Edition #1

Sunday 5th

June 2011 Edition #2

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Edition #2

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Edition #19 Sunday, 6

th November 2011

Sunday Priest Father Bernardino Andrade Contact: bernardinodandrade@gmail.com 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

6th November – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the last books of the Jewish

Scriptures, the Book of Wisdom was written in Greek, probably in

Alexandria during the century before Christ. It seeks to strengthen faith by recalling the ways in which God rewards his people. But our just God also punishes individuals who act unjustly. We must learn wisdom to live justly in accord with God’s justice, and so imitate and be drawn into the life of God. The parousia, when Christ will return - or be revealed - in glory, was expected by the early Christians to be very soon, even in their own lifetime. But some believers had already died, so

Paul reassures the Thessalonians that they will not “miss out” - they will join everyone else in the resurrection of the dead. Two thousand years later we may now see the parousia at the end of time being anticipated by Jesus revealed to us in every Mass. Matthew’s gospel links the two readings together: we must live justly every moment of our lives so that we may be ready when the Lord calls us to him. We cannot rely on a last chance to repent.

Wis 6:12-16 Ps 62:2-8 r.2 1 Thess 4:13-18

Matt 25:1-13

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 Fr. Bernardino, Madeira

Having Lunch With God

A little boy wanted to meet God.

He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his backpack with Twinkies and a

six pack of Root Bear and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his bag. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie.

She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer again.

Once more, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door

to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “what did you do today that made you so happy?”. He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “you know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he too asked, “mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?”. She replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” However, before her son responded, she added, “you know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

It is so easy and so rewarding to have lunch with God.

Life is about looking around with the eyes of our hearts to meet and have lunch with God.

Fr. Bernardino Andrade [bernardinodandrade@gmail.com

Enjoying Funchal the Most Brought to you by Laurinda Machado, Windsor Travel

It was recently released that the Regional

Secretariat for Education and Culture (SREC) together with Funchal Bishop’s jurisdiction will promote a new series of organ concerts called Voz Celeste (Heavenly Voice). The concerts will take place at Colégio Church, in an attempt to help fill (both this church and our hearts) with more beauty and peace. Therefore every Monday from 12:30 to 13h, a new Madeiran composer will be presented, in a total of 45 organ concerts from 31 October 2011 up until 17 December 2012. Over a yearlong of beautiful music, to help improve our Monday’s mood! ©

Ph

oto

SR

EC

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

New Translation Well Received in Parishes

The chairman of the International Commission on

English in the Liturgy presented Benedict XVI with a special white leather version of the new translation of the missal, assuring him that the translation is being well received in parishes.

Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds chairs the commission established to prepare English translations of each of the Latin liturgical books and individual liturgical texts in accord with the directives of the Holy See.

The missal was a special version of the Catholic Truth Society altar missal for priests in Britain.

The commissioning editor at CTS, Pierpaolo Finaldi, was with Bishop Roche as he gave the missal to the Holy Father.

Finaldi said the Pontiff asked how the translation was being received in parishes, the Catholic Herald reported. He also commented on the need for liturgical books to be beautiful.

English-speaking countries are beginning to phase in the new translation in anticipation of the First Sunday of Advent, the start date for its use.

Further Information, www.zenit.org

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

Finding the Way Around in a World of Crossroads

We face today a serious

problem of loosing direction in our pilgrimage on earth. I agree with those who say spirituality is about the meaning of life.

Sense is another word for meaning. The recognition of places and directions is a condition to get somewhere, to achieve a final goal. Very often people are senseless about pursuing the main goal in life.

Many have no idea what life is for. They would need people with the mission to guide them and to witness them the true meaning of life. Unfortunately the tragedy of our time is confusion between means and ends, life and its purpose: educators, parents, pastors and leaders are

themselves strayed.

There is a joke on the paradox of some travelers and tourists: before departure they do not know where they go, when they arrive they do not know where they are, and

back home they do not know where they have been. And many life travelers today do not know from where they come from.

I am afraid this is true on Christian life and faith. Too many are not certain of what Christian faith is about, what differences it from other religions; how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fits in it; and even if this matters at all to their meaning of life and their pilgrimage.

A right direction and purpose opposes to permissiveness, to relativism (as if everything remains the same), to indifference. Losing one’s way in life leads to frustration, stress, depression and unhappiness. And too much useless stuff to fill this void, the so called hundreds of deviated behaviours.

Why not turn to the canonized saints as coaches of Christian meaning and direction? Consistent prayer and the Catholic catechism could help, too. It says: we come from God and we go to God through our pilgrimage; in the way God loves us for us to be happy in our journey.

Fr. Aires Gameiro [aires.gameiro@isjd.pt]

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

Music for Everyone Brought to you by Os Calíope, Funchal

Every first Sunday of the Month, we are proud to welcome a

Portuguese choir to the English Mass. In November we introduce to you Os Calíope. Its name comes from Greek mythology, where Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, meaning “beautiful-voiced”. This choir group started around one year ago, and its 8 members are aged between 9 and 18 years old. Their repertoire includes not only liturgical songs but also entertaining music. Its conductors are Vanessa Câmara and João Victor Costa.

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 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

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

(USA) Janice Contreras 60 Meeks Ln. Oakley, CA 94561