Edition #1

Sunday 5th

June 2011 Edition #2

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Edition #2

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Edition #11 Sunday, 11

th September 2011

Sunday Priest Father Aires Gameiro Contact: aires.gameiro@isjd.pt Newsletter Receive the Joyful Gift every week in your inbox!

Subscribe or feel free to contribute with articles by emailing Laura at laurikaaa@gmail.com

Find us online www.joyfulgiftatpenha.blogspot.com

JOYFUL GIFT Your weekly newsletter from the Catholic English Mass in Funchal

Welcome to the Chapel of Penha de França, founded by

António Dantas in 1622 and built on a “penha” or peak, by the sea. This soon became so famous a shrine that people came to it on pilgrimage from all parts of the Island, and in 1721 the chapel was restored and enlarged. When the Diocese of Funchal took possession of the chapel it was used for the bishops as a Country House or Summer Residence for many years. In the meantime, the Franciscans had been coming to Madeira to carry out apostolic duties however it was only in 1935, on Easter Sunday, that they founded the Franciscan Residence of Our Lady of Penha de França, at the request of Bishop D. António Ribeiro.

The English Mass is a tradition that dates back to 1966, when Fr Rafael Andrade, having just returned from his first visit to England, complied with the Bishop´s request to start an English celebration. Fr Rafael presided this mass for over 30 years, when he had to stop in 1999 due to overlapping duties. For eight years there was no Mass in English in Madeira, until it began again on the first Sunday of Lent in 2007.

Have a lovely time in Madeira Island and we hope to receive your visit again soon!

Thoughts on the Scripture Readings Brought to you by Chris Oliver, UK

11th September – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Wisdom book we call

Ecclesiasticus was written in Hebrew about 200 BC by Ben Sira, a Jewish sage, and translated into Greek by his grandson about 50 years later. It was not translated into Latin by Jerome, but the Greek version was accepted as canonical by the early Church, and there are many allusions to it in the new Testament. At a time of increasing pagan Greek influence, Ben Sira showed that Israel's religion was still a firm basis for moral living. He gives many practical examples, helping Christians of every age to apply moral truths to their own times. His strict condemnation of nursing anger and resentment is all too relevant for us today.

Sirach's advice to forgive is graphically illustrated in Jesus' reply to Peter in today's Gospel. Very different from the modern tendency of "three strikes and you're out". Can we really keep on giving criminals "another chance"? Yet on a personal basis Jesus says we must! The last of our Sunday readings from Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome emphasises that we belong to the community of all believers, both those alive now - and in the future - and those who have died. Our lives have influence on others. Linking nicely both to Sirach and Matthew in the next verse Paul says "Why do you pass judgement on your brother?" Ecclesiasticus27:30-28:7 Ps102:1-4.9-12 r.8 Rom14:7-9 Mat18:21-35 Further Information, www.bible-groups.info

CATHOLIC MASS SUNDAYS 10AM

PENHA DE FRANÇA

Capela da Penha de França Funchal, Madeira

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From My Heart to Your Heart Brought to you by Father Bernardino, Madeira

Who will love them?

A few days ago I entered in one

of my favorite Catholic Book Stores close to my former Parish in California. I picked up a little book of Mark Link, called Action

- Praying Scripture in a Contemporary Way and I opened it on page 149. I was touched to see that one more person understands what People Helping People is about.

This is the story… Frederico Fellini's film LA STRADA opened in 1954 and became a classic.

In one unforgettable scene, a clown is talking to a young woman. She has grown weary of trying to love the unlovable and unloving people, and she has nothing more to do with them.

As the conversation ends and the young woman turns to leave, the clown says to her, "But if you don't love these people, who will love them?"

And now I add to the story:

Cristianity is not about results. Christianity is about love, with a special preference for the unlovable and the unloving.

Fr. Bernardino [bernardinodandrade@gmail.com]

From the Pastor’s Desk Brought to you by Father Gameiro, Portugal

I, Me, Myself Spirituality

The 23th Sunday of Common

Time readings call us to make a point between individualism, community and God. It comes in a time of egocentric spirituality,

or as the comedian Brian Regan puts it, an I, Me, Myself spirituality, as if one was the world center and a god with absolute freedom, responsible to nobody, not even God.

In the first reading God says to Ezekiel (Ez 33:7-9): you are a responsible sentry before me to warn your brothers when they sin; you are guilty and you will die if you don’t.

Jesus in the Gospel (Mt 18:15-20) says: if your brother sins, you, too, are responsible. He belongs to your community, so if you love him you have to try to bring it back as a brother of yours and a son of God. If he does not accept your advice, try with two other people of your community. Again if he remains in his sin as an egocentric I-Me, and refuses reconciliation, try in another way.

Above him, above your group, you belong to a larger Community of love called the Catholic

Church founded by Jesus. Refer him to the Church for him to be gained to it and to Jesus by the authority God entrusted to the Church. If he refuses yet that means that he pretends to be self-sufficient, a kind of god, a founder and the pope of his own church, as I used to say joking, but not in a completely inappropriate way.

Because the sheep had no shepherd I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. Ez 34:5-15

Jesus is in the midst of us, only, when we are united in love to him (in his name). Fraternal correction functions only in prayer and love and is achieved by Jesus with us..

Fr. Aires Gameiro, OH, Brother of Saint John of God [aires.gameiro@isjd.pt]

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The World Seen from Rome Brought to you by ZENIT, the Catholic Church news agency

Biblical Reflection - Ten Years Ago

Sunday offers us an opportunity to reflect deeply

on how we as a Christian community respond to evil in the world, how we forgive and how we show mercy. Ten years ago, the world stopped and the terror and horror of 9/11/2001 led us into the depths of the mysteries of evil, human suffering, and death on a great scale. Many asked where God was in the midst of such devastation and destruction on 9/11. Yet, with God's grace we also experienced the height of human sacrifice and the ability of our brothers and sisters to manifest heroic love.

The terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and New York City were not just attacks on the United States of America. In the words of Blessed John Paul II, "they were crimes against humanity." The victims of these tragedies came from dozens of countries, and the economic and political repercussions have been global. While those responsible for the attacks may have been motivated by opposition to specific American policies, particularly in the Middle East, their underlying agenda appears to be a deep

antagonism toward Western culture and Western institutions. Any simplistic connection between Islam and terrorism must be rejected.

The "enemy" in a war against terror is difficult to define, we have to be careful to avoid that everyone becomes a potential enemy. We have to avoid the war against terror becoming a war against the other. A society built on fear and mistrust of the other will never be a peaceful society. Only when legality, the rule of law and peaceful coexistence are reestablished will we taste victory.

Further Information, www.zenit.org

A Portuguese Treat To try at home – make it & enjoy it!

You can find this type of bread in almost any restaurant and religious

festivity on the island.

INGREDIENTS 1Kg of wheat flour 40gr of baker’s yeast Salt & water

Caco Bread – Bolo do Caco

What most don’t know about this beloved food is that Bolo do

Caco is considered to be the Hebrews bread which was “cooked over the ashes”. Its Biblical reference comes from Mass on Tuesday after Sunday of Lent. From the Old Testament, in the First Book of Kings comes the dialogue between Prophet Elijah and the Widow in Zarephath. Elijah asks her for some bread, and she replies “..I don’t have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour in a bowl and a bit of oil in a jar. I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have..”, 1KIN 17:8-24

STEP BY STEP Knead the dough like you would for normal bread, only a bit more to make it super fluffy. Leave it to rest (some say from 1 to 3 days – but consider that an exaggeration) and then split the dough in small balls, which you should flat until they are about 3cm in thickness.

Cook it over a very hot stone (its “caco” name comes from cooking the bread over our red clay tyles) and don’t forget to roll them vertically to make the edges well toasted. Serve it hot with garlic butter as an appetizer or with its best friend, espetada…

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Editor: Laura Machado © Funchal, 2011 [laurikaaa@gmail.com]

Music for Everyone Brought to you by Josefina Farinha voice & Larysa Makarova violin

Larysa was born in Ukraine but

has been in Madeira island for 8 years now. She has been playing the violin since she was six years old. Having dedicated her life to her beloved violin, she now

teaches children & grownups!

From the yellow book Catholic Hymns Old&New,

Entry Hymn = No. 161 Sing hosanna! Offertory Hymn = No. 258 In bread we bring you Communion Hymn = No. 215 He is Lord, he is Lord Final Hymn = No. 181 God forgave my sin

People Helping People A small project founded in the Chapel of Penha de França to help those in need

PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE INFORMATION CHART

Timeline BEGINING – August 2010 1 Year Later – September 2011

Number of Active

Volunteers 2 10

Number of Families

Helped

Funds

Local support, Anonymous contributors,

English Mass collection, Foreign donations,

Fairs and sales

Type of Help Given

Support and friendship,

counseling and through

other organizations and

now we are also able to

help with…

If you wish to know more, please contact Fr. Bernardino and always remember that help has many forms (a kind word, a lift to the hospital, a birthday cake) and can be anywhere. Start your own People Helping People and lets create an international community that looks after one another.

We would like to express our gratitude to restaurant FIGOS in Garajau for always providing a fabulous meeting point, Fr Rafael and Mrs Teixeira for all the information on the English Mass,

Fr Nélio for kindly giving the booklet on the story of Penha de França, Sir Ronnie for all his dedication and friendship, Fr Bonifácio, Pablo & Ligia for all the help printing this newsletter,

and all of you that, with your endless generosity, support this cause.

If you wish to donate, please find bellow the details for PHP Bank Account NIB: 0038 0000 39527051771 85 IBAN: PT50 0038 0000 39527051771 85

BIC: BNIFPTPL

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Address Book

Pe Bernardino Andrade Rua das Murteiras, 28 – 1E 9060-199 Funchal, Madeira, PORTUGAL

Armando Machado Rua da Falésia, 19 P.O. Box 24 9125-909 Caniço, Madeira, PORTUGAL