1. From My Heart to Your Heart by Father Bernadino

COME TO WORSHIP – GO TO SERVE!

It was my first and only visit to Pennsylvania (USA) to visit my friends Michael and Olivia, and their children, who had moved from California. Michael was a Seventh Day Adventist and Olivia a devout Portuguese Catholic. They had two children, and I used to visit them like if we belonged to the same family. In spite of being Adventist, Michael never missed the Sunday Catholic Mass to accompany his children and his wife in their faith journey.

One day, he received orders from his work to move to Pennsylvania. Later on, I was surprised when I was invited to be Michael’s grandfather. Michael was going to be baptized in the Catholic Church! Of course when I visited this family in California, I always tried to behave like a Catholic, including prayer before meals. Also, I never pushed but I really, once in a while, invited him to become a Catholic and walk closer to his family in their faith journey.

During my visit to Pennsylvania, they took me around and of course I forgot many of the things I have seen. But there was one thing that I will never forget. This church was open and we decided to visit the church. I don’t remember the size or the structure of the church. But one thing I do remember: at the front door of the church there was a gigantic door mat. In the direction to the altar we could read these three words: COME TO WORSHIP. Then, on the same door mat, when leaving the church we could read, in big letters, these three words: GO TO SERVE. Then I thought to myself: this door mat and these words should be mandatory in every church of the world.

Today’s Gospel (Mark 6:7) starts like this «Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs…». We don’t come to church mainly to be protected. We come to church mainly to be sent. The world is waiting for us. Go to serve.
* * * * * *

An important part of Evangelism is the simple act of inviting a friend or a family member to join us in worship. Let us try. You will be surprised to see how many people are going to feel happy to say one day: «I was very lucky to find a friend like him or like her». And this person can be you or me.

TURN YOUR SCARS INTO STARS

When, last Sunday, I met Dr. Luisa, MD, for the first time, I immediately realized that I was standing before a golden vase.

Very gently she approached me with such a beautiful smile, to inform me that she was going to spend part of the Mass looking at her telephone. The reason was that she was deaf and she was going to use the telephone to accompany the celebration of the Eucharist, especially the readings.

I didn’t resist the temptation to ask her if she wouldn’t mind to give her testimony to our congregation; if she wouldn’t mind to tell her story. Dr. Luisa immediately said yes. Before the Mass ended, I invited her to come to the pulpit and tell her story. It was a very moving story.

Her grandfather had been a physician. Her father had been a physician. She never doubted that her way of staying in this world would be to become a physician too.

Dr. Luisa is a Medical Doctor and spends the best of her time and the best of her skills in helping deaf people like herself.

That reminds me of a 13-year-old girl in California, daughter of a Protestant Minister, Dr. Robert Schuller, who lost one of her legs in a motorcycle accident. After a long and painful recovery journey, she told her story by writing a book called “TURN YOUR SCARS INTO STARS”. This is what Dr. Luisa did. She turned her scar into a brilliant STAR.

Since I am saying Mass in this Chapel I have seen people many times applauding other people and other stories. Last Sunday July 8th was the first time that I saw people standing for a long applause to Dr. Luisa who for a few times repeated that she lived to help people. Thank you Dr. Luisa for turning your scar into a beautiful and brilliant STAR.

Thank you Dr. Rui and Dr. Cristina Silva for being the guiding star that guided Dr. Luisa to our Mass. Thank you Dr. Rui, my personal friend, for being the Guardian Angel (as she called you) of Dr. Luisa in her professional life as a Medical Doctor.

Love & Peace, Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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

In a mother’s womb were two babies; one asked the other: «Do you believe in life after delivery? ». The other replied «Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later. » …
« Nonsense », said the first, « There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be? ».
The second said «I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouth. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now».
The first replied – «That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded. ».
The second insisted – «Well I think there is something, and maybe it’s different from life here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore. ».
The first replied: « Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes nowhere. ».
«Well, I don’t know, » said the second, «but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us. ».
The first replied «Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now? ».
The second said: «She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist. ».
«Well I don’t see her, so it is only logical that she doesn’t exist», said the first, to which the second replied: «Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above. ».
Sometimes we are like the two babies in the story, and we ask: “Is there life after death?”… “Does God exist?”
I have heard that even though birds are surrounded by air, they don’t see the air. Fish are surrounded by water, but the last thing they see is the water. We are so immersed in God. We are completely soaked in God like a sponge with water. We are completely surrounded by God like babies by their mother’s wombs, like birds by air and fish by water but we are so distracted by the «life» and the «needs» created by us that we take the risk of even saying and feeling that God doesn’t exist unless like the second baby says «Sometimes, when you are in silence and focus and listen we can hear HIS loving voice, calling down from above».

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

One of my first small cultural shocks, when I went to live and work in California, happened in one of my first Baptisms. I baptized a beautiful little girl with the name of Victoria. I spent the Mass and the entire ceremony calling her Victoria. When I dropped the sacred waters of her Baptism on her head I knew that I had said: «Victoria, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit». I thought, and everybody was saying, that it had been a beautiful and meaningful celebration. However, as soon as the ceremony was over I heard all the people talking to the baby and calling her Vicky. « Hi, Vicky!»…«You are so beautiful Vicky!»… «You are an angel Vicky!» That’s when I got into some kind of panic. «Oh my God. I baptized the wrong Baby». Then it was when I realized that Vicky was a nickname for Victoria.

That’s when I started discovering that, in other countries, it was OK and cute to use nicknames even with adult people. That’s when I learned that Bill is William, Manny is Manuel, Jack is John, Tony is António, and so on. That’s when I learned that it’s part of the Anglo culture to shorten people’s names. That’s when I started understanding people when they would ask me: «Fr.Bernardino, can I call you Bernie»? And my answer was: «Of course you can, but it is not my name». «Fr. Bernardino, can I call you Dino»? «Yes, of course, but it is not my name»

You see, when I was a child, changing the name was one of the ways that people, especially children, had to insult one another, and very often that would cause physical fights. But finally I discovered that changing the name was neither right nor wrong. It was cultural. And cultures can only be understood by our hearts. Cultures are a sacred ground.

2.

Later in my life, just to make things easier and faster, I started signing my emails and my letters to my family just like this: « Tio B. »…That means « Uncle B. » short for « Uncle Bernardino ». My two nieces, living in different countries, (Ana in the USA and Noraima in Aruba), without talking with one another, decided to see in this «B.» a short for «bee», the simple name of a simple insect. What they never knew was that, one day, in a workshop conducted by a priest from Brazil, he asked all present to introduce themselves and say the name of an animal that would most identify us. And guess what. I chose the simple insect bee. And the three of us, without talking with one another, saw the same meaning of the insect bee.

It was like an inspiration to program my life and I wish this would become a way of life. The program for my life and for the life of each one of us, would be that when I contacted people it would be like the bees contacting the flowers of the fruit trees. The bees contact the flowers, gently touch them, are nourished by them, take the best of each one of them without hurting them, and then visit other flowers, sharing with them the best of each one of them. And from that hard work, they become powerful sources of life.

From that work, the trees produce beautiful, healthy and nourishing fruits. According to my nieces, that should be part of my job description: to touch people, and try to find and take the best of their stories and share with other people to inspire them and give them meaning for their lives; helping them to live their lives in full. This could mean bringing people together to help each other, healing their wounds, alleviating their suffering. This could be called «building common-union». This could be called «building Communion». This could be called «living a permanent Sacrament of the Eucharist». This could be called «Celebrating Mass, 24 hours a day».

Love and Peace, Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Being born poor, very early in life I felt the call to dedicate my life to the poor and the call to alleviate the suffering of the world. Very early in life I fell in love with Jesus and His project. I felt inspired by the «Mission Statement» of Jesus that is: «The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour». Luke 4: 18.

I finished my Seminary course on 1963. I was surprised, confused and hurt because my two colleagues had been invited to be ordained and I was not. My superiors were just ignoring me, my confusion and my pain. Nobody was talking with me about this strange situation. Until one day, on July 23rd, 1963, my superior called me and said: «You have to put away your priestly career because you are disorganized in doing charity to the poor». Just that. No suggestions and nothing in concrete. Not even an example of my disorganization in helping the poor. Actually he was right. After 53 years of serving the poor I still haven’t learnt how to be organized in my service to the poor. They are my Masters and every day they teach me new things.

I was 25 years old. It seemed that the world had ended for me. It’s because when I entered the Seminary my purpose was not to study my vocation. My only purpose was to be a priest. I felt lost. But I never forgot what my aunt Matilde told me after us crying together. «Don’t worry Bernardino. When men close a door, God opens a gate». It was true. God opened for me a very large gate.

Quitting is not part of my vocabulary. I asked a Bishop in Africa if he could take the risk of accepting me. After waiting for some time he said yes. On March 1st, 1964, I said good-bye to my family and I became a Missionary. Being a Missionary in Africa had always been one of my dreams when I was a young seminarian. Everything started working together. After spending five months in a very poor Mission, the Bishop called me to the city to teach religion in the secondary school and to be in charge of the youth ministry. It was a fascinating experience. Many youth retreats and the creation of the Juvenile Centre mobilized all the youth of the city, Catholics, Protestants, Hindus and Muslims working together and praying together and together helping the poor. Following my Master, the poor have been always the centre of my ministry.

Then a big jump. From one of the poorest countries of the world to one of the wealthiest countries of the world. In 1973 I left Mozambique for a period of vacation in Portugal. Then I visited the USA with a round trip ticket of two weeks. Things changed. Instead of two weeks, I spent 32 years. My Parish was always a point of reference to the poor. Even undocumented immigrants, arriving from Central America, knew about our Parish. They knew that in California there was a Parish that would welcome them. Many of them slept in my garage, in the class rooms, and in the rooms of my residence. They wore my clothes, ate my food in my dining room and took their showers in my bathrooms. It was a fascinating life. It was in my St. Anthony’s Church in California that we started the project “People Helping People”.

In 2006 I came back to Madeira where I was assigned to be the Pastor of a country Parish. After two years I became the chaplain of the Hospital. In 2010 we started in Madeira the project “People Helping People” whose main goal is to mobilize many people to help many people. (Especially those families and people who don’t qualify for help from official institutions, and especially to be an open door when all the other doors close).

Now I am 80 years old and I am celebrating my 53rd Anniversary of priesthood. I don’t know if I have been a good priest. But one thing I know: I have been a very happy priest. If I could go back in life and if I could choose, I would choose the roads I have travelled until now.

«Men closed one door but God opened a gate».

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Part 1

Yes! It happened on June 12, 1965. It was 53 years ago this week! In a sports field, in the city of Quelimane, Diocese of Quelimane, Mozambique (Africa), the Bishop D. Francisco Nunes Teixeira, who always maintained with me a father and son relationship, imposed his hands on me and on two other young African men (Vasco and Benjamim), anointed our hands and told us that we were ordained priests forever.

Since then I have embarked on a fascinating and passionate journey. I felt like when God called Abraham, telling him: «Go… to the land I will show you» (Gen. 12:1). No maps, no GPS, no travel checks, no hotel reservations, no Insurance plans. He just said «Go». And Abraham went.

He just said «Go». And I went without knowing the roads and not knowing where I was going to. Abraham just knew one thing: Abraham knew Whom he was walking with. I knew just one thing: I knew Whom I was walking with. I was walking with God, Who is my Father and my Mother and my Abba, and Who was guiding me and had a special plan for me.

The youngest of eleven children, I was born in Madeira Island, in Ponta do Sol, on November 29th, 1937. I came from a place where very few children attended school. Most of the adults were illiterate, including my parents and my oldest brothers. It was a poor farming community. Most of the children had no shoes to go to school or to walk around. But we didn’t know that we were poor because all of us had the same way of life. Some rules and traditions like family meals, daily Rosary and Sunday Mass were not negotiable. The children had no toys but we knew games and how to play together.

The only Christmas gift I had in my childhood was an orange. I don’t remember where it came from. Also I don’t remember if I ate that orange. It looked so yellow, so beautiful, so attractive that I spent my Christmas day showing it to my friends who were surprised to see such a beautiful Christmas Gift. I never had a dream of continuing my studies after my four years of primary school. I didn’t even know why I had to go to school when I «knew» that I would have no choice in my life but digging the land, watering the plants and everything my parents and my brothers and sisters were doing.

Then all of sudden something happened. One day, without any plans, I was in my kitchen in the company of my mother and my sister, Agostinha. I don’t remember what I was doing. I was 12 years old and had finished my four years of my primary school and I was very happy that I didn’t have to go to school again.

My philosophy was that I didn’t need studies to milk a cow (my father had just one cow to milk, and one cow to work), to plant potatoes, beans, corn, sugar cane and so on. But that day my sister asked me a very unexpected question.

She just asked: – «Bernardino, wouldn’t you like to be a priest»? Without thinking, my answer was «Yes». I don’t know why she asked me that strange question and I still don’t know why I gave her that quick and strange answer. I was just 12 years old.

[One day, in America, a news reporter asked me: «But when you were 12 years old, what did you understand about priesthood? » My answer was: «Now I am almost 70 years old and I still do not understand. Priesthood is a mystery that is being revealed to me daily, through prayer, through my ministry to the world and especially to my service to the poorest of the poor. »]

My mother started inquiring about the requirements to enter the Seminary and on October 15, 1950 my father and my mother took me to the Seminary of Funchal. It was an agonizing transition. I was just a child and Ponta do Sol, because of lack of communications, was so far away from Funchal.

——- (to be continued in next week’s issue)

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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

Dominic Tang, the courageous Chinese archbishop, was imprisoned for twenty-one years for nothing more than his loyalty to Christ and Christ’s one, true Church. After five years of solitary confinement in a windowless, damp cell, the Archbishop was told by his jailers that he could leave it for a few hours to do whatever he wanted. Five years of solitary confinement and he had a couple of hours to do what he wanted! What would it be? A hot shower? A change of clothes? Certainly, a long walk outside? A chance to call or write to family?
What would it be, the jailer asked him.
“I would like to say Mass,” replied Archbishop Tang.

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A CLANDESTINE MASS

The Vietnamese Jesuit, Joseph Nguyen-Cong Doan, who spent nine years in labour camps in Vietnam, relates how he was finally able to say Mass when a fellow priest-prisoner shared some of his own smuggled supplies. “That night, when the other prisoners were asleep, lying on the floor of my cell, I celebrated Mass with tears of joy. My altar was my blanket, my prison clothes my vestments. But I felt myself at the heart of humanity and of the whole of creation.” (Ibid., p. 224).

COMMUNION ON THE MOON
The Lord’s Supper ensures that we can remember Jesus from any place.

Apollo 11 landed on the moon on Sunday, July 20, 1969. Most remember astronaut Neil Armstrong’s first words as he stepped onto the moon’s surface: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” But few know about the first meal eaten on the moon.

Dennis Fisher reports that Buzz Aldrin, the NASA Astronaut, had taken aboard the spacecraft a tiny pyx provided by his Catholic pastor. Aldrin sent a radio broadcast to Earth asking listeners to contemplate the events of the day and give thanks. Then, blacking out the broadcast for privacy, Aldrin read, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.”

Then, silently, he gave thanks for their successful journey to the moon and received Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, surrendering moon to Jesus. Next, he descended on the moon and walked on it with Neil Armstrong. (Dan Gulley: “Communion on the Moon”: Our Daily Bread: June/July/August 2007).

His actions remind us that in the Lord’s Supper, God’s children can share the life of Jesus from any place on Earth — and even from the moon. God is everywhere, and our worship should reflect this reality.
In Psalm 139 we are told that wherever we go, God is intimately present with us.

Buzz Aldrin celebrated that experience on the surface of the moon. Thousands of miles from earth, he took time to commune with the One who created, redeemed, and established fellowship with him. (Dennis Fisher)

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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

The Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini, wrote La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Tosca. It was during his battle with terminal cancer in 1922 that he began to write Turandot, which many now consider his best work. He worked on the score day and night, despite his friends’ advice to rest, and to save his energy. When his sickness worsened, Puccini said to his disciples, “If I don’t finish Turandot, I want you to finish it.” He died in 1924, leaving the work unfinished. His disciples gathered all that was written by Puccini, studied it in great detail, and then proceeded to write the remainder of the opera.

The world premier was performed in La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, and Toscanini, Puccini’s favorite student, conducted it. The opera went beautifully, until Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, “Thus far the master wrote, but he died.” There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to the audience and, with tears in his eyes, announced, “But his disciples finished his work.” The opera closed to thunderous applause and found a permanent place in the annals of great works.

Jesus instructs us in his Ascension message to finish his work of saving mankind by proclaiming His Good News by words and deeds.

Jesus didn’t say: «If I don’t finish my job, I want you to finish it». He didn’t say it because He knew He wouldn’t. He sent His disciples do the world to continue His job. Before ascending to heaven He sent you and me to the world to continue his job. To proclaim the Good news of liberation and salvation. He sent you and me to bring good news to the poor and transform this world into a family where we take care of each another and together we arrive to our final destination which is Heaven.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

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…