PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR MY FIFTY YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD

On 29 April 2023, I celebrate fifty years of priesthood. I was ordained in Nampula, Mozambique by the Bishop Manuel Vieira Pinto on the Second Sunday of Easter.

Before the Lord, I give thanks and praise.

With great rejoicing, I sing God’s glory 

and remember his merciful blessings.

You called me while I was still a child,

putting in my heart a deep love for your word

and a strong desire to proclaim it.

I give thanks to God

for these fifty years

at the service of the Gospel,

giving witness to Jesus Christ.

Being led by his hand,

I’ve spoken in his name.

Walking with him,

I’ve bestowed his blessings

on all those who follow him

to share with him in God’s glory.

As I celebrate this golden jubilee, 

I praise the Lord for calling me to be his servant, 

entrusting me with the ministry of his Word. 

I praise the Lord for guiding 

and protecting me over the years 

in the seminaries of Resende, Lamego and Valadares 

as I prepared for the ministry in his Church. 

I praise the Lord for being always by my side 

as I ventured into different countries 

with different languages, customs and cultures. 

I praise the Lord who led me with his Spirit 

in the pastoral work in Mozambique and then in Zambia. 

I give thanks to God for my family, 

for all those with whom I share in the ministry 

and those I crossed paths with along the journey of life.

***

Diante do Senhor, dou graças e louvores; 

com grande júbilo, canto a glória de Deus 

e recordo as suas bênçãos misericordiosas. 

Chamaste-me ainda criança, 

e puseste no meu coração 

um profundo amor pela tua palavra

e um forte desejo de a anunciar. 

Dou graças a Deus 

por estes cinquenta anos 

ao serviço do Evangelho, 

dando testemunho de Jesus Cristo.

Guiado pela sua mão,

falei em seu nome 

e, caminhando com ele, 

derramei as suas bênçãos

sobre todos os que o seguem 

para participarem com ele 

na glória de Deus. 

Ao celebrar estas bodas de ouro, 

louvo o Senhor por me ter chamado a ser seu servo, 

confiando-me o ministério da sua Palavra. 

Louvo o Senhor por me ter guiado e protegido ao longo dos anos, 

nos seminários de Resende, Lamego e Valadares, 

na minha preparação para o ministério na sua Igreja. 

Louvo o Senhor por ter estado sempre ao meu lado 

quando me aventurei por outros países 

com diferentes línguas, costumes e culturas.

Louvo o Senhor que me conduziu com o seu Espírito 

no trabalho pastoral em Moçambique e depois na Zâmbia. 

Dou graças a Deus pela minha família, 

por todos aqueles com quem partilho o ministério 

e por todos aqueles com quem me cruzei 

ao longo da jornada da vida.

***

Naisa pa cinso ca Mfumu, 

ku kumutasha no kumutatakula.

Mu kusangalala apakalamba, 

naimbila Lesa amalumbo

no kwibukisha amapalo 

ya luse lwakwe.

We Mfumu, wanjitile 

mu bwaice bwandi,

wabikile mu mutima wandi 

icitemwiko ce shiwi lyobe,

walengele no kufwaisha 

ukubila imbila nsuma yobe.

Ndetasha Lesa

pa myaka amakumi yasano

ya butumishi bwa Mbila nsuma,

mu kwiminina bunte 

pali Yesu Kristu.

Nalandile mwishina lyakwe,

lintu umwine alenjikata ku kuboko.

Mu kwendela pamo nankwe,

nafumfumwine amapalo

pali bonse abalemukonka

ku kuba pamo nankwe 

mu bukata bwakwa Lesa.

Pa kusefya imyaka amakumi yasano 

ya bupatilisho bwandi,

ndelumbanya Lesa ku mulandu wa kunjita 

no kuncita umutumishi wakwe 

pa kunsekesha umulimo we Shiwi lyakwe.

Ndelumbanya Lesa ku mulandu wa kuntungulula no kuncingilila 

lintu nalesambilila mu seminario.

Ndelumbanya Lesa ku mulandu wa kunshindika lyonse no kuba pamo na ine, 

lintu naile ku fyalo fimbi, nasambilile indimi ne ntambi shimbi.

Ndelumbanya Lesa, pantu antungulwile na Mweo 

mu milimo ya bukacema iyo nabombele 

ku Mozambique elyo na ku Zambia.

Ndetasha Lesa apakalamba nganshi 

pa lupwa lwandi na pali bonse ababombele pamo na ine 

kabili na pali bonse abo nakumenye mu nshila sha bumi.

***

Mbenakusanchila Lesa pakatampe, mambo a myaka 50 ya bupatili bwami.

Aye Lesa ye wangichile, kabiji ye wantangijile ne kundama mu mingilo yonse yo napainwe kwingila. Mbenakulomba mapesho a kwa Lesa kuji bonse bo natambwileko bukwasho nangwa kuji bonse bo nataine mu jishinda ja bumi.

THEY RECOGNISED HIM IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

III EASTER SUNDAY - Luke 24:13-35

On this third Sunday of Easter, we are called to reflect on our lives looking at the two disciples travelling to Emmaus. It sounds as if they were going back to the village. Were they ordinary people who had gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration and got interested in Jesus or were they close followers of Jesus who accompanied him to Jerusalem in the hope of seeing the great manifestation of the Messiah? They were disciples and one of them, Cleopas, was well known in the community for his name to be remembered. Being highly disappointed with the events that took place in Jerusalem, they went back to the village. Their hopes had been dashed. All people had looked upon Jesus as a great prophet and the miracles he performed were a guarantee that God was with him. But they were mistaken and the crucifixion proved it to be so. They were extremely perplexed and could not come to terms with Jesus’ demise on the cross. 

They talked about all the events, as they walked along. It was as if a dark cloud had taken away all light, leaving them in darkness. They were sad and in distress. It was then that Jesus came to make them company. We can remember His reassuring words: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28). They were so overburdened that they could not cry out to the Lord, and he took the initiative.

All of us go through difficult moments in life and may experience distress and disappointment. In life, there are moments of darkness that leave us hopeless. Then,  looking for a refuge, we may try to withdraw back to the old ways, as if that were possible. In such moments, if someone comes our way, it feels like a blessing. And Jesus is always nearby, ready to accompany us and speak to us with words of strength and courage. He speaks to us through the Scriptures, making it possible for us to understand God’s purpose for our lives. Listening to the Scriptures, explained by Jesus, those two disciples felt a change in their hearts and their attitude, making it possible to invite Jesus to remain with them: “Stay with us”. We must do the same and invite Jesus to come into our lives and spend time with us. Then, it is possible to celebrate, approaching the table of the Lord, and receiving the bread that he gives us. The communion with Jesus, which is a communion with his death and resurrection, is essential for us to recognise him and then to give witness to him. The two disciples could not spend the night in Emmaus. They were in a hurry to share with the others that He had risen from the dead and was alive. They had recognised him in the Eucharistic celebration: “Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

LIVING IN A FRATERNAL COMMUNITY

II EASTER SUNDAY - Acts 2:42-47

In the Acts of the Apostles, at the end of chapter two, Luke presents, in a summary, the idealised traits of the Christian Community, which must serve as a model to our communities. The ideal may seem too high but we should strive to live according to that ideal. On our own, we will never achieve that which is proposed to us. That’s why Jesus bestowed the Holy Spirit on his disciples, as he entrusted them with the ministry of reconciliation (Jn 20:22-23).

According to Luke, the life of the Christian Community moved around four main axes:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Act 2:42)

Some exegetes interpret these four axes as the basic structure of the Eucharistic celebration as it was done in the first Christian generation:

1. the teaching of the Apostles represents the liturgy of the word, which is essential for a valid Eucharistic celebration.
2. the fellowship represents the meal taken together - that is the table fellowship which went with the Eucharist. From Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we know that this table fellowship caused problems (1 Co 11:33) and, due to those problems, ended up disappearing.
3. then, it followed the breaking of the bread, in which they repeated Jesus’ gestures and words in the Last Supper.
4. finally, there were prayers, which have always constituted an important aspect of the Eucharist.

However, most of the experts understand this passage as referring to the community life of the first Christians, presenting us with the essential aspects that must be present in any community that calls itself Christian.

The teaching of the Apostles is paradigmatic, setting up the norm of what we believe. Throughout the history of the Church, There have been always people who make their doctrine and establish their own rules and teaching. The Church is called apostolic because it stands rooted in the teaching of the Apostles. More than in the past, nowadays we find people who pretend to have their church in accordance with the prevalent ideologies of the moment. However, to remain in the Church of Christ, we must be faithful to the teaching of the Apostles.

Even though, the table fellowship is no anymore connected with the Eucharist, fellowship is essential for a Christian community. There must be coming together and sharing. We must live and behave like the family of God.

In the breaking of bread, Jesus invites us to his table and gives us the bread of life. for us to be partakers of his body and blood. The Church has never stopped celebrating the Eucharist, obeying Jesus’ command: Do this in remembrance of me. In the Eucharist - which includes the Word of God and the breaking of bread - we have a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy in which God’s love is celebrated by singing together God’s praises.

The prayer life is another indispensable element of community life: “They went as a body to the Temple every day”.

Let us pray to the Lord that he may fill us with his Spirit who makes possible reconciliation and guides us towards the family of the children of God.

O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?

EASTER SUNDAY - John 20:1-9

John stresses that the disciples recognised Jesus’ resurrection “on the first day of the week”. Other proclamations of faith speak that Jesus “was raised on the third day” (1 Co 15:4; Act 10:40). The first day of the week is the first day of a new beginning. The resurrection of Jesus marks a new creation or a new world order built upon a new covenant - a covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for the remission of sins. This new beginning came as a surprise, even for the closest of the disciples. 

Early in the morning, while “still dark”, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb. For us, it sounds a bit strange. Why did she go to the tomb? Was she alone or with others? Jesus had been buried in a hurry, leaving no time for all the funeral rites. Maybe she wanted to pay her last respect to Jesus. How was she going to do that, since a heavy stone had been rolled to the entrance of the tomb? We may remember that it was a tradition by then to visit the tombs of the prophets. Arriving at the tomb, Mary had a big chock: “She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb”. Who would do such a thing? Tomb robberies were common by then. Or were the enemies who wanted to dispose of the body of Jesus? In no way did she think that Jesus had risen from the dead. Indeed, “Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.” Thus, in big alarm, she run to inform Peter and the beloved disciple that the Lord was taken out of the tomb. Immediately, they ran to the tomb to verify the veracity of Mary’s information. The tomb was empty, and that was verified by three qualified witnesses.

Mary of Magdala, Simon Peter and the beloved disciple represent the new community, born of the ministry of Jesus, but a community confronted with Jesus’ death and then with an empty tomb. They are at a loss, scared and alarmed. Despite Jesus’ announcement that he would rise from the dead, his real resurrection was beyond their dreams and expectations. Peter and the other disciple run to the tomb and, when they went in, they found no signs of robbery. Everything was in perfect order: They “saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.” As soon as the beloved disciple saw that, he understood and believed. That harmony was a clear sign of Jesus’ victory over death. And we may sing with St, Paul:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, 

and the power of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God, 

who gives us the victory 

through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Co 15:54-57)

May the Risen Christ fill all of you with his blessings.

JESUS’ PASSION

PALM SUNDAY - Matthew 26:14-27:66

With Palm Sunday, we begin the Holy Week that ends with the Pascal triduum, when we celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this Sunday, during the three-year cycle, we read the passion narrative of one of the synoptic gospels. And so this year, we read Saint Matthew’s passion, which deserves an attentive reading in an attempt to grasp some of the major themes. 

It begins with the betrayal of Judas. It surprises us that he belonged to the group of the Apostles. How could he sink so low and betray Jesus for a few coins - 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Ex 21:32). And we may ask: Was it only for the money? Probably, there were other reasons. Was he disappointed, because Jesus did not fulfil his expectations? Maybe, he thought that Jesus did not recognise his value. Holding a grudge against Jesus, he decided on revenge. Jesus was well aware of his machinations and made it known during the last supper. However, Judas ignored the warning and went ahead with his treachery. Even though, he had not thought about the consequences of his acts. Thus, Jesus‘ sentence to death by the Council of the Jews came as surprise. He didn’t desire such an outcome. His sense of guilt was so deep that, in despair, he put an end to his life.

Among the disciples, another major figure during the passion was Simon Peter. He had been chosen to be the leader of the Apostles and had always shown a deep attachment to Jesus. Being the most outspoken of the Apostles, he gave expression to his thoughts and his feelings. He could not understand how Jesus was intent on going to Jerusalem and how he could accept (or even desire) to be killed at the hands of the religious ruling class. Warned by Jesus that he would deny him, he answered: “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Those were the words of a braggart who overestimated his courage. Once put to the test, he was not able to stand by Jesus and quickly denied him. All the other disciples run away and went into hiding. Indeed, the sheep of the flock were scattered because the shepherd was cut from this world. 

Judas and Peter are examples of two completely different attitudes: Judas despaired of salvation and committed suicide, while Peter shed tears of repentance and, confessing his sin, showed his confidence in the loving mercy of Christ. He had made with Jesus a deep experience of love and mercy that filled him with hope, leading him back to Jesus.

We may look as well at Caiaphas and Pilate, the two most important figures in Jesus’ trial. As the high priest, Caiaphas presided over the Sanhedrin and conducted the religious trial, formulating the big question that would decide the fate of Jesus: “… tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus’ answer - “… you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” - led to his condemnation. Behind Jesus’ condemnation, there was a religious ideology that felt threatened by his actions and decided to protect itself by getting rid of Jesus. And they were ready to commit injustice in the name of God. Pilate, the roman governor, did not care about justice and truth, but about his power and the roman empire that he served. He condemned Jesus on trumped-up charges, just for political expedience.

In Matthew’s passion, we are invited to look at Simon from Cyrene who carried Jesus’ cross, at the roman centurion who recognised Jesus as a son of God and then at Joseph of Arimathaea who buried the body of Jesus.

As we meditate on Jesus’ passion, let us bring before the Lord the passion of all those who suffer injustice.