Author: ANTONINO

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEART – Freedom to Love and to Forgive

Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
Viktor Frankl, a medical doctor and psychiatrist, was born in Austria from a Jewish family, on March 26th, 1905, and died in California on September 2nd, 1997. He founded the school of Logotherapy that explores the meaning of the individual existence and the spiritual dimension of the human existence. I believe that his most famous book is the «Meaning of Life».
In 1942 Dr. Viktor Frankl, his pregnant wife and family were put in different concentration camps. He received the prisoner’s tattoo number 119.104. When the war ended he found out that his wife, his parents and all of his family had died in the horrors of the Nazis’ Holocaust.
One day, the guards in the concentration camp who had been trained to be mean and cruel, brought him to a big room. They put Viktor in the middle and made a circle around him. Then the commander with his strong and satanic voice looked at him and said: – “Undress. I want to see you completely naked.”
Humiliated in his dignity he had no choice. However, he looked peaceful and serene, which made the guards very upset. Actually, the peace and serenity he always expressed, even going through the atrocities of the concentration camp, were the main reason why they were so upset with him. After dropping all his clothes on the floor, Dr. Frankl was completely naked, surrounded by inhumane guards who found pleasure in torturing human beings. He just stood there, waiting for new orders. Again the commander looked at him and shouted:
– “Take off that stupid thing from your finger!” (That stupid thing was his wedding ring). At this time, he decided to talk and told them in a serene voice:
– “You have the power to torture my father, my mother and kill them along with all my brothers and sisters. You have the power to burn my house, torture and kill my wife and my baby she was carrying in her womb. Now you have the power to undress me and take away from my finger the last and the most meaningful possession I have ever had in this earth. But there is one thing you can not do…” – At this time all the guards were silent. They even forgot to interrupt him and slap him on his face.
– Then he ended like this:
– “But you can not take away from me the freedom that I have to love you and to forgive you.”

Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Scripture Readings 10th July 2016, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Deut 30:10-14 Ps 68:14-37 Col 1:15-20 Lk 10:25-37

The book of Deuteronomy, the “second law”, evolved over many centuries. It restates the Jewish Law and the covenant God made with Abraham. Our reading starts with an imperative, but if we do obey God’s Law “the Lord will take delight in prospering” us. And this Law is easily accessible: it is written “in our hearts”. Put the covenant into practice, and so choose life, not death.

In this beautiful hymn from Colossians Paul spells out the awesome reality of Christ: “Christ Jesus is the image of the unseen God” who “existed before anything was created”. We know God through Jesus. Jesus is fully human in the way God intended all humanity to be. He shows us the way to God. But reconciliation comes with a proviso: “that you continue in the faith”.

Jesus has rejoiced and given thanks with the 70 disciples for their successful mission. He then responds to a sincere questioner by updating the Jewish Law to what was originally intended. The parable of the Good Samaritan insists that everyone is our neighbour. Details of the Law that evolve over time can come to be misleading. The priest and the Levite were more concerned with ritual purity than with love. Just as over emphasis on rigid moral rules and liturgical details can lead us astray from mercy.

Psalm Response: The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.

(Deut 30:10-14 Ps 68:14-37 Col 1:15-20 Lk 10:25-37)

Appeal

The People helping people project has an urgent need for a single bed to help a needy family. Please contact Father Bernadino (email: bernardinodandrade@gmail.com).

From My Heart to Your Heart – Living is taking the risk of dying

Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
Some years ago I received this message from my dear friend, Fr. José Marins. I just translated it into English before sharing it with you…
1. Laughing is taking the risk… of looking like an idiot.
2. Crying is taking the risk… of looking sentimental.
3. Getting closer to other people is taking the risk… of committing yourself.
4. Showing your emotions is taking the risk… that others will know you.
5. Sharing your ideas and dreaming with others is taking the risk… of risking your ideas
and your emotions.
6. Loving is taking the risk… of not being understood.
7. Living is taking the risk… of dying.
8. In all hope there is the risk… of despair.
9. Every time you try, you take the risk… of failure.
10. However, we have to take risks because the greatest danger in life is… to take NO risks.

Because the one who doesn’t take risks does nothing…. has nothing…. is nothing….
Maybe you can avoid suffering and pain but you can learn nothing, feel nothing, change nothing. You can not grow, you can not love, you can not live. Chained by your rightness you will be a slave and will sacrifice your freedom.

Risking is the only way of conquering freedom.

Love,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Scripture Readings 3rd July 2016, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Is 66:10-14 Ps 65:1-20 Gal 6:14-18 Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

Third Isaiah wrote this beautiful imagery of a compassionate God to encourage the Jews returning from exile in Babylon to rebuild the Temple: the Lord sends his peace to Jerusalem through which he will give peace and nourishment to those who recognise the new creation to come with Jesus’ resurrection there.

This fond farewell concludes our 6 readings from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. It summarises his letter: through the Cross we are crucified to the world. Human distinctions and marks on our flesh like circumcision no longer signify. We have become a new creation, the “Israel of God” – God’s chosen family to carry God’s message to the world.
The new Mass translation, “and with your spirit”, picks up Paul’s final phrase. God’s grace is to be deep and personal.

In the reading from Luke’s gospel we heard last week, Jesus “set himself to travel to Jerusalem”. For the rest of Ordinary Time, ie “numbered weeks”, all our gospel readings are from Jesus’ journey, consciously focussed on his coming suffering in Jerusalem. Today we hear of Jesus sending 70 disciples on mission ahead of him, like the 70 elders chosen by Moses to lead the Exodus. But Jesus’ disciples are offering Israel a last chance to change their mind about Jesus.

Psalm Response: Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

(Is 66:10-14 Ps 65:1-20 Gal 6:14-18 Lk 10:1-12, 17-20)

Scripture Readings 26th June 2016, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Scripture Readings

In the first Book of Kings Elijah, a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel, throws his cloak over Elisha. But Elisha remains free to choose whether or not to follow Elijah. Freely he burns his plough and turns his back on all earthly ties. When Elijah’s life ends Elisha literally inherits the prophet Elijah’s mantle.

For Paul holiness and freedom are closely linked. Holiness is giving ourselves in love in the service of others. Paul tells the Galatians holiness can be developed and exercised only in relationship with others – ie in community. Paul saw that, without faith, the Law given to the Hebrews on Mount Sinai could not bring salvation. The Law was a sort of monitor or tutor to guide and curb God’s people until Jesus came and “set us free”. Now “the whole of the Law is summarised in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself”. This new freedom is not freedom from restraint, it is freedom for love – the love of service to each other.

Today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel refers first to Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to consume his sacrificial offerings rather than those of idolatrous priests. And then to Elisha who burned his plough and did not look back. Faith in Jesus requires total commitment.

Psalm Response: O Lord, it is you who are my portion.

(1 Kgs 19:16-21; Ps 15:1-11; Gal 5:1, 13-18; Lk 9:51-62)

Scripture Readings 19th June 2016, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Scripture Readings

Writing in the 4th century BC, Zechariah promises that the Lord will enable the house of David to lead Judah to defeat its enemies. Jerusalem will mourn “the one whom they have pierced”, as they mourned the good king Josiah, slain at Megiddo. From Jerusalem will come a “fountain to wash away all guilt and uncleanness”, later seen as Christ pouring out God’s grace. Zechariah then promises that “the Lord will become king over all the earth”.
In his letter to the Galatians Paul has explained his claim we heard last week that “if justification were through the Law, then Christ died to no purpose”: Abraham was justified through his belief in God. In this week’s reading Paul concludes: through our faith in Christ we are all adopted as the heirs Abraham was promised long before the Law was given to Moses. The Law was a temporary “tutor” to guide God’s people until Christ brings us to maturity.
In Luke’s gospel, after the Apostles had returned from a preaching mission, Jesus had bolstered their confidence by feeding 5,000 people. In this week’s reading Jesus for the first time confirms who he is, but foretells his own death and the sufferings of his followers, before further revealing himself in the Transfiguration.

Psalm Response: For you my soul is thirsting, O God, my God.

(Zech 12:10-11, 13: 1; Psalm 62(63); Gal 3: 26-29; Luke 9: 18-24)

From My Heart to Your Heart – The Back Door Ministry

THE BACK DOOR MINISTRY

1.

Margaret has been the parish residence cook for many years. Fr.
Dan, the parish pastor, always trusted in her and Margaret felt very
comfortable with her job. Fr. Dan was very kind and flexible but
Margaret was aware that he was the «boss». Very often Margaret, while
in the kitchen, was interrupted by the poor who would knock at the
back door begging for food. The majority of them were women with their
children where malnutrition was very visible. The group of the poor
started growing and Margaret’s heart bled for them. When she prepared
the meals for the pastor and his two associates she started adding
some more food hoping she would never be caught by her boss. She would
put their food on the table and in separate dishes Margaret would
serve the poor that started being regular at the rectory’s back door.
She knew she was «stealing» but she also knew that a little more food
wouldn’t make a big difference in the budget of Fr. Dan. Actually she
was sure he wouldn’t even notice it. But… one afternoon Margaret was
caught. Fr. Dan needed something from his car, used the back door and
saw a group of people enjoying a delicious hot meal. There was even a
table with a few chairs that Fr. Dan had never seen there. Fr. Dan
stopped, looked at the poor and looked at Margaret. She blushed…
stuttered a few words, tried to explain but nothing of what she was
trying to say made any sense. When she was expecting Fr. Dan to scold
her she realized that Fr. Dan had tears in his eyes. And something
fabulous happened. In that afternoon Fr. Dan established in his parish
a new program and Margaret became the first Director of the «BACK DOOR
MINISTRY».

2.

Last Sunday, (June 5th, 2016) all of us, at Penha de França English
Mass, were surprised by the presence of a small group of young people.
They were all homeless. I already knew some of their stories. Some are
very dramatic and some are horror stories. Sleeping in the streets is
not fun. They found out about the project People Helping People (which
was started at the Chapel to help the poor) and about the
compassionate tourists that support People Helping People. They came
without being invited. They knew that in the Catholic Church there are
no questions asked, that they don’t have to dress well and smell well
and that they don’t need letters of recommendation. However, I have to
confess that not everything worked that well. It was obvious that
everyone felt a bit uncomfortable and that is understandable. I felt
that it was like forcing two people to be married without knowing each
other and without being prepared for each other. But they had coffee
and cookies at the Social Room even if I was told that some people,
very carefully, took special care of their purses. The following day
(Monday, June 6th, 2016) I had lunch with them in downtown of Funchal.
Now I invited them to be my partners in starting a new project at
Penha de França. I invited them to come to the Portuguese Mass the
following Sunday, (June 12th, 2016) at 11:30 AM (after the English
Mass). After that Portuguese Mass there will be a fresh and delicious
lunch waiting for them at the Social Room. Two restaurants have
already volunteered to donate their hot lunch.

3.

It is my joy to announce that today, June 12th, 2016, the 51st
Anniversary of my Priestly Ordination, we inaugurate in our Chapel
Penha de França a new project called THE BACK DOOR MINISTRY.

God loves you and so do I…

Fr. Bernardino Andrade

From My Heart to Your Heart – No Rice, Please

Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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My life and my ministry as a priest can be and has been, sometimes, very tiring but it is never boring. Even when I used to say seven and eight Masses in a weekend I never felt that it was a repetition. I never felt bored. It was always unique. It was always a surprise.
I have been performing Weddings for over fifty years and I feel that every Wedding I perform is like the first in my life. Actually it is the first with that particular couple, family and friends. Last month I had a Wedding that impressed me in a very special way.
David is from Iceland and a member of the Lutheran Church. He is fluent in English but not in Portuguese. That´s the reason why the Ceremony was bilingual.
Linda is a very proud Portuguese girl, a member of the Catholic Church, born and raised in Venezuela. Very deep in her heart, and in her purse, she carries two passports with two Nationalities.
We had a few meetings to prepare the ceremony. David and Linda were more concerned about their married life than about their marriage day. We talked about marriage, about married life, about the church, about prayer and about the world with its deep problems. We talked about the homeless, about the project «People Helping People», about the suffering, about the poor, about the refugees. We talked about the tremendous crisis that is affecting Venezuela. Linda is very conscious of all the troubles that are affecting her people in Venezuela and among them the supermarkets with empty shelves. People there have a card that assigns them the day of the week when they can go to the supermarket to buy their groceries, and where they can find almost nothing to buy. We talked about this man who spent four hours in line to pay for two kilos of rice.
Then we went back to the ceremony. Beautiful readings were chosen, the vows, the music and we also talked about the rice that is becoming a tradition to throw to the newly weds. Together we realized that throwing rice is transforming food into garbage. How can we do that in a Wedding when there is so much hunger in Venezuela and in the world? Together we realized that transforming food into garbage was an insult to the people in Venezuela and an insult to all the poor of the world and an insult to God. Somebody told Linda: «But it is your Wedding. To make the Wedding of Cana a special Wedding, Jesus transformed water into wine». «You are right», Linda answered, «but He did not insult the poor by transforming food into garbage».
Then Linda and David decided to prepare a big basket of groceries that was carried to the altar at the moment of the Offertory. Then all the people who had rice to be thrown to them brought their bags of rice and respectfully deposited them inside the basket. After the wedding, with the help of a volunteer, I carried the basket and on behalf of Linda and David I delivered it to a family of six people who saw in this action one more sign of hope. The poor and the hungry had been invited to their Wedding. Linda mentioned a very powerful word from the Gospel. «We need to be YEAST of the Kingdom of God» (Mat. 13:33).
Linda and David understood what a Sacrament is about.
By the way, I forgot to say that Linda and David were not victims of rice thrown against their faces but they were «buried» under beautiful and aromatic flowers.

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

Scripture Readings 12th June 2016, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Scripture Readings

The verses before and after this extract from 2 Samuel help us to understand the enormity of David’s sin. To get Bathsheba for his wife, David had Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite, killed by sending him into the fiercest fighting and then withdrawing the other troops from around him. When Nathan told a parable to show David how grievously he had sinned, David admits his sin, and Nathan tells him God forgives him.
The psalm praises this readiness of God to forgive our sins, with all fault and guilt taken away as if the sin had never been. So that we become “at one” with God, “justified”, with all our obligations to God fulfilled. We cannot do this alone – only God justifies.
But Paul tells the Galatians that they are not justified by the works of the Law, ie the rituals of the Law given to Moses. It is the faith of Jesus Christ in His Father, and our faith in Jesus Christ, that justifies or saves us.
In today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel the unnamed woman’s sins are forgiven, as shown by her loving actions, which are more important than the Pharisee’s concern over outward appearances.

Psalm Response: Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

(2 Samuel 12:7-13; Psalm 31(32); Gal 2:16-21; Luke 7:36-8:3)