Edition #1

Sunday 5th

June 2011 Edition #2

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Edition #2

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Edition #30 Sunday, 22

nd January 2012

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

22nd January – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

We remember the short book of

Jonah because of the great fish God sent to force Jonah back to the

mission God had given him, to warn Nineveh that it was to be destroyed. God relented when the citizens repented of their sins. Jonah was not surprised about this - but he was very angry. He had run away to avoid drawing God’s mercy on the hated city. He thought only the Jews - not Gentiles - were worthy of God’s mercy. The Corinthians were also misbehaving, especially during the Eucharist. The rich were eating and drinking beforehand but excluding the poorer Christians - the only time Paul mentions the Eucharist. Paul says they should be putting all their

energy into preparing for the next life, and this should affect how they go about their normal lives. Our year B readings from the Gospel of Mark resume for the next 6 weeks, and then continue after Trinity Sunday. Mark’s prologue described the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus’ Baptism, and his temptation in the desert. Today we have Jesus beginning his ministry with the calling of the first disciples. We are so familiar with a mixture of the four gospels that it will repay us to listen closely to what Mark actually says.

Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 Psalm 24(25): 4-9 1 Cor 7: 29-31 Mark 1: 14-20

Psalm Response: Lord, make me know your ways.

Further Information, www.bible-groups.info

CATHOLIC MASS SUNDAYS 10AM

PENHA DE FRANÇA

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From Father Aires’ Desk Brought to you by Fr. A Gameiro, Pombal

Unity in Christian Faith in Jesus with Mary

We are in the Octave of prayers

for the Christians Unity, started by Paul Wattson in 1908.

One hundred years of prayer achieved a lot and made

Christians closer but not yet united. We have to go on, prayer is a must to unite us to Jesus. It is not any unity that Jesus wants but a unity in the same faith, in Him. And not all Christians are close to each other in the same faith. Even in fundamental points many are apart. For example, the faith in the divinity of Jesus, his real presence in the Eucharist for our nourishment and adoration; and the special cult and devotion to Our Lady, the Mother of God.

There are big differences in many Christian Churches. Among others those two are very crucial points to the unity and only prayer can facilitate some steps towards unity. Catholic and Orthodox Churches are the closest. Prayer will lead many to give a more decisive place to the Eucharist as the source of the Church and to Our Lady as Mother of God and Mother of the same Church. When we visit some countries we are surprised by the absence of Our Lady’s statues and icons in some churches. But surprises are happening. Separated Christians are discovering expressions of their common faith practiced in old times. Many become nostalgic of their old common faith. I think Our Lady’s devotion is being more and more accepted by some non Catholic and non Orthodox Churches,

and I believe this fact is an important signal. I think that a Church without devotion to the Virgin Mary is not united in Jesus. The saying ad Iesum per Mariam means that the full acceptance of Jesus Christ is through Mary.

Let us pray that all the Christians may be united “as you (Father) are in me and I am in you”. What for? “That the world may believe”. A world with little faith is the consequence of little unity: “pray that they may be one as we are one” and “then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me”.

Unity demands the same faith and the same love.

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

Fr. Gameiro was born in Pombal, Leiria (in mainland Portugal) and is a Brother of Saint John of God with a Doctorate degree in Pastoral health care from Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum, in Rome (1996). He has a degree in Psychology (1968) and in Theology (1960). He has done post-graduations in UCP (Portuguese Catholic University) in 1991 and Teresianum, Rome in 1992. Fr. Gameiro has also lectured in many universities in Portugal and Angola, is a member of several Committees, and has also published over two dozen books and two hundred scientific articles. His latest book is called 40 Dias em Timor-Leste (40 Days in East Timor) and he will be presenting it in the next couple of weeks in Timor, Lisbon and Fatima. Even though Fr. Gameiro has such a busy schedule, he always finds time to send an inspiring article to our small English Newsletter every week. We thank him deeply and know that we have found a true friend to our small community here at Penha de França.

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

Pope Clarifies True Nature of Justice and Peace

Justice is not a mere human convention and peace

is not the mere absence of war, Benedict XVI affirmed. The Pope said this when he received members of the General Inspectorate for Public Security in the Vatican in a traditional meeting that takes place every year in January for the exchange of New Year greetings.

"Defending public order, especially in an area so heavily frequented by tourists and pilgrims from all over the world, is no simple task," he said, according to the Vatican Information Service.

The Holy Father went on to note parts of the globe where Christians do not enjoy peace, and are "paying their adherence to Christ and the Church with their lives."

"In my message for the World Day of Peace this year, I underlined the importance of educating young people in justice and peace, two terms much used in our world, though often inappropriately," he recalled.

"Justice," the Holy Father explained, "is not a mere human convention. When, in the name of supposed justice, the criteria of utility, profit and material possession come to dominate, the value and dignity of human beings can be trampled

underfoot. Justice is a virtue which guides the human will, prompting us to give others what is due to them by reason of their existence and their actions. Likewise,

peace is not the mere absence of war, or the result of man's actions to avoid conflict; it is, above all, a gift of God which must be implored with faith, and which has the way to its fulfillment in Jesus. True peace must be constructed day after day with compassion, solidarity, fraternity and collaboration on everyone's part."

"As policemen and women," the Bishop of Rome told his audience, "always be true promoters of justice and sincere builders of peace. Let us pray to the Mother of God, Queen of Peace, to support our intentions and activities with her maternal intercession. To her we entrust this year of 2012, that everyone may live in mutual respect and strive after the common good, in the hope that no act of violence will be committed in the name of God, supreme guarantor of justice and peace."

Further Information, www.zenit.org

Once Upon a Time Brought to you from the old days

The same postcards a century apart

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Editor: Laura Machado © Funchal, 2011

[laurikaaa@gmail.com]

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

To send CHECKS or any correspondence, here is our Address Book,

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

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

Music for Everyone Brought to you by Larysa Makarova

Larysa was born in Ukraine

but has been in Madeira for 8 years now. She has been playing the violin since she was six years old, but above all she is a musician-extraordinaire.

From the yellow book Catholic Hymns Old&New, Entry Hymn = No. 104 Come, Lord Jesus, Come Offertory Hymn = No. 159 Gifts of bread and wine Communion Hymn = No. 57 Be still and know… Final Hymn = No. 574 This is the day

People Helping People

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

After 18 months, and only because of the never-wavering and never-ending support of Portuguese, English

and American supporters, we were able to launch two original programs (never done before in Madeira by any other organization) to help those, particularly those that don’t qualify for other official institutions. Here we give you a sneak peek of what has been achieved…

If you wish to know more, don’t hesitate to contacts us, and if you

too believe that help has many forms (a birthday cake, a lift to the hospital) start your own People Helping People and lets create and international community that looks after one another.

We would also like to express our gratitude to 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, restaurant FIGOS for always providing a fabulous meeting point and all of you that, with your endless

generosity, support this cause. 4

A partnership with a

Portuguese supermarket

chain to print food vouchers,

not only at Christmas

time… Pioneer

vouchers in the island to

help those struggling

with something

we so often take for

granted. Pingo Doce (the

name of the store) means

“Sweet Drop”.

A very special restaurant (FIGOS, in Garajau) offered to cook a meal for a family of eight, twice a

month! With this initiative we hope many more restaurants also feel that the joy of living, is giving.

It works like this…

1 At 6pm

a lovely cook is making a

homemade meal for a needy

family.

2 At 6h30 one of

our volunteers is picking up

the meal and getting ready to

deliver it.

3 At 7pm a family receives a

wonderful special meal, full of warmth and love.

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