Author: ANTONINO

PHP April Drive Activities

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Hello friends!

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As you may have heard, we now have a committee, who are committed (pun intended) to help our charity, People Helping People, get on the right tracks.

The committee members understood immediately the needs of the Charity, and have started working hard, finding ways to fulfill them.

In order to kick off their tenure within PHP (People Helping People), they had the wonderful idea that this April would be a special month dedicated specifically to Fr. Bernardino. There will also be activities before and after that, but the ones in April are all meant to remember Father Bernardino,

Our dear friend and teacher. Fr Bernardino was always very proud of all of you whenever there was a fund raising activity. “People Helping People” is a group of PEOPLE who are able, HELPING a group of PEOPLE who are in need. This is precisely what Fr. Bernardino meant when he started this mission.

Sweet Sale after Mass

 
So on the last two Sundays of March (24th and 31st) we would like to sell some traditional Easter sweets outside the Penha de França Chapel, made by the families you help and some of our volunteers.
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On April the 3rd, we will have a “Good Shepherd Meet and Greet” in the late afternoon (more details to follow).

Orange Walkathon

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On Sunday the 7th , there will be a sponsored walk, at 11:30, after the mass. It will be called the “Orange Walkathon” as a reminder of the only gift Fr. Bernardino had at Christmas as a young boy.
You can participate either running/walking with us, or by sponsoring someone who will! My son and I will also be running, so if you would like to sponsor us, please meet us after the mass! I should warn you, my son had the most laps last time with 60 laps, and he is even faster now. I did 30 laps, but I’m getting slower, so if you sponsor us both, I’ll act as a counterbalance!

 
There will be more details about these events in the upcoming weeks, so please keep up with the newsletter and you will know all about it.
 
A special Charity has special Members. I can already tell you that I am very impressed with the heart, commitment and performance of this new Committee in bringing this community around these issues.
 
It was Father Bernardino’s dream to see all of us working together to help our suffering Brothers and Sisters. It was something he taught so passionately, that he made us dream with him.
 
Thank you for your help in making this dream come true.
– Alexandre Silva (alex.lupus@gmail.com)

Scripture Readings – 5th Sunday of Lent Year B

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Jer 31: 31-34; Psalm 50(51); Hebrews 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33

Jeremiah warned Israel against their idolatry and failure to respond to God’s love, breaking God’s covenant. At the time of the exile to Babylon Jeremiah proclaimed this great oracle of the “New Covenant”, promising that God’s Law will be written on men’s hearts, giving them for ever the power – or “grace” – to respond with love to God’s love.
This most famous penitential Psalm echoes David’s humble admission of his sin with Bathsheba: every sin is an offence against God.
The Letter to the Hebrews emphasises that Jesus is truly human: He shared our humanity and our weaknesses and afflictions. So he sympathises patiently with us in our sinfulness and is well able, as a high priest, to intercede with God for us, and to offer sacrifice on our behalf. He prayed with such love and respect that God heard his prayer.
In the gospel of John some pagan Greeks ask their fellow Greek, Philip, to help them meet Jesus. The gospel message is now reaching out to Gentiles and this is taken by Jesus as the signal that his work is nearing its inevitable climax. Jesus’ life has shown the way to salvation, but the human Jesus is very troubled by anticipation of his coming suffering, also described by the other Gospels in the Garden of Gethsemene.
(Jer 31: 31-34; Psalm 50(51); Hebrews 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33)
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Sponsored Walk

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The committees for People Helping People” have been hard at work. PHP will hold an Annual Appeal for the month of April, in honor and memory of Father Bernardino. This will include many events in which you, as attendees of this mass, and others in the community are encouraged to participate! These will be announced as the details are firmed up.

A gift of an orange

A gift of an orange

One of the first events will be a Walk-a-Thon in Santa Catarina Park, on Sunday, April 7. We’re calling this the “Orange Walk”,honoring the precious gift that Father Bernardino received as a Christmas gift as a young boy, when it was possibly his only Christmas gift. People are encouraged to solicit sponsors, to donate, to walk them-selves, and encourage others to walk. In addition to raising funds for PHP, we see this as a way to raise awareness, of the poor in Madeira, the needs they are facing, and how PHP can make a difference.

We hope you will give prayerful consideration to getting involved in the events of the upcoming special Father Bernardino Memorial Appeal.

Download the sponsorship form for the walk

People Helping People Bulletin – A new name

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PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE (PHP)

Hello friends,

I’m sure many of you know that if you asked Fr. Bernardino what is “People Helping People”, he would first tell you it is a way of life, and then he would tell you it is also a Charity…

His idea for this kind of Charity started in the US, when a lady that lived in a small home called him, and asked if he knew of anyone that had an old dryer she could have as hers was broken, and she
couldn’t afford to fix it. He said he didn’t, but he would keep her in mind in case something came up.

A few hours later, a man called saying he had an old, but still working dryer to offer in case he knew someone who needed it!

Of course, my Uncle was radiant with this coincidence! You all know how precious these “little miracles” were to him.So in few weeks, he cleared a big space in the parish, and made known that everything that people didn’t need, they could leave it there, and if anyone needed anything, they could simply come by and take what they needed, no questions asked. Of course, it evolved into something bigger than that, and eventually they were even distributing meals. And that is precisely what he felt was happening, it was simply People Helping People as a way of life.

So that was what he decided to do here in Madeira after those terrible floods in 2010, and the attention he had for our most fragile brothers and sisters.

Of course, we never had a big space we could use as warehouse as he did in the US. We don’t even have a small space of our own! All we have is lent or offered.

His Charity is simply the intermediary between People who want to Help other People. That is why his favourite reference was the Good Shepherd Jesus, the One who taught us to care for each other, the One who reminds us that no one stays behind, the One who told us that whatever you do for your weaker brothers and sisters, you do it for Him.

We have all been mourning Fr. Bernardino for the last few weeks. It’s been strange carrying on in his absence. But of course, the Charity he founded has continued its work. Many of you certainly heard about how he was afraid that “People Helping People” would end with his death. I promised him that I would not allow that to happen. Two weeks ago, I held a meeting with some volunteers, who are all dedicated to making sure it keeps on running, growing and flourishing into the Charity that Fr. Bernardino dreamt of. And so, it is my privilege and honour to announce that our charity’s name will be changed to “Gente Ajudando Gente – Associação Pe. Bernardino de Solidariedade Social” meaning “People Helping People – Fr. Bernardino Social Solidarity Association”.

I know he would plead to keep the “People Helping People” part. As for him, it was a way of life. It’s simply what we should do when someone needs help. He would certainly be very embarrassed to see his name on it, but since he can’t deny us, we’re going for it. It just feels right. He is not only its founder, he is also the mentor at the heart of everything we do, and the way we do it in the Charity. It is truly his Association. I know it is a big name, maybe even a bit clumsy, but there are things we can’t take out legally (Social Solidarity Association), there are things we didn’t want to take out (People Helping People), and something I feel strongly everyone agrees to add, is Father Bernardino’s name.

I like it, and I hope you like it too. See you soon, and thank you all for being People Helping People.

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

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<h2>Lev 13: 1-2, 44-46; Psalm 31(32): 1-2,5,11; 1 Cor 10:31-11:1; Mark 1: 40-45</h2>

Leviticus, the third book of the Pentateuch, describes rituals used by the priests. Laws and rituals kept Israelites in the state of legal purity to which they were called, as a sign of their union with the Lord. A leper had to live apart in a dishevelled state, warning people to keep away. A cleansing ritual was specified for anyone cured.

This penitential Psalm celebrates the joy of confessing sins and knowing forgiveness. An omitted verse describes the misery of deferring confession.

Paul continues his theme of not placing obstacles which might hinder the spreading of the gospel. The Corinthians should eat whatever is put before them. They should not risk giving offence to their host, even if they suspect some food is ritually unclean by being offered to heathen gods before being sold in the market. But they should not eat food that they are told has been offered to idols – because that would offend their informant’s conscience.

Mark’s gospel continues with another healing, this time Jesus shows enormous tenderness in insisting that – of course – he wants to heal the leper. And he does so by touching the unclean leper – so becoming unclean himself. Jesus makes very visible how much God wants to heal us.

(Lev 13: 1-2, 44-46; Psalm 31(32): 1-2,5,11; 1 Cor 10:31-11:1; Mark 1: 40-45)

Eulogy given by Father Bernardino’s Nephew at the English Mass 21/1/2024

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Hello my Brothers and Sisters.

I am supposed to talk to you about my Uncle, Father Bernardino, but in these recent days, I’ve heard so many amazing testimonies from so many of you, that I fear I have very little to add. I could tell you he had a golden heart and a willingness to put others before him, but you already know that. I could tell you he had a contagious laughter and could raise the spirits on any occasion, but I think you know that too. I could tell you that he brought out the best in the people around him, but yeah, nothing new there.

So instead, I would like to delve with you, about one of the most significant lessons he imparted to me.

I recently discovered that there are multiple interpretations of one of my uncle’s favorite biblical stories: “The Good Shepherd”.

I thought there was only one interpretation. The one my Uncle taught me. The one that I believe is the foundation that permeated all of his philosophy and beliefs.

In John 10 14-15 Jesus says, “I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
You see, some interpretations focus on Jesus as the Shepherd, and us as the sheep. In other words, all we need to do, is revere our Shepherd, and passively leave the flock in his hands. But as you probably know, my Uncle had a different vision about many of Jesus’ teachings.

You see, as many people do, my Uncle believed that Jesus was not simply our Savior, he was also a reference, a guide. He came to us to teach us how to navigate God’s creation.

You know the phrase “What would Jesus do?”? That phrase was his compass.

So for him, this story wasn’t about finding safety in Jesus embrace, it was about recognizing how anyone can be the sheep, but anyone can also be the Shepherd. For him, this story was about how despite some sheep being terribly annoying, some noisy, some even smelly, some weak, or hurt, or lost, we are all in the same flock, we are all family. A big family for sure, but a real true family, and as the “great poet” Stitch said, Ohana means family, and in a family, no one is left behind.

In Luke 15, on the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus makes exactly this point: even with 100 sheep in your care, if one is weak, lost, afraid, a Shepherd is always ready to find her, bring her back to safety and nurture her back to health.

We are all sheep in this huge flock, and we are all our brothers and sisters Shepherds, and we should never, ever, leave anyone behind, especially the ones that are more fragile.

So to bring this interpretation home, i’d like to read you another passage from Mathew 25 on the Sheep and the Goats:
“He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

And here, against any other interpretation, he is directly saying that the sheep, were also the shepherds of their brothers and sisters.

There is a saying in Portuguese that roughly translates as “He who kisses my children, sweetens my lips”. I think God would like that saying.

I apologize for turning this into a sermon rather than a more traditional eulogy about my uncle’s life, but I’m confident he would appreciate that my tribute to him centers on his favorite teaching: “we were put here to love” – “We were put here for each other”. Think about it, without love and care for each other, we would all die alone.

And you know it’s true because we do love, and we do care for each other. The hard part is caring for those sheep that are too noisy for our delicate ears, or too smelly for our nose, or too weak for all the work they give us, or too lost for our comfort. Fr. Bernardino would argue that those are precisely the ones that need the Shepherd’s guidance the most.

So I challenge you to ask: “how can I bring safety to my fearful brother? How can I guide my lost sister? How can I nurture my weakened family? How can I be the Shepherd that works for a better flock?”.

Of course this doesn’t mean that you should always be looking for ways to intervene, nor spend your life in service of others the way my Uncle and many others did and do, but at the very least, if you find any of those hurting sheep, don’t turn away. Just ask that very, very simple question: How can I help?

If you do that, I promise you there will be one very happy Bernardino up there, thanking you for being your brother’s shepherd.

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4th Sunday of Easter, Year A

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Acts 2:14,36-41; Psalm 22(23); 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10)

Last Sunday we heard the middle section of Peter’s speech at Pentecost, saying the Resurrection shows Jesus was the Holy One expected by King David. Today the consequences: many of his hearers accept this and are told they must repent and be baptised. “Repent” in the sense of radically changing their life and directing it towards God. Even though Jesus does not appear to baptise during his lifetime, baptism is immediately the mark of membership of the new Christian community, at which they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Psalm celebrates God’s loving care for his people, like a shepherd guarding and guiding his flock, who are looking forward to his generous end-time feast.
Peter’s letter continues: God’s approval comes not from justifiable punishment but from suffering patiently even when we have done right. Christ patiently bore for us unjustified insults and hurts without retaliating, trusting completely in his Father. We must imitate the Lord our shepherd in every way, placing all our trust in him. He will “give us comfort” and “repose”.
In the Gospel John also sees Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He knows each one of us and leads us. We follow him because we know his voice. He is also the gate, through which we can enter and find safety.
(Acts 2:14,36-41; Psalm 22(23); 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10)
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3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A

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Acts 2:14,22-28; Psalm 15(16); 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

Today and next Sunday we hear parts of Peter’s speech at Pentecost. Peter emphasises that Jesus’ death was part of God’s plan, quoting the prophet Joel’s words about the wonders expected in the last days, when God’s Spirit will be poured out on all peoples. Jesus, a descendant of David is this expected “Anointed One”, “Messiah” in Hebrew, “Christ” in Greek, who now rightfully succeeds David as King of Israel.

The Psalm, attributed to King David, expresses total confidence in God, who will not let his soul die and will not let “your faithful one” suffer corruption in the grave. Both Peter, in today’s reading, and Paul saw this as referring to Christ’s resurrection.

Peter’s first letter reminds us of the price Jesus paid for our salvation in his suffering and death, so that we might “have faith and hope in God”. We should persevere in hope, in face of attacks and attractions of secular society.

In the Gospel Jesus appeared to the women. Then he joins two disciples walking despondently to Emmaus, and explains the scriptures to them, before they recognise him “at the breaking of bread”. The appearances of Jesus after the resurrection invite us to listen carefully: he was clearly bodily present, not just a spirit. Yet he was different, and could only be recognised with faith.

Palm/Passion Sunday, Year A

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Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 21(22); Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

In exile in Babylon, after Jerusalem was destroyed in 597 BC, the despairing people are tempted to give up their faith in God. In the ‘servant-song’ Isaiah offers consolation, recommending trust in the Lord.
Today Isaiah’s words express both our horror at the way Our Lord was treated, and our admiration for his example of patient non-retaliation. Trusting confidently in his Father, he “sets his face like flint”, even though it is covered with spittle.
On the Cross Jesus uttered the first words of this Psalm which reflects his suffering. Not a cry of despair, but expressing Jesus’ complete confidence in his Father and praising the redemption bought by his Cross.
The hymn in Philippians rejoices: unlike Adam, Jesus did not seek to be equal to God. But God raised him to glory and gave him the name ‘Lord’. Jesus on the Cross invites us to imitate his humility.
Matthew’s Passion, with its lively dialogue, shows Jesus aware and in control. Writing after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, Matthew blamed the Jewish leaders for Jesus’ death. Jesus died just before Passover, when Jews celebrated their freedom from slavery. Soldiers, Jewish leaders, the inscription on the Cross, all ironically give Jesus his true title of ‘King of the Jews’, the Messiah. Jesus’ obedience to God’s plan gives the Cross meaning.

5th Sunday of Lent, Year A

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Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 129(130); Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45

For the Jews after 597 BC, exiled in Babylon without their king, land, Temple, all seemed lost as a nation. Ezekiel’s encouraging messages gave them hope that the nation would rise and live again, like a field full of dry bones coming to life. But this will be the Lord’s doing, for the sake of his name, which they have profaned by their idolatry.
In deep sorrow the Psalm cries to the Lord, begging pardon for our sins, trusting in God’s mercy and awaiting redemption in hope.
Writing to the Jewish Christians in Rome, Paul has been puzzling over our human condition: “I do not do the good that I want, but I do the evil that I hate”. Mortal flesh is weak. “But God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” so that the Son’s Spirit might give us the strength to live according to His Spirit. Paul’s conclusion: with Christ’s Spirit in us we are given life reconciled with God both now and in bodily resurrection after death.
These foretastes of resurrection prepare us for John’s description of the raising of Lazarus, the third of the three beautiful Lenten readings from John. Perhaps we should ponder how difficult it is to believe, and how difficult it was for Martha to open the tomb?

(Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 129(130); Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45)