[:mt]Nitolbu b’fiduċja[:en]Praying with confidence[:]

[:mt]Ħsieb ta’ Chiara Lubich

Il-pandemija qanqlet individwi u assoċjazzjonijiet, nies li jaħdmu fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tax-xjenza, gvernijijiet u organizzazzjonijiet internazzjonali biex jagħtu sehemhom b’ħafna modi differenti. L-impenn u l-ġenerożità, spiss b’mod erojku mhumiex nieqsa. Ma’ dawn l-isforzi kollha tajjeb li nżidu sehem deċiżiv li jiġi mit-talb li kapaċi jċaqlaq il-muntanji.

” […] It-tfal ta’ din l-art għandhom fiduċja f’missierhom, jemmnu fih, jintelqu f’idejh u jħallu dak li jinkwethom f’idejh ukoll, dejjem iħossuhom fiż-żgur ma’ missierhom, anki fiċ-ċirkustanzi l-aktar diffiċli, iebsa u ta’ tbatija.

L-istess irid jagħmel “it-tifel” tal-Vanġelu ma’ Missieru tas-Sema.

Hu importanti li nġibu ruħna b’dan il-mod, u hekk irridu nagħmlu dejjem, għax spiss iċ-ċirkustanzi, il-ġrajjiet u l-provi jaħkmuna u ma nkunux nistgħu negħlbuhom bil-forzi tagħna biss; inkunu neħtieġu għajnuna aktar qawwija.

Ikollna bżonn ta’ għajnuna partikulari, ta’ fidi kbira fl-imħabba tal-Missier, fil-Providenza tiegħu, kif qed nindunaw li għandna bżonn f’dawn il-ġranet. […] Aħna nitħassbu u nippruvaw naraw […] x’nistgħu nagħmlu. U l-ewwel ħaġa li tiġi fi qlubna hi: nitolbu, ningħaqdu lkoll biex nitolbu ħalli neħilsu minn dan il-flaġell. U min ftit, u min ħafna, żgur li bdejna nagħmlu hekk: Nitolbu. Imma kif jeħtieġ nitolbu biex naqilgħu?

[…] Fl-ewwel ittra ta’ San Ġwann insibu kliem sabiħ u li jimliek bil-kuraġġ; jgħid: “Jekk inħobbu lil xulxin Alla jgħammar fina u mħabbtu ssib il-milja tagħha fina” (1 Ġw 4, 12).

“Imħabbtu ssib il-milja tagħha fina.” Jekk imħabbtu ssib il-milja tagħha fina, fina jkun hemm il-milja tal-imħabba. U biex fina jkun hemm il-milja tal-imħabba, aħna rridu nħobbu lil xulxin.

F’dawn il-ġranet ( fir-Regolament tal-Fokolarini) introduċejna regola li hi bażika u essenzjali: id-dmir (…) li jagħmlu patt mal-fokolarini l-oħra […], jagħmlu patt li jkunu lesti li jmutu għal xulxin kif jitlob il-kmandament ta’ Ġesù.

Iżda din id-deċiżjoni, dan il-patt mhuwiex xi monopolju tal-fokolarini li jgħixu f’komunità. Hi liġi għall-membri kollha tal-Opra tagħna. Meta ngħixu dan il-patt, l-imħabba fina tilħaq il-milja tagħha; inkunu perfetti fl-imħabba u hekk nogħġbu lil Alla. U allura nkunu f’kundizzjoni li naqilgħu l-grazzji li nixtiequ, anki dawk li għalihom ikun hemm bżonn li jiċċaqalqu l-muntanji.

Jekk irridu naħdmu għal dinja magħquda b’mod siewi, naħseb li f’dawn il-ġranet hemm bżonn li nġeddu din id-dispozzjoni tar-ruħ tagħna, bejnietna u ma’ dawk li niltaqgħu magħhom, li jafu l-Moviment. Naturalment l-ewwel irridu noħolqu l-premessi neċessarji, inqanqlu l-atmosfera meħtieġa biex inkunu nistgħu ngħidu b’kuraġġ lill-persuna l-oħra: “Bil-grazzja t’Alla, jien irrid inkun lesta li mmut għalik” u tkun tista’ tisma’ lill-persuna l-oħra tgħidlek: “U jien għalik”.

Imbagħad jeħtieġ li nġibu ruħna skont dak li nkunu għidna, filwaqt li nkebbsu n-nar tal-imħabba għal kull proxxmu. […] Din hi l-bażi biex nitolbu b’fiduċja li ser naqilgħu.

Chiara Lubich

(minn konferenza telefonika, Mollens, 13 ta’ Settembru 1990)[:en]

Spiritual thought by Chiara Lubich

To cope with the pandemic, individuals and associations, health workers and scientific communities, governments and international organizations are responding in a variety of ways. Creativity and generosity, which are often heroic, are never lacking. To all these efforts should be added the decisive contribution that comes from prayer that is able to move mountains.

” […] Just as each child in this world trusts his or her own father, believes in him, relies completely on him, lets him take care of every worry and feels secure with him, even in difficult, painful or impossible circumstances, the very same thing is what a “child” of the Gospel does and should do with our heavenly Father.

This childlike attitude is very important, always, because we are often overwhelmed by circumstances, by things that happen or trials that we cannot overcome only with our own strength, but which call for help from above. At this very time we are particularly aware of our need to have a great faith in the Father’s love and in his Providence. … We have been worried and we still are; and we have been wondering what we could do. […] The first answer that took root in our hearts was to pray: to unite all together and pray so as to avert disaster. And everyone – to a greater or lesser extent – has surely begun to do this. To pray. But we need to pray in a way that will obtain results. […]

In the first letter of St John we find a very beautiful and encouraging expression: “ […] If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us (1 Jn 4:12). “His love is perfected in us.” But if His love is perfected in us, and as long as his love is perfected in us, we are perfect. Therefore, we have this perfection of love by living mutual love.

In the last few days […] we have introduced [into the Regulation of the focolarini] a norm which is basic and essential for them. It’s the duty […] to make a pact with the other focolarini, to be ready to die for one another, as required by Jesus’ commandment.

But this decision, this pact, is certainly not the monopoly of the focolarini who live in community. It is the law for all the members of our Movement. Living out this pact ensures that love in us is perfected and that we are perfect in love. Thus we are pleasing to God and in the best condition to obtain the graces we desire, even the ones needed to move mountains.

I think that if we want to work effectively for a united world, then in the next few days we need to renew with one another and with all the people we meet who know our Movement, our readiness to give our lives. Of course, we must first prepare the ground and create the right atmosphere, so that we can courageously say to the other person: “With God’s grace, I want to be ready to die for you” and so that we can hear the other person say: “And I for you.”

Then we must act accordingly, stoking up the fire of love with regard to every neighbour. […] On this basis, we can pray being sure that our prayers will be answered.

Chiara Lubich

(From a telephone conference call, Mollens, Switzerland, 13^th September 1990)

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