BACK IN SOLWEZI

Finally I am back in Solwezi, in St. Kizito Pastoral Centre. I spent a few days in Lusaka. First, with the Tutes, who welcomed me in their home. With them, I went to the Sunday mass in the Parish of Mary Immaculate in Woodlands. It is a new parish, full o life. Here, in all parishes, the Eucharistic celebration is always a great feast, where people come together as one family rejoicing in the Lord. The singing was good and everybody participated. What a difference with the Sunday masses of my home parish in Portugal. There, it seems that people and priest have mass as a duty that they must perform. The singing is poor, the participation is almost zero and the atmosphere is dull and somber. In Portugal, the majority of the congregation is over forty years old. Here, there are plenty of children and plenty of young people. It is the whole community participating and giving thanks to God.

After spending two days with the Tutes, I spent three days in Lilanda Parish, with Frs. Joaquim, Piero and Anthony. Fr. Dario, my friend, who comes from a neighbouring diocese in Portugal, was also there, and I moved with him around town, to have an experience of the chaotic traffic of Lusaka, during the rush hour. Lilanda Parish is just in the middle of the compound, close to the people who struggle every day to survive. There, like in so many other places in Zambia, we can find a joyful people, who are able to celebrate life in the middle of hardships. In Europe, many people think that riches and wealth are essential to find joy and happiness, and they live worried about the future. Here, we find plenty of people who find joy and happiness with very little and with no riches at all. They find joy and happiness in each other, in a life lived in family and community, knowing that they are accepted and loved.

Back in Solwezi, I put my life at the service of people, knowing that in sharing with them I receive more than I give.

XVI SUNDAY: Phil 2:1-11

The political situation has changed in Zambia, and in fact big changes are expected. The second reading of the Sunday liturgy gives some insights into the type of attitudes that the new leaders should consider.

1. Be united… This does not mean that all have to repeat the words of the President, or that any initiative and individual differences and gifts must be excluded. It simple means that they are able to work together and that they never fight each other. They must cooperate and build together. 
2. With a common purpose and a common mind. The common purpose must be the service of Zambia and the development of the country done in fairness and justice. Selfishness must be excluded.
3. There must be no competition among you, no conceit. Put away pride; have only pride for Zambia. Don’t quarrel among yourselves and do no compete for influence and position. “So that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.”
4. Always consider the others and respect them. Never despise or insult anybody. Instead, show respect and try to bring the best out of people’s abilities.
5. Finally have the same mind as Jesus Christ, which was one of service. You were chosen to serve. Never use your political power to get profit or to be feared. That will destroy your political basis. Remember that no leader is eternal, and that people in the end gets tired, and when they are tired they will do to you what they did to others. Let people see that you are at their service and that you put their interests and worries at heart.

BACK IN ZAMBIA

I never enjoyed long trips, mainly when I have to fly. The day before the journey, the appetite disappears and my stomach becomes upset. Anyway, the journey went well, with long walks in London, moving from one terminal to the other. We departed from terminal 5 in Heathrow airport. It is a huge new terminal. There is always a crowd of people moving in all directions. We are close together, walking or seating side by side, and yet we remain so far apart. The passenger next to me was a Zambian, who worked as a miner in Chingola and now lives in UK. We greeted each other and then we sat side by side. He spent part of the time reading the Talmud. I showed interest, and he asked me if I was a Jew. No! I am a Christian. He explained why he likes the Talmud: some of the things that are not explained in the Bible are found in the Talmud. We did not get closer than that. In the end, he went his way and I went mine, without knowing each other’s name.

Today’s world is like this: at any time, we bump into each other, and yet we remain complete strangers. Although living together, each one follows his own way. Individualism is ruling the world and becoming worse.

It is good to be back. And a new Zambia is in the making. At least, people are full of expectations. They have been betrayed so many times, that the same may happen again. Let us pray that the new leaders put themselves totally at the service of Zambia.

XVI SUNDAY: Ezekiel 18:25-28

PAST GLORIES WILL NOT SAVE US

For God, it does not matter what you were yesterday. For God, there is no yesterday. He looks at you today and he takes you for what he sees. If you were very good in the past, but you are no more, God will not see or remember that goodness that has gone. Today, he finds evil in you and he will judge you for that. If you have changed for good, God sees that good in you today.

Our past is part of our lives and it brought us where we are today. We come from there, but we are no more there; we have moved and we are somewhere else. The glories of the past are useless, if we don’t pursue them today. There are some people who spend their time thinking about the past. We must look forward not backward. Salvation is in front, in the coming future, and we have to move towards it. We should not live in the past. There is a Bemba proverb that says going back will eat you (ulubwelela numa lulalya). 

A NEW PRESIDENT FOR ZAMBIA

Finally the results are out, and our hearts may rest for  while. The victory is clear. Now we look to the future. What future id there for Zambia with Sata? I hope that he shows common sense, realism and fairness to all Zambians, not forgetting respect to all. We need discipline and hard work in the country, and that has to be done in accordance with the law. 

Sata has many good qualities that may help to put Zambia in the right track; but he has some other features of his character that make people suspicious and apprehensive about his leadership. As some pictures present him with a cross, I pray that he may learn from the cross, which implies humility, service and suffering for others' sake.

May God bless Zambia.

MAY GOD BLESS ZAMBIA

Tomorrow, it will be a great day for Zambia; a day in which the people of Zambia will hold the future in their own hands. There are many expectations and also many apprehensions. How are people going to vote? Is the election going to be free and fair? And how truthful is the counting of the votes going to be? Is it going to be like in the past, where in several places more vote were cast than the number of residents living in that place? We pray for truthfulness and fairness. No tricks done behind the back of the people.

Zambia needs change, a peaceful change, which comes from a deep desire of a better life for Zambia. I pray for Zambia and for the Zambian people. I pray that God may give them wisdom and courage. I pray for the winners and for the losers, because all of them are Zambians and all of them want the best for their beloved country. The losers must accept their defeat; and the winners must show respect for all those who did not vote for them. However, this will not be possible, if the ballot counting is not in an open and irreproachable way.

May God bless Zambia, so that Zambia may always enjoy peace.

XXV SUNDAY: Mt 20:1-16

Salvation is not a right, but a gift

Sometimes, Jesus’ words can be puzzling, going against what we call common sense, according to our thinking. In the first reading, God warns us: “my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your ways” (Is 55:8). And Jesus makes that very clear both in his teaching and his actions.

In a way, the parable of the landowner calling workers to his vineyard tries to give a justification to the saying: “the last will be first, and the first, last.” It sounds strange, but it is a reality of life, even if it does not happen every day. Do you want to see clear examples of that? Just remember what has been happening in some countries, like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The ones who were all powerful yesterday are today in prison or in hiding. They were the first, and now they became the last. 

If we play tricks with life, life will play tricks with us. We should never behave as the owners of life or as people who are superior to others. When we forget the others and start dominating them, we are preparing our own downfall.

In the parable, all the workers were paid the same. According to old and modern mentality, that was very unfair. Nowadays, it would cause a strike or even a riot. It is accepted wisdom that different work goes with different pay. However, if we concentrate on this line of thought, we miss the whole point of the parable, which is not dealing with fairness, but with generosity. 

The truth of the matter is that all of them were jobless and all of them were lost in idleness. The landowner came to their rescue, not out of need, but of love and compassion. That’s why he kept on checking if there more people in need of work. And he invited all of them to his vineyard. He wanted them to have a purpose in life and to have their dignity restored, because idleness brings dependence and shame. 

With the first ones, he had agreed a good salary. So he was not cheating or exploiting them. In the end, he gave the same to all, not out of duty, but generosity. God calls all of us, and he gives to all the same payment, salvation.

The parable of the landowner who called different workers at different times to his vineyard and paid all of them the same amount tells us that salvation is not a right we were born with or one which we acquired with our hard work. Salvation is a gift from a loving God. We cannot be jealous, when God calls others and offers to them the same salvation he offered to us. Instead, we must be thankful for the great things God has done for us.

SEPTEMBER 11: the madness of hatred

Ten yars ago, I was enjoying my holidays, as I am doing this year. I was spending three days with Fr. Adriano, who had been my classmate in the seminary. In the morning, In th morning, I entered the sitting room, where Fr. Adriano’s mother was watching television, and something strange was happening, broadcasted live from America. After a while, Fr. Adriano joined me and we spent most of the day in front of the screen. Ten years have passed, and the events of September 11 still reverberate throughout the world.

How can such an act be justified? How could it be done in the name of God? And how could they claim martyrdom? The martyrs are killed, they don’t kill. The martyrs are ready to die in faithfulness to God, who is a God of life and love. They cannot commit suicide and transform their death into an orgy of blood, chaos, destruction and death. It is blasphemy to do the most horrendous things in the name of the most sacred One. God cannot be used to justify any violence, much less the violence that comes out of hatred.

Jesus warned Peter:  the ones who “take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Mt 26:52). Violence generates violence; and that’s what happened in the aftermath of September 11: Afghanistan was invaded and then Iraq. Since then, plenty of blood has been shed and countless families have lost their beloved ones, with many others suffering distress and living in fear.

The Sunday readings of today are very appropriate for the occasion: they stress the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. In the first reading, Sirach warns us that resentment, anger, hatred and vengeance are foul things, because they are enemies of peace and the enemies of life. Blessed are the peacemakers; they are children of God.

Let us work for peace.
The video link posted below shows the horrors of September 11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mz0_x7313I&feature=fvst

XXIV SUNDAY: Mt 18:21-35

Forgiveness

Peter put to Jesus a very pertinent question: How many times should I forgive? The answer was very simple: Always!

God is always ready to forgive, and we are called to be perfect as the Father. However, it is a very difficult thing to do. How can I forgive? Humanly speaking, we prefer vengeance to forgiveness. We do not believe that people may change and we are not ready to give them a second opportunity. In our thirst for revenge, we pay evil with evil. 

About that, Paul wrote to the Romans: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Ro 12:21), and “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Ro 12:14).

In fact, we are able to forgive only when we experience God’s forgiveness, after realising the destructive power of our sin. Forgiveness is something that we must learn at the feet of Jesus.

We should not think that forgiveness and reconciliation are only a personal thing and applies only to personal relationships. Forgiveness can have political dimensions, and it is never a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength in dignity. You can remember Nelson Mandela and the change he brought about by his attitude and his policy of forgiveness and reconciliation. To forgive does not mean to ignore or to accept evil, but it implies confidence  in others ability to change and be better. Reconciliation is  a positive choice made by someone who refuses to build society on hatred and violence.

RESENTMENT, ANGER AND VENGEANCE

Next Sunday, the first reading is from the book of Sirach, also called Ecclesiasticus. This book was not accepted in the Jewish canon of the Bible, which is the canon followed by the Protestant Churches. The original was written in Hebrew and then translated into Greek by a grandchild of the author. This translation entered the Greek translation of the Bible, which was the Bible used by the Jews of the diaspora, and then by the early Christians. In this way, it entered the Christian canon of the Bible, as it is accepted by Catholics and Orthodoxes. 

Sirach is a very interesting book full of traditional wisdom, reflections on life and teaching for good living, full of  faithfulness and uprightness. It helps us to be more human, and in that way to become truer images of God.

Resentment, anger and vengeance “are foul things”; nothing good can comes out of them. It is impossible to build a human and just society on them. Vengeance only brings violence, destruction and death. Many times, what is called justice in the world, is no more than vengeance. 

“He who exacts vengeance will experience the vengeance of the Lord”. “Forgive your neighbour the hurt he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven.” (Sirach)

Mary, the blessed one

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the birthday of Mary, the mother of the Lord. All of us pay great attention to show love and recognition to our mothers, specially on their birthday. The children and then the grandchildren come together and the whole family express their communion and unity as a family around the mother.

Mary gives us the felling that we are children and that we have a mother who loves us and cares for us. She has a very special place in the Church, and we should give her a special place in our lives as well. We can learn so much from her: the care, the love, the attention. With Jesus, she was not always there, but she was there in the most important times, when she was most needed. If she did not understand, she would be there, keep quiet, meditate and pray over it. She was a woman of faith, who put all her life at the service of the Lord.

In my childhood, 7-8 September were very important days, because in Lamego, the nearby town, a big feast in honour of Our Lade of Remedies was celebrated. People would come from all the surrounding villages and towns and even from far away to participate in the great feast.  They would climb up the hill to pray and to ask for remedy for the suffering present in their lives. Then they would come down and rejoice at the foot of the hill. The feast was also an occasion for a big trade fair, where you can find all kinds of products. 

MY PASTORAL PRIORITIES

A big celebration in Chililabombwe.

In my pastoral work in Zambia, I spent most of the years with Fr. Manuel Castro, who is now in Portugal in charge of the spiritual year, an year of special spiritual formation for those who are preparing themselves to enter the Good News Missionary Society. This year, there are only two, one from the North of Mozambique and the other from the South of Mozambique. I was given the opportunity to talk to them about my missionary experience, and I spoke about what were my pastoral priorities during my years at the service of Lubengele Parish in Chililabombwe.

1. Catechesis, well organised, with catechists well prepared, because that is the basis of everything else. Christians must know and understand what they believe in.
2. Youth. The Bemba proverb tells it all: imiti ikula, e mpanga (the growing trees are the forest). They are the future. We must have always time for them, being with them and sharing with them.
3. Marriage and family are another pillar of the Church and of society. We need strong families, deeply rooted in Jesus Christ. When we pay attention to the youth, we are preparing future good families. We must pay attention to young couples, even if they are not ready yet to have their marriage in church.
4. Liturgy. The Liturgy must be always well prepared and well celebrated, but special attention must be given to the great feast of the Christian calendar, like Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, Christmas. People must have something to remember and to refer to. The feasts must be always special celebrations that touch the hearts and minds of everybody.
5. Leadership training is another very important priority. A parish priest must be always ready to spend time with leadership training. What he learnt in the seminary is enough for that. As he prepares material, he has to research, to read and to reflect, and that will keep him up to date in many areas of our faith and our christian teaching.
6. Women. They are the majority in the Church, and they do most of the work. They must be recognised and empowered to participate. We must remember that in society and in the church there are still many things that oppress women.
7. Poor. Poverty is a huge problem, and the Christian community alone cannot solve it. In fact, that is the first responsibility of the government, and they must put in place policies that improve the social situation of the underprivileged. However, a Christian community that does not pay attention to the poor, does not deserve to be called Christian. Even if the majority have very little, there is always something to share. With the poor, we must put as well the sick. Many parishes are doing a very good work with Home Based Care groups. But this is a work for all and not for just a few.

Others may have slightly different pastoral priorities, but if they are at the service of the Church they move around the same or similar issues. May God bless them all.

XXIII SUNDAY: Ro 13:8-10

AVOID DEBTS

Paul’s advise is very much relevant for the situation we live in. A good number of european nations are in deep trouble, because of their debts. The economy of the United States is shaky, because of the continuous borrowing. They say that they will pay their debts; but will they? Individuals and nations have been spending more than they can afford, thinking that money would generate money and bring in huge profits. People were encouraged to borrow: they borrowed for the house, the car and plenty of other things. In the end, they could not afford even to pay the interest, which changed according to the market’s whims. You borrowed at 5%, but a few months later you have to pay 8 or 10%, because the interest went up. The debts are like a rope around the necks of many people, in which they are going to be hung.

The Western capitalist society as been built on a search for profits, ever great profits. That makes multinational companies look for the cheapest labour market and the country with lowest taxes, moving their factories from one place to another and leaving behind unemployed people. The big financiers move their billions even faster, disrupting and destroying economies. Why? Because of their greed. In fact, greed has become the king of the world, destroying the lives and the economies of many.

We need a new culture in our financial world, one that puts people at the centre of the economy. And people must be guided by a new mentality as well. People need to learn to save and to live with what they can afford. Why should we spent our money in so many useless things? Why should we get the latest gadgets, even when we cannot afford them? Why to borrow money to buy a television set or even to buy a car? Better to wait! We must  learn how to choose our priorities, and use our money on what is essential. Some do not have money for food or to send the children to school, but they find money to buy and maintain a cell phone. One can live very well without cell phone. Or is it a question of prestige?

Paul’s advise is very important: “Avoid getting into debt”.  There is only one debt that we have to pay and all of us can pay it: the debt of love. If we had remembered that, we would not be now in the troubling situation we find ourselves in.