– Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
1
One Hasidic story tells of a pious Jew who asked his rabbi: “For about forty years I have opened the door for Elijah every Seder night, waiting for him to come, but he never does. What is the reason?”
– The rabbi answered: “In your neighbourhood there lives a very poor family with many children. Call on the man and propose to him that you and your family celebrate the next Passover at his house, and for this purpose provide him and his whole family with everything necessary for the eight days of Passover. Then on the Seder night Elijah will certainly come.” The man did as the rabbi told him, but after Passover he came back and claimed that again he had waited in vain to see Elijah. The rabbi answered, – “I know very well that Elijah came on the Seder night to the house of your poor neighbour. But of course you could not see him.” And the rabbi held a mirror before the face of the man and said, -“Look, this was Elijah’s face that night.”
2
After I returned from California, ten years ago, there is no doubt that the best programs I have been involved with, are programs connected with my ministry at the Chapel Penha de França in Funchal. We started People Helping People Association, Bread with my Brother program and at this Christmas Season I would like to propose another one. It would be called «Adopt a Family For Christmas»
MY FIRST ALTERNATIVE: Since the Catholic Church is about relationships, my first alternative would be that one family or a group of two or more families or individuals, attending our English Mass would contact the «People Helping People» Association and would offer to donate to a poor family a Christmas Hamper. And, of course, the ideal would be to meet that family in person and find out about their main needs, from food to toys. Hopefully the needy family would make the Agenda.
MY SECOND ALTERNATIVE: The same people would go to the supermarket and buy food to donate to a needy family. This would be their Christmas Hamper.
MY THIRD ALTERNATIVE: The same one or two or three people would donate a money gift. With that money, People Helping People would acquire vouchers from a supermarket. We would put those vouchers inside a neat envelope, wrapped in a gift paper with a loving Christmas card inside of it. Since we are already a little late for the ideal I believe that the third option would be the easiest one for now. If you want to be part of this program, there is a coordinating team at our Sunday worship that will be happy to assist you. They are: Alan O’Brien 96-91-43-732, anniegob@yahoo.ie;
Manny de Ponte, 96-91-33-074, tracyp1973@gmail.com;
and Carmina da Mata 96-36-61-835, carminadamata@hotmail.com.
Please get in touch with them and «Adopt a Family for Christmas».
For sure you will look into a mirror and see the Elijah’s face who entered a house of Jesus disguised in a needy family.
Merry Christmas! Fr. Bernardino Andrade
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