – founded on David.
The long psalm, written during or after the exile, starts by reminding God of this promise to David, before asking God how long before He will fulfill His promise.

Paul summarises the Good News: Jesus Christ is the revelation that God intends all humanity to be brought into community with God through faith. We are not justified and saved by the Jewish Law, but by Jesus’ faith in his Father and by our faith in Jesus Christ.

Luke gives us the supreme example of faith: Mary agrees to God’s invitation to be the mother of God’s Son – the greatest ‘Yes’ in history! She does not know what might happen – except possibly death by stoning as an unmarried mother. By her faith and trust in God she becomes the first disciple. And God’s promise to David is fulfilled.

Psalm Response: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

(2 Sam 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16; Ps 88(89):2-3, 4-5, 27, 29; Rom 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38)

FOOLISH MANNER IN WHICH TO ASK AND TO GIVE TO THE POOR IN SAINT JOHN OF GOD… continued from last week’s newsletter

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by Father Gameiro

Maybe this saint was somehow a fool when dealing with poor people. And was Jesus not asking us to give everything to the poor and to follow him? Once a friend of Saint John of God met with him and tried to blame and to advise him to be wiser when he gave alms on the street, and on whom he admitted in his hospital. He humbly answered:

«I know nothing, brother…When they ask me for some aid, for God’s love, I have to give it, even if it is my life. The rest is up to them» (cf. Pleyto, witness Benito de los Rios 15th question and CASTRO,
chap. XIIII).

On another occasion he was still more specific on his vision and respect of his divine anthropology principles:

«I ask for God’s love, they give me for God’s love, and I have to give for God’s love». And anticipating an objection to the misuse of his good intentions, he added: «What they do with the aid I give them, it is up to them. They are accountable to God».

Jesus told Peter to forgive his offenders 70×7. Saint John of God is an example of promptitude in pardoning. Better soon than later. One day a woman he had taken from the prostitution house, and whom he was helping in her process of getting an independent and autonomous life, offended him. She used some black-mail with him, demanding more than he could give her. At that moment he had nothing with him to give to her. She offended him, calling him a hypocrite and other bad names. His answer was very calm:

«take these two little coins, and go and tell everyone in the market place what you said».

She became even more angry and doubled the offensive words. As he saw her so upset, and to leave her more comfortable, he told her calmly:

«sooner or later I have to forgive you. Well, I will forgive you right now». It was a blessed forgiveness. The biographer adds that she proclaimed all this aloud at the Saint’s funeral (CASTRO, chap XV).

ALL IS DOING GOOD FOR GOD. John teaches us that the righteous way of doing good is a golden rule. The heart logic of his life is clarified with an answer given in the town of Valladolid two years before his death. Saint John of God went on a nine month journey, on foot, taking with him some recommendation letters to the Prince-King in order to collect some alms and donations in the royal Court, so that he could pay the debts he had made by assisting his poor patients in Granada, which he could not afford to pay.

During these months there in Valladolid, he received a lot of money, but at the same time as he went around, he met many poor and patients and could not but help them. So his generous benefactors started to worry and alerted him:

«brother John, you have to keep the money for your poor and to pay the debts in Granada, you are giving everything here»… Brother John replied: «to give here or in Granada, all is doing good for God, He is everywhere» (CASTRO, chap. XVI ).

The benefactors had to start giving him certificates which could only be payable in Granada, instead of money. And so, arriving there in Granada, he could pay some debts and buy dowries for girls he had in adoption families to be educated and trained to get married. John took sixteen of them to the altar for marriage in only one day, says his biographer (CASTRO; chap XIII).