On September 13, the bishop of Funchal, D. Nuno Brás, presided over the Eucharist of the Feast of the Lord of Patience at the Monastery of Santo António, in Lombo dos Aguiares, Funchal. The celebration was attended by many faithful and was concelebrated by fathers André Pinheiro and Aires Gameiro, followed by the usual procession.
In his homily, D. Nuno Brás challenged the faithful to look at God in the midst of difficulties and to let themselves be transformed by His love. The bishop recalled that, just as the people of Israel in the desert doubted God's ability to save them, today too human beings are often tempted to think that God has abandoned them, especially when facing sadness, suffering, and a lack of hope.
D. Nuno Brás placed particular emphasis on God's patience with each person, asking: "If He had no patience for everyone, what would become of us?". The bishop warned that a lack of patience is not a small fragility, but rather something that prevents human beings from living fully, referring specifically to feelings of hatred and resentment that can remain for years and bind a person to the past.
The bishop of Funchal also invited the faithful to move beyond a merely contemplative attitude, stating: "Let us look at the Lord, but above all, let us let ourselves be looked upon by Him". D. Nuno Brás particularly greeted the Clarisse Sisters, who have been the guardians of this feast for more than half a century, expressing the wish that the celebration would be for them a sign and a help in living the Christian life and prayer.
