Author: ANTONINO

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

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

This was in the city of Half Moon Bay, California; a beautiful city with a beautiful beach and all the characteristics of a countryside city. Farming, flowers, cows and dairies were still the main scenery of that place. Also in this city there were many poor Mexican undocumented families with lots of children.

A young couple, with a few children, had the routine every Saturday morning of going together to a local restaurant and enjoying a non-expensive but delicious breakfast. No school, no work and no hurry. Just enjoying a nice meal in the presence of the family. The father of the family decided to consult with his family and share the same experience with the rest of the community. – Love is not love until it is shared.

They borrowed a hall from the City and started going to the supermarkets asking for eggs, bread, milk, vegetables, and anything else they could get. Then they started inviting people to join them every Saturday to also enjoy a nice breakfast. The young father and some volunteers prepared the food, and any person could take a plate, sit down and eat. The hall was big enough where the children could run, play, make friend and just be children. There were also tables with lots of bread and cakes, and also vegetables donated by the supermarkets for people to take home. This was something that I had never seen before.

The food was good, the company was excellent, but what impressed me the most was that there were no lists, nobody asking for documents, not even anybody asking for their names. There were just people eating together, enjoying the company of one another and building relationships.

A new program had started and its name was NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

This program had lots of influence on me when I started in my parish the project «People Helping People». No names, no lists, just people in need and people helping them. Very often bureaucracy kills programs, kills dreams and kills people. People Helping People should never be a program or an institution. People Helping People should be a way of life 24 hours a day.

CASA = HOME

Last Sunday, I had in this city of Funchal, an «impossible» experience. It is called CASA = HOME. In Portuguese it means «Support Center For the Homeless». In this world, and country, where the rules become heavier and heavier (no papers no food) I had the privilege of eating with the homeless the best food that can be served at any table. However, you don’t have to be a homeless to eat there. Just show up or ask somebody to bring you food and that will be available for you. No questions asked. No strings attached.

A few fine hotels in Funchal share their left overs with this association called «Casa» (Home). Some volunteers pick up the food, bring it to this place where people are waiting for their meals. The little inconvenience is that it has to take place after 10:30 PM when the hotels finish serving meals to their guests. People can bring their Tupperware and bags and take home how much food they want. Again… «No strings attached» or «No questions asked». Nobody asks for their names, addresses, IDs or whatever.

Along with «No Strings Attached», it is the most revolutionary association I have ever seen in my life. On the other hand, I have heard yesterday that some Catholic Associations just received instructions to be stricter in their rules in helping the poor in order to prevent abuses. Mother Teresa says that «When you start by judging you have no time to love».

«Casa» started to help the homeless but anybody even if he is a millionaire is welcomed. No questions asked. Like People Helping People, «Casa» is a combat against bureaucracy, against social inequality and against a society of waste.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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

JUMP MY SON… JUMP!…

The building was engulfed in fire. Coming from one of the windows everybody could hear the cries of a panicked eight-year-old child. From the streets the firemen, after preparing a safety net to catch him, kept shouting: «Jump… we are here to save you… please jump… You will be safe».

The cries of the child kept growing in volume and in panic. After trying a few times without any success, the firemen had the good sense of asking the child’s father to help them to convince the child to jump. The father was horrified but anyway he tried: «Jump my son jump… you will be OK… a safe net is here to catch you. You will be OK ».

The boy didn’t move. He just cried. Answering to his father he said: « But Daddy, I can not see anything. The only thing I see is smoke and it is very hot. I can not see you ». At this moment the father had the inspiration to tell his son: « It doesn’t matter if you can’t see me. The important thing is that I can see you… I can see you, my son. Jump my son… jump! ».

Listening to these words the boy lost his fear and jumped into the darkness. A few seconds later he was completely safe in the arms of his father who now cried of joy.

We all pass through some horrifying fires and violent storms in our lives. But on the other side of the storm we have a Father, a loving God, who tells us: «Jump! Do not be afraid, I am here to catch you. Jump my son… jump » !

« PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE » IS A JUMP IN THE DARKNESS

After the terrible floods that destroyed part of Madeira Island in 2010 we got more in touch with the reality of the poverty that affects so many families. Some people live in poverty and some in misery. In the words of Pope Francis: « Misery is poverty without any hope ».

Because our main point of reference are not rules but the suffering of the people, without any plans and no budgets, we embarked on something that we had never done before. We started taking people who live and sleep in the streets and giving them a decent place to sleep and to live like human beings. When they look for a job, at least they can say that they have a mailing address. The majority of the money that supports this cause comes from the generosity of the tourists that attend the English Mass at Penha de França.

MOYNIHAN’S FUNDRAISER DINNER

Sometimes we feel like the frightened boy. Sometimes the only thing we see is suffering people and an empty bank account. But then something happens where we listen to God saying: «Jump, my son, jump. That battle is not yours. That battle is mine. Jump». That’s what I felt last September 16th at Moynihan’s Restaurant. A Fundraiser dinner took place and it was a huge success. The restaurant took a small amount to help with the expenses and donated all the rest to the poor. People Helping People got the amount of 710,00 Euros. Amazing!

We want to thank all the people involved, especially Sinead and Tadhg Moynihan, Avril, Alan and Anne O’Brien, Dr. Vittorio Ventura, Manolo Borrero and the list would be longer if I had written their names. But there is no doubt that the employees who worked so hard to provide such a wonderful meal with so much extra work and extra kindness deserve a big applause and especially our prayers.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

There was a Church where the pastor and the minister of music were not getting along. As time went by, this began to spill over into the worship service:

The first week the pastor preached on commitment and how we all should dedicate ourselves to the service of God. The music director led the song “I Shall Not Be Moved”. The second week the pastor preached on tithing and how we all should gladly give to the work of the Lord. The music director led the song “Jesus Paid it All”. The third week the pastor preached on gossiping and how we should all watch our tongues. The music director led the song “I Love to Tell the Story”.

With all this going on, the pastor became very disgusted over the situation and the following Sunday told the congregation that he was considering resigning. The musician led the song, “Oh Why Not Tonight?”.

As it came to pass, the pastor did indeed resign. The next week he informed the Church that it was Jesus who led him there and it was Jesus who was taking him away. The music leader led the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.

Is there anybody you have trouble getting along with?

REFUSE TO BE THEIR PRISIONER

When Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela for the first time, he had a question on his mind: «When you were released from prison, Mr. Mandela,» the former President said, « I woke my daughter at three o’clock in the morning. I wanted her to see this historic event.»

Then President Clinton zeroed in on his question: «As you marched from the cellblock across the yard to the gate of the prison, the camera focused in on your face. I have never seen such anger, and even hatred, in any man as was expressed on your face at that time. That’s not the Nelson Mandela I know today,» said Clinton, «What was that about?».

Mandela answered: «I’m surprised that you saw that, and I regret that the cameras caught my anger. As I walked across the courtyard that day I thought to myself, “They’ve taken everything from you that matters. Your cause is dead. Your family is gone. Your friends have been killed. Now they’re releasing you, but there’s nothing left for you out there.” And I hated them for what they had taken from me. Then, I sensed an inner voice saying to me ” Nelson! For twenty-seven years you were their prisoner, but you were always a free man! Don’t allow them to make you into a free man, only to turn you into their prisoner! “. You can never be free to be a whole person if you are unable to forgive. You see that, don’t you?».

There are many people who are imprisoned by their own anger, their own hurt, their own inability to let go of the past and move on. Here’s the other thing we need to see about forgiveness: THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE YOU CAN FIND THE ABILITY TO FORGIVE. It is at the throne of Christ.

Love and Peace,

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

I WILL FIGHT

Remember the words of General William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army and a friend to the down and out? Three months before his death he wrote: “While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight – fight to the very end.” What has happened to us? “If any man or woman would be my disciple,” Jesus says to us, “Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” That is the word we desperately need to hear.

THAT’S THE REASON, RUTH

You may know the thrilling story of Glen Cunningham, a young man whose legs were so badly burned when he was a boy that doctors said he would never walk again. However, this determined champion went on to win an Olympic gold medal as a miler. Even more importantly, Glen Cunningham devoted his life to helping troubled young people. Once, his wife asked, “Glen, why do we have to give so much more than others? No one else is doing what we are.” Glen answered, “That’s the reason, Ruth. No one else is doing it.”

THE LEAST COMPASSIONATE PEOPE I EVER KNEW

Michael Slaughter in his book, Unlearning Church, tells about a religion editor from a local newspaper who came to his Church to interview him about a conference they were having. At the end of the interview, he asked if she went to Church. He assumed she did, since she was a religion editor. She said, “No, I am a Buddhist. I was raised in the Church,” she went on, “but about ten years ago, I became interested in Buddhism because the highest value of Buddhism is the value of compassion.” Michael Slaughter says her next comment made him feel as if she had put her hand in his chest and squeezed his heart. “The people I grew up around in the Church,” she added, “were some of the least compassionate people I ever knew.” “Ouch,” says Michael Slaughter, and then he adds, “Yet Jesus is compassion made visible.” And he’s right. Jesus is compassion made visible. Having Jesus’ name, but not his heart is a dangerous combination. It can make us turn away people that Jesus is calling us to embrace.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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

Cátia and Helena, our musicians on Sunday morning Mass, often sing a Portuguese Hymn for the Thanksgiving. The Hymn is called “Encontrei Deus de Surpresa” (I found God by Surprise). The words of the song are so beautiful that I wanted to share it with the English community who will be attending Mass today. Translations are always difficult, and hymns and poems are even more difficult. I did my best to translate the Hymn. Here it is, in Portuguese and in English:

Encontrei Deus de surpresa	I found God by surprise
no caminho que eu seguia.	On the road that I was following
Encontrei, tenho a certeza,	I found Him, I am very sure
como do sol que me guia!	As the sun that guides me.
1) Tão perto de mim O vi	1. Very close to me I have seen Him
e de mim tão diferente	And from me He was so different
que todo me confundi	That I was so confused
ao vê-Lo assim tão presente.	When I saw Him very present.
2) Quis escusar-me, confesso.	2. I wanted to escape, I confess
Ele Senhor, eu vassalo,	He was my Lord and I was his servant
mas o único processo	But the only way to escape
de fugir é abraçá-lo.	Was to run and hug Him3)
Preferi Jesus antes de mim.	3. I have preferred Jesus over me
Tudo fiquei a lucrar.	And I gained everything.
Minha alegria é sem fim!	There is no end to my joy!
Só me apetece chorar!	I only feel like crying!
4) Preferi Jesus antes de mim	4. I have preferred Jesus over me
Tudo fiquei a lucrar	And I gained everything
Minha alegria é sem fim	There is no end to my joy!
Só me apetece cantar!	I only feel like singing!

“Is he a homeless? Is he a drunkard? Is he a thief? Is he an angel in disguise”, these were some of the questions that crossed my mind before I knelt by his side. Then I remembered Mother Teresa’s words: «When you start by judging you have no time to love».  Then I discovered who he was, and before I blessed him, I started singing: “I FOUND GOD BY SURPRISE”

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade