English
Malti
[:mt]“Ifirħu dejjem fil-Mulej” (Fil 4, 4). Download pdf
L-appostlu San Pawl kien qed jikteb lill-komunità tal-belt ta’ Filippi waqt li hu stess kien għaddej minn persekuzzjoni li poġġietu f’diffikultajiet kbar. Madankollu, lil dawn il-ħbieb għeżież tiegħu tahom parir, anzi ordnalhom biex “jifirħu dejjem”.
Imma tista’ tordna `l xi ħadd biex ikun dejjem ferħan?
Jekk inħarsu madwarna, ħafna drabi lanqas is-sliem ma nsibu, aħseb u ara l-ferħ!
Quddiem il-persekuzzjonijiet tal-ħajja, l-inġustizzji tas-soċjetà u l-ġlied bejn ilġnus diġà hu diffiċli ma naqtgħux qalbna, ma nċedux u ma ningħalqux fina nfusna. Iżda Pawlu qed jistieden lilna wkoll u jgħidilna:
“IFIRĦU DEJJEM FIL-MULEJ”.
X’inhu s-sigriet?
“[…] minkejja d-diffikultajiet kollha, hemm raġuni għaliex għandna nkunu dejjem ferħana. Jekk nieħdu l-ħajja nisranija b’impenn, din twassalna għall-ferħ. Permezz ta’ din il-ħajja, Ġesù jgħix fina b’mod sħiħ u għalhekk ma nistgħux ma nkunux ferħana. Hu l-għajn tal-veru ferħ, għax jagħti sens `il ħajjitna, imexxina bid-dawl tiegħu, jeħlisna minn kull biża’ kemm tal-imgħoddi kif ukoll dak li għadu ġej, isaħħaħna biex negħlbu d-diffikultajiet kollha, it-tentazzjonijiet u l-provi li nistgħu niltaqgħu magħhom”1.
Il-ferħ tan-nisrani mhuwiex sempliċement ottimiżmu, jew sigurtà li tiġi mill-ġid materjali, jew il-kuntentizza ta’ min għadu żagħżugħ u b’saħħtu. Hu pjuttost ilfrott tal-laqgħa persunali tagħna m’Alla li jinsab fil-fond ta’ qalbna.
“IFIRĦU DEJJEM FIL-MULEJ”.
Pawlu żied jgħid li dan il-ferħ jitwieled fina jekk aħna jkollna l-ħila nilqgħu lillproxxmu tagħna bil-ħlewwa, jekk aħna nkunu lesti li niddedikaw il-ħin għal dawk ta’ madwarna.
F’okkażjoni oħra Pawlu jtenni b’ċerta qawwa kliem Ġesù li qal: “Min jagħti hu aktar hieni minn min jieħu”2.
Mill-ħbiberija tagħna ma’ Ġesù aħna niksbu wkoll il-paċi tal-qalb, dik il-paċi li bil-qawwa tagħha tmiss il-qalb tal-proxxmu tagħna.
Minkejja l-perikli serji u l-problemi li ġġib magħha l-gwerra, m’ilux fis-Sirja numru mdaqqas ta’ żgħażagħ iltaqgħu flimkien biex jaqsmu l-esperjenzi tagħhom dwar l-għajxien tal-Vanġelu u jħossu l-ferħ li ġġib magħha l-imħabba lejn xulxin. Imbagħad wara telqu lura deċiżi li jagħtu xhieda li iva, hu possibbli li l-bnedmin jgħixu bħal aħwa ta’ xulxin. Wieħed li kien hemm kiteb hekk:
“Smajna ħafna stejjer ta’ tbatija kbira, ta’ tama u ta’ fidi erojka fl-imħabba t’Alla. Kien hemm min tilef kull ma kellu u issa kien qed jgħix mal-familja tiegħu f’kamp tar-refuġjati; kien hemm min ra `l-qraba għeżież tiegħu jmutu […]. Dawn iż-żgħażagħ qed jagħmlu ħilithom kollha biex jagħtu l-ħajja lill-oħrajn: huma jorganizzaw festivals fl-ibiet li fihom jieħdu sehem eluf ta’ nies; reġgħu bnew skola u ġnien fiċ-ċentru ta’ raħal, li qatt ma kienu tlestew minħabba l-gwerra; joffru għajnuna lil ħafna familji ta’ refuġjati […]. Qed niftakar f’dak li kienet qalet Chiara Lubich: “Il-ferħ tan-nisrani hu bħal raġġ tax-xemx li jiddi fuq demgħa, hu bħal fjura li twarrad fuq ferita mdemma’, hu essenza ta’ mħabba li tissaffa bit-tbatija […] u għalhekk fih hemm il-qawwa appostolika ta’ dehra tal-Ġenna”3. F’ħutna s-Sirjani aħna nsibu l-qawwa tal-ewwel insara; f’din il-gwerra mill-aktar kiefra huma qed jagħtu xhieda tal-fiduċja u tat-tama f’Alla Mħabba filwaqt li jgħadduha `l dawk li jinsabu magħhom f’dan il-vjaġġ tal-ħajja. Grazzi, Sirja, ta’ din il-lezzjoni ta’ kristjaneżmu ħaj!”.
Letizia Magri
1: C. Lubich, Invito alla gioia, «Città Nuova», 31 (1987/22), p. 11.
2: Atti 20, 35.
3: C. Lubich, La gioia, fil-Ġublew taż-żgħażagħ li sar Ruma fit-12 t’April 1984.
[:en]St Paul wrote to the community in the city of Philippi at a time when he was being persecuted and in serious difficulties. Yet he advised these dear friends of his, in fact he almost commanded them, to “rejoice in the Lord always.”
Is it right to command this kind of thing? Looking at the world around us, there are not that many reasons for feeling good about life, never mind joyful!
With all the worries we have, the social injustice and strained relationships between nations, it’s already hard work to avoid being overwhelmed and discouraged, and therefore just living for ourselves.
Nonetheless, we hear Paul’s invitation to:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
What was his secret? Chiara Lubich wrote “There is a reason why, despite all our difficulties, we should always be joyful. If we take Christian life seriously, it gives us joy. Through Christian life, Jesus is alive in us and when we are with him we cannot fail to be joyful. He is the source of true joy, because he gives meaning to our life and guides us with his light. He frees us from fear, whether we are concerned about the past or about something yet to come. He gives us the strength to overcome all the difficulties, temptations and trials that we might encounter.“
Christian joy is not simple optimism, nor is it the security given by material wellbeing. It isn’t the cheeriness of those who are young and healthy. Instead it is the fruit of a personal meeting with God in the depths of our hearts.
Rejoice in the Lord always.
Paul went on to say that this joy enables us to welcome others in a kindly way and be ready to use our time for others.[1]
Moreover, on another occasion, Paul referred explicitly to Jesus’ saying, “There is more joy in giving than in receiving.”[2]
Being in Jesus’ company gives us an interior peace that has a “disarming” power and can often have a positive impact on the people around us.
Not long ago, despite the dangers and challenges of the war, a large group of Syrian young people met together to share their experiences of living the Gospel and experiencing the joy of mutual love. They went home again determined to witness that it is possible to live as one family.
We were sent this feedback by one of the people there:
“We heard so many stories about great suffering and pain but also about great hope and heroic faith in God’s love. Some people have lost everything and their families are living in a refugee camp. Others saw their loved ones killed. These young people really want to help make a new start. They have organised festivals in different towns, involving thousands of people. They worked to rebuild a school and a garden at the centre of a small village where construction had never been finished due to the war. They have helped many refugee families. The words of Chiara Lubich come to mind, ‘Christian joy is like a ray of sunlight shining through a tear, a rose flowering from blood-stained ground. It is the essence of love distilled from suffering. That is why it has the apostolic power of a glimpse of Paradise.’ In these Syrian brothers and sisters of ours, we saw the fortitude of the first Christians in the way they witness, during this terrible war, to their trust and hope in God who is Love. Their witness helps their friends have the same trust and hope. Thank you, Syrian friends, for this lesson in lived Christianity!”
Letizia Magri
[1]Cf. Phil.4:5.
[2]Acts 20:35.
soundcloud.com/…/word-of-life-december-2018-rejoice-in-the-lord-always-phil-44[:gb]St Paul wrote to the community in the city of Philippi at a time when he himself was being persecuted and in serious difficulties. Yet he advised these dear friends of his, in fact he almost commanded them, to “rejoice in the Lord always”.
Is it right to command this kind of thing?
Looking at the world around us, there are not that many reasons for feeling good about life, never mind joyful!
With all the worries we have, the social injustice and strained relationships between nations, it’s already hard work not letting ourselves be overwhelmed and discouraged, and therefore just live for ourselves.
Nonetheless, we hear Paul’s invitation to:
“Rejoice in the Lord always”.
What was his secret?
“There is a reason why, despite all our difficulties, we should always be joyful. If we take Christian life seriously, it gives us joy. Through Christian life, Jesus lives fully within us and when we are with him we cannot fail to be joyful. He is the source of true joy, because he gives meaning to our life and guides us with his light. He frees us from fear, whether we are concerned about the past or about something yet to come. He gives us the strength to overcome all the difficulties, temptations and trials that we might encounter. (1)
Christian joy is not simple optimism, nor is it the security given by material wellbeing. It isn’t the cheeriness of those who are young and healthy. Instead it is the fruit of a personal meeting with God in the depths of our hearts.
“Rejoice in the Lord always”.
Paul went on to say that this joy enables us to welcome others in a kindly way and be ready to use our time for others.(2)
Moreover, on another occasion, Paul referred explicitly to Jesus’ saying, “there is more joy in giving than in receiving”. (3)
Being in Jesus’ company gives us peace of heart, which can positively influence the people around us with its ‘unarmed’ power.
Not long ago, despite the dangers and problems of the war, a large group of Syrian young people met together to share their experiences of living the Gospel and experiencing the joy of mutual love. They went home again determined to witness that it is possible to live as one family.
We were sent this feedback by one of the people there:
“We heard so many stories in which there was great pain, great hope and heroic faith in God’s love. Some people have lost everything and others saw their loved ones killed. These young people really want to help make a new start. They organised fundraising events involving thousands of people. They worked to rebuild a school, and a garden at the centre of a small village that had never been finished due to the war. They have helped many refugee families. The words of Chiara Lubich come to mind, “Christian joy is like a ray of sunlight shining through a tear, a rose flowering from blood-stained ground. It is the essence of love distilled from suffering. That is why it has the apostolic power of a glimpse of Paradise.” (4) In these Syrian brothers and sisters of ours, we saw the fortitude of the first Christians in the way they witness, during this terrible war, to their trust and hope in God who is Love. Their witness helps their friends have the same trust and hope. Thank you, Syrian friends, for this lesson in lived Christianity!”
Letizia Magri
____________________________
1. C.Lubich, Invito alla gioia, in «Città Nuova», 31 (1987/22), p. 11.
2. Cf. Phil. 4, 5.
3. Acts 20,35.
4. C. Lubich, La gioia, al Giubileo dei giovani, Roma 12 aprile 1984.[:]
Add Comment