1. From My Heart to Your Heart by Father Bernadino

Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin. Many years ago he 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, but then one man 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. Perhaps he had learned the lesson that Faith in Christ’s Resurrection was deeply rooted in his Russian Orthodox Communist followers!

HAPPY EASTER!

Fr. Bernardino Andrade

At the English service on the 9th April, we were happy to celebrate the first communion of a little girl called Natália. This is Father Bernadino’s letter to her as contained in the weekly newsletter.

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Dear Natália

Welcome to the banquet of Jesus. Congratulations! Today you are making your First Holy Communion. We all feel very privileged that you have chosen us, the members of the Community of Penha de França Chapel, to be part of this very Sacred Meal. I feel very privileged to have been walking with you on your exciting faith journey.

I baptized you on March 15, 2009. I baptized your two brothers, Manolito and Pedrito. Your parents Manolo and Carolina took very seriously their commitment with the person of Jesus and His project that is «to bring good news to the poor» (Lk. 4: 18).

For the last few years, through the project «People Helping People», it is your family that has been paying the house rent of an extremely poor and large family. Your father is in the list of volunteers who give car lifts to the needy. Your grandmother Arlinda, very often, has surprised us with her generous donations to the poor. This is Gospel. This is Good News. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Borrero’s and Catanho’s Family. With St. Paul you can say: «It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me» (Gal. 2: 20). And because Jesus lives in you, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23), will always be your way of life.

Let me remind you the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit in a very special way.
Natalia is LOVE; Natalia is JOY; Natalia is PEACE; Natalia is PATIENCE; Natalia is KINDNESS; Natalia is GENEROSITY; Natalia is FAITHFULNESS; Natalia is GENTLENESS; Natalia is SELF-CONTROL.
There is no law against such things (Gal. 5: 22-23).

Congratulations, Natalia! Jesus loves you and so do we.

Fr. Bernardino Andrade

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Having been a pastor in California for 12 years made me learn a lot from my parishioners. And many of my columns written for my Sunday newsletter were made of stories from them, stories which had the biggest impact on me. Today I share with you one which was published in January 2000, called “If you can learn from your children, you are smart”.

A few weeks ago I was introducing a parishioner to Clyde Hawkins. During the short conversation it was revealed that this wonderful man had stopped drinking because his little daughter had asked him to. And I believe the best reason to do or not to do something is when we do it for love and not just because it is right.

Clyde in all his wisdom commented, “If you can learn from your children it is because you are a smart man.”

Days later I received from Carl Ross the following message.

Good morning, Father,

The other night my daughter and I were making fun of my son Eric. You know, harmless stuff, just having fun with him.

Well, Eric did not think it was funny and he said to us, “You know, you are making the Devil happy. He’s smiling right now because you are saying bad things about me. Why don’t you say good things about me so God will smile?”

My daughter Angelica said, “You can’t see God, you don’t know if He is smiling or not.”

Then Eric replied, “I know I can’t see God, but I can feel Him in my heart.”

Wow! What I beautiful and powerful message my son just made and he’s only six years old, I thought to myself. I kept staring at him like he was an angel.

I thought this would put a smile on your face. Children are truly a gift from God. Peace be with you.

Carl

Dear Carl

Surely it put a smile on my face. Thank you and I agree with you and Clyde, “When you can learn from your children, you are a smart man”.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

ARE YOU SAVED?

One of the many privileges I had during my ministry in California was my frequent contacts with members and leaders of different religious denominations. Even if we were aware of our differences, more than that, we were aware of the so many things that unite us.

This happened one day during a spiritual retreat with Protestant Pastors:
During a meal, this lady asked me: «Are you saved?»
My answer was:
«Oh no! God still has lots of work to do to save me. No I am not saved yet».

Maybe this is one of some of the differences between Catholics and a few Evangelical church denominations. Many people see the Church as a hotel. «I am converted: I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I arrived. I am saved». This is like if I arrived to a hotel. Now I can unpack, take my shoes off and relax. I arrived.

The Church sees herself as a journey. A journey, with ups and downs, like the Hebrew people who are walking throughout the desert always with the temptations to return to the old life. Yes. They were slaves. Their suffering was unbearable, but they also remembered some of the many good things that they had left behind. They had some pleasures that they were not able to enjoy in their journey to freedom.

I remember a man telling me, long time ago: «I like to sin. I enjoy sinning. But then I feel so empty. I feel so sad. I feel so frustrated with myself». On that day he came for Confession where finally he felt peace.

LENT IS A JOURNEY

On the first Sunday of Lent (Year A), we are invited to join Jesus in the desert.

On the second Sunday of Lent we are invited to go up to the mountain and be transfigured with Jesus. We are invited to transform or change our way of thinking, talking and acting. We are invited to have with Jesus a mountain top experience.

On the third Sunday of Lent we are invited to approach Jesus at the well like the Samaritan woman. One thinks what was that woman looking for in those six men? Finally she met a seventh man who also needed her because he was thirsty. She had been drinking «dead water» full of mosquitoes, garbage and poison. Finally she found in this man called Jesus the «living water».

On the fourth Sunday of Lent a blind man is cured and sees light for the first time.

On the fifth Sunday of Lent the Church presents the Resurrection of Lazarus. We celebrate life. Then we celebrate Palm Sunday.

Finally the Paschal Mystery that includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday together with Easter Sunday make just one celebration.

Now… have a nice trip! Have a nice journey!

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

When Comedian Yakov Smirnoff first came to the United States from Russia he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He says: «On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk; you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice; you just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to my self, ‘What a country!’»

Smirnoff was joking, but we make these assumptions about Christian Transformation – that people change instantly from sinners to saints. Catholics call it transformation through repentance and renewal of life, deriving strength through the word of God and the Sacraments to cooperate with God’s grace for doing acts of charity. Some other Christian denominations call it Sanctification of the believer. Whatever you call it, most denominations expect some quick fix for sin.

According to this belief, when someone gives his or her life to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and personal Savior, and confesses his or her sins to Him, there is an immediate, substantive, in-depth, miraculous change in habits, attitudes, and character. Can we go to Church as if we are going to the grocery store to get Powdered Christian?

I had a wonderful friend in California who was a real saint. Reverend Bill was the Pastor of a huge Baptist Church. One day when we were sharing our lives and experiences with each other, he said that he was enjoying reading the books of Henry Nouwen, a Belgian Catholic priest who impacted tremendously the spirituality of the 20th century, especially with his book «The Return of the Prodigal Son». Rev. Bill was enjoying and was getting a lot from his writings. But he was a little surprised with a little difference between Nouwen’s spirituality and the Protestant spirituality. Nouwen repeated very often the word «conversion» to happen during a spiritual journey of a Christian.

According to him conversion happens in the moment we choose Jesus as our personal Savior, and since then we live accordingly. Then I remembered St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (Rom 7:14) when he says: «What I want to do, that I do not do; but what I hate, that I do». He was always struggling between sin, temptation and his conversion. Louis Evely says that the most difficult people to convert are Christians to Christ. Father Aires Gameiro told me recently that the followers of Jesus are always in the ABC (we are all like beginners… like ABC are the first letters of the alphabet). This is the meaning of conversion.

The truth is that Disciples of Christ are not born by adding water to Christian powder. There is no such powder, and disciples of Jesus Christ are not instantly born. They are slowly raised through many trials, suffering, and temptations and by their active cooperation with the grace of God, expressed through works of charity.

Love and Peace
Fr. Bernardino Andrade

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

A Catholic priest working in an inner city was walking down an alley one evening on his way home when a young man came down the alley behind him and poked a knife against his back. “Give me your money,” the young man said. The priest opened his jacket and reached into an inner pocket to remove his wallet, exposing his clerical collar. “Oh, I’m sorry, Father,” said the young man, “I didn’t see your collar. I don’t want your money.” Trembling from the scare, the priest removed a cigar from his shirt pocket and offered it to the young man. “Here,” he said. “Have a cigar.” “Oh, no, I can’t do that,” the young man replied, “I gave them up for Lent.”

What am I going to give up for lent?

It can be a cigar, it can be sugar, it can be meat, it can be fish, it can be alcohol, it can be drugs. The list is endless. But the most important thing is to change my way of thinking and my way of life. The most important thing is to fall in love with Jesus and his project of bringing good news to the poor.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
March 12th, 2017 (bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

Monica is a 7 years old angel but when somebody asks her, Monica prefers to say that “I am almost 8”.
When Monica comes to Mass with Mom and Dad, if she is not seated very close to me on the steps of the altar I know that she is dressed in a white robe in the Acolyte’s chair. She is serving Mass. I have seen Monica worried, sad and in different moods. But I have never seen Monica without a shy and beautiful smile.

Not long ago an incident happened and it brought lots of pain to Mom and Dad. Things like this are normal in loving and healthy couples like Monica’s parents. Both went through a few “dark nights”, tears, confusion and pain that was affecting their level of communication that is one of the essential ingredients in any couple and in any relationship. Monica was worried, of course. Any child who sees his/her parents in pain and confusion goes through the experience of someone who is in a tall building that is being affected by an earthquake.

One Sunday, during Mass, when she left the altar during the Greeting of Peace to give her parents the kiss of Peace, the first thing she asked her Daddy was if he had joined hands with Mom during the Our Father.

Finally, Mom and Dad did what any healthy and mature couple does. They decided to talk to someone. This someone can be a counselor, a priest or simply a trusted friend. Secrets can be very destructive. Because I have the privilege of being their pastor and their friend I was the one who had the privilege of being chosen and being part of their painful journey.

Both have recovered their smile, their trust and their hope. However, I think that I had very little to do with this outcome. I think the biggest role belonged to Monica. She knew that Mom and Dad were coming to see me and she knew why. When Mom was saying good-bye, Monica looked in her eyes with a very beautiful but sad face and said:

– “Mom… please, clean out your heart”.

During our meeting the mother told me and Dad what Monica had said to her. We both reacted at the same time like two actors in a play:

– “Did she say that”? Then lots of healing tears were shed, caused by this angel’s words.
“Clean out your heart”.

Thank you Monica. I can’t imagine any priest or psychologist, or psychiatrist, or doctor in the world who could have offered better healing advice or better healing medicine. Hopefully, during this Season of Lent our main prayer will be:

“Lord clean out my heart that I may be renewed”.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
March 5, 2017

PS. This story was written in Oakley, California, almost 15 years ago.

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

One day a truck driver stopped at a restaurant for dinner and ordered a steak. Before he could eat it, in walked a motorcycle gang, with dirty leather jackets and long, unkempt hair. They took the man’s steak, cut it into six pieces, and ate it. The driver said nothing; He simply paid the bill and walked out.

One of the gang members said: «That man couldn’t talk! He didn’t say a word!».
Another said: «He couldn’t fight, either. He didn’t lift a hand! ».
A waiter added: «I would say that he couldn’t drive either. On his way out of the parking lot, he ran over six motorcycles crushing all of them! »

Something in us loves that story, because we like retaliation.
I felt good about this story. Then «I felt bad because I felt good». This «feeling good» was the opposite of the Sermon of the Mount, where Jesus says:
«You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth»
«You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you». (Gospel of the 7th Sunday of the Ordinary Time, Math. 5: 38-48)
Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
(bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)

Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Psalm 50; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

From Genesis we have the second and probably older description of the creation of humanity. This expresses the truth that God made us as “living beings”, dying without God’s breath. In deciding to eat the forbidden fruit, man does “become like God” in being able to make choices, but without the wisdom needed to choose well. Perhaps a simile of a child’s growing self-awareness. The mischievous serpent later came to be interpreted as Satan.

In his letter to the Romans Paul has been arguing that righteousness comes through faith, not through the Law given to Moses, which identifies sin but cannot save us from death, its consequence. Wisdom comes through the free gift of grace, obtained for us by Jesus Christ, whose obedience to his Father overcame death.

In Matthew’s gospel the devil introduces each temptation with the words: “If you are the Son of God”. The temptations explore what can it mean for Jesus to be “Son of God”? Does it mean he is a miracle-worker, able to satisfy all desires without effort? Is it about showy displays of power in which we try to make God do what we want, in return for our belief in him? Jesus shows his real power by dismissing Satan. Jesus will rule over all creation, but only through the Cross.

Psalm Response: Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade

We, the members of the People Helping People Association, were ready to start our weekly meeting. Ana, our Coordinator, had a very full and well organized agenda that starts with prayer. Then I usually conduct a short reflection about the spirituality of People Helping People where I try to emphasize that the excluded, the unloved, the unattractive, the marginalized are supposed to be our favorites, having as our model, Jesus the Good Shepherd.

We were already a few minutes late to start the meeting when Dr. José Luís and Abel entered the room accompanied by Adrien (not his real name). This man is known by all the people who walk through the city of Funchal. He is dirty and smelly with long, messy hair and a long, messy beard. He is always seated on the sidewalks, exposing his scars which, according to some witnesses, he scratches in order to make them bleed thereby attracting compassion and money to feed his addictions. He is a typical homeless person.

I have known Adrien for a few years. I have been abused and cheated by him. Now instead of starting the meeting I was furious that Dr. José Luís and Abel had decided to ruin our beautiful agenda to deal with such an unexpected surprise. Of course all the attentions concentrated on Adrien and everybody forgot about the agenda. Everybody was kind and helpful except me. We had an agenda and Adrien was not on the Agenda.

All the attentions concentrated in planning on how to feed Adrien, how to find decent clothes for him, how and where to buy medicine for his epilepsy, how to find a decent place where he could spend the night as a human being. Rita remembered that she had, somewhere, a chocolate bar and immediately took it and gave it to Adrien. He started eating his chocolate bar, and because of his bad teeth, he was involuntarily spitting crumbs all over the table which some of the attendants were trying to keep clean without making him feel uncomfortable.

The meeting was closed with a prayer and the agenda was still on the paper. Carmina and Dr. José Luís took the responsibility of finishing the job on how to help Adrien that night. Carmina and José Luís indicated a place to meet him while they would go around finishing what they considered their job. They invited me to go along with them. Of course I had no choice. I said «yes». However, I thought that this would be the time for me to talk and express my point of view saying:


«I don’t mind bringing the homeless and the poor to some of our meetings but I think that this should be planned in advance and a special agenda should be prepared for that kind of meeting. I don’t agree with what happened tonight».

When I finished expressing my concern, Carmina very kindly, told me: «Father, this is what makes the difference between us (People Helping People) and the other official institutions. We don’t have time tables, hours, days, or nights. What we have is People who are suffering and need help».

That’s when I remembered the first time we met Sir Ronald (Ronnie) at the Reid’s Palace Hotel and he told us: «Your lack of organization is your strength. You don’t close at 5:30 PM».

After Carmina’s kind words I remembered the moving hymn that Professors Cátia and Helena sing once in a while in Portuguese, after Communion at the English Mass, that always brings tears to my eyes: «I Found God by Surprise».

Yes! On that cold Wednesday night «I FOUND GOD BY SURPRISE» and I almost missed Him. I am ashamed of the Pharisee and the hypocrite who live inside of me. But I wish that I would be the only Christian who carries a hypocrite inside him.

I want to ask forgiveness from Adrien, Carmina, Dr. José Luís and all the group present at the meeting who could see my silence and lack of enthusiasm for something that is so crucial in People Helping People. Mother Teresa says: “When you start by judging you have no time to love”. I FOUND GOD BY SURPRISE AND I ALMOST MISSED HIM. GOD IS A DAILY SURPRISE.

Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade