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“Is-sliem għalikom! Kif il-Missier bagħat lili, hekk jiena nibgħat lilkom” (Ġw 20,21).
Wara r-rakkont traġiku tal-mewt ta’ Ġesu fuq is-salib, li ħakmet lid-dixxipli b’tant biża’ li
ma kinux jafu x’se jaqbdu jagħmlu, San Ġwann l-evanġelista jxandar aħbar li ħasdithom:
Ġesu qam mill-mewt u reġa’ lura fost ħbiebu! Fil-fatt, nhar Ħadd il-Għid, Ġesu Rxoxt deher lil Marija ta’ Magdala. Dak in-nhar stess filgħaxija deher ukoll lil xi dixxipli oħra li kienu magħluqin ġewwa għax ħassewhom mitlufin u telliefa.
Ġesu mar ifittixhom u ried jerġa’ jiltaqa’ magħhom. Mhux importanti li kienu ttradewh u li
ħarbu quddiem il-periklu; meta dehrilhom urihom is-sinjali tal-passjoni: idejn u sider feruti,
minfudin, kollhom ġrieħi bil-kefrija tas-salib. L-ewwel ħaġa li qalilhom kienet tislima ta’
paċi, li hu tassew don li jinżel f’ruħna u jibdlilna ħajjitna.
Kien dak il-ħin li d-dixxipli fl-aħħar għarfuh u reġgħu mtlew bil-ferħ. Ħassewhom imfejqa, imfarrġa, imdawla; kienu mill-ġdid mal-Imgħallem u Alla tagħhom. Imbagħad Ġesu Rxoxt fdalhom f’idejhom, huma li kienu nies daqshekk dgħajfa, biċċa xogħol mill-aktar impenjattiva: li joħorġu fit-toroq u jwasslu mad-dinja kollha l-aħbar il-ġdida tal- Vanġelu, kif Hu stess kien għamel. X’kuraġġ! Ġesu wera fiduċja sħiħa fihom kif il-Missier kien wera fiduċja fiH.
Fl-aħħar, San Ġwann iżid jgħid li Ġesu “nefaħ fuqhom”. Dan ifisser li Hu qasam magħhom l-istess qawwa li kellu fih, l-istess Spirtu ta’ mħabba li jġedded il-qlub u l-imħuħ.
“IS-SLIEM GĦALIKOM! KIF IL-MISSIER BAGĦAT LILI,
HEKK JIENA NIBGĦAT LILKOM”.
Matul ħajtu Ġesu għadda mill-istess mumenti li ngħaddu minnhom aħna: għex il-ferħ tal ħbiberija, it-tbatija tat-tradiment, l-impenn fix-xogħol u l-għejja fil-vjaġġi tiegħu. Hu jaf aħna x’insarrfu, jaf il-limiti tagħna, it-tbatijiet u l-fallimenti li ngħaddu minnhom fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum. Iżda meta ngħaddu minn dawn il-mumenti ta’ dlam, meta ningħalqu fina nfusna, Hu jibqa’ jfittex `il kull wieħed u waħda minna, jibqa’ jemmen fina, kif għamel mad-dixxipli li nħbew f’kamra mudlama.
Ġesu Rxoxt jistedinna biex flimkien miegħu nagħmlu esperjenza ta’ ħajja ġdida u ta’ paċi, biex imbagħad din naqsmuha mal-oħrajn. Hu jibgħatna nagħtu xhieda tal-laqgħa tagħna Miegħu, jistedinna “noħorġu” barra minna nfusna, miċ-ċertezzi u mil-limiti tagħna, biex inkomplu l-istess missjoni li Hu kien irċieva mingħand il-Missier: iridna nwasslu l-aħbar li Alla hu Mħabba.
“IS-SLIEM GĦALIKOM! KIF IL-MISSIER BAGĦAT LILI,
HEKK JIENA NIBGĦAT LILKOM”.
F’Mejju tal-2005 Chiara Lubich kellha dan xi tgħid fuq din il-Kelma tal-Ħajja: “Illum il-kliem biss mhux biżżejjed. […] L-aħbar tal-Vanġelu tħalli aktar frott jekk isserraħ fuq ix-xhieda tal-għixien tagħna, kif għamlu l-ewwel insara li setgħu jgħidu: ‘Inxandrulkom dak li aħna rajna u smajna…’ 1. Kemm ikun jiswa jekk fuqna wkoll jgħidu bħalma ntqal fuqhom: ‘Ara kemm jinħabbu, u kull wieħed lest li jmut għall-ieħor’ 2. Kemm ikun jiswa jekk inħobbu b’mod konkret billi ngħinu `l min hu fil-bżonn, nagħtu ikel, ħwejjeġ, djar `il min m’għandux, noffru ħbiberija `l min jinsab waħdu jew iddisprat u għajnuna `l min għaddej minn mumenti diffiċli. B’hekk inkunu xhieda lid-dinja ta’ dik il-hena li jnissel fina Ġesu, u billi Kristu jitnissel fina, aħna nagħtu sehemna biex tkompli sseħħ il-ħidma tal-fidwa tiegħu”
“IS-SLIEM GĦALIKOM! KIF IL-MISSIER BAGĦAT LILI,
HEKK JIENA NIBGĦAT LILKOM”.
Aħna wkoll nistgħu mmorru nfittxu `l Ġesu f’ħutna l-bnedmin li qed jgħixu fil-ħabs tattbatija u s-solitudni. Filwaqt li nuruhom rispett, aħna nistgħu noffru lilna nfusna biex inkunu l-wens fil-mixja ta’ ħajjithom ħalli jiksbu l-paċi li jagħti Ġesu, kif qed tagħmel Maria Pia flimkien ma’ ħbiebha li huma impenjati f’ċentru ta’ servizz għall-immigranti fin-naħa t’isfel tal-Italja. Fuq wiċċ dawn l-immigranti tista’ taqra stejjer ta’ tbatija, gwerer u vjolenza li għaddew minnhom.
“Jien x’qiegħda nfittex?”, stqarret Maria Pia. “Jiena qed infittex lil Ġesu li jagħti sens `il ħajti u naf li nista’ nagħrfu u niltaqa’ miegħu l-aktar fil-ġrieħi ta’ ħuti l-bnedmin”. U żżid tgħid: “L-Għaqda tagħna toffri korsijiet tat-Taljan u għajnuna biex isibu dar u xogħol, u nfittxu li ngħinuhom f’dak li jkollhom bżonn. Għidnielhom li aħna lesti ngħinuhom anki spiritwalment u kien hemm xi nisa Ortodossi li jiġu biex jitgħallmu t-Taljan li tant laqgħu bilferħ din l-għajnuna tagħna. Sirna nafu li f’ċentru tal-immigranti kien hemm ukoll xi nsara tal-Knisja Evanġelika Battista. Ftehimna mal-kappillan ta’ din il-Knisja u bdejna nwassluhom
kull nhar ta’ Ħadd għas-servizz li jsir fil-knisja tagħhom, li tinsab xi ftit kilometri `l bogħod. Minn din l-imħabba konkreta bejn l-Insara twieldet ħbiberija li kompliet tissaħħaħ anki b’laqgħat kulturali, diskussjonijiet u kunċerti. Sibna li aħna “poplu” li qed ifittex u jsib toroq ġodda ta’ għaqda fid-diversita, biex nagħtu xhieda quddiem kulħadd tas-Saltna t’Alla”.
Letizia Magri
1: 1 Ara 1 Ġw 1,1.
2: Tertulliano, Apologetico, 39,7
3: C. Lubich, Kelma tal-Ħajja Mejju 2005, fil-ktieb Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi
(Opere di Chiara Lubich 5, Citta Nuova, Ruma 2017), pp.750-751.
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“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21).
for ages 4-8 | for ages 9-17 | Print | Audio
After giving an account of Jesus’ terrible death on the cross and describing the disciples’ fear and bewilderment, the evangelist John then proclaims something completely new. Jesus has risen from the dead and come back to his people! In fact, on Easter morning, the risen Lord was seen and recognized by Mary Magdalene. That same evening, he showed himself to some other disciples, who had shut themselves indoors because they felt so confused and defeated.
Jesus went looking for them, wanting to see them again. The fact that they had betrayed him or run away from danger did not matter. He showed them the signs of his passion: his hands and side that had been pierced and wounded during his torment on the cross. His first words were a greeting of peace, a true gift that sank into their souls and transformed their lives.
That was how the disciples finally recognized him and were filled with joy. Being with their Lord and master again, they felt healed, consoled and enlightened.
The risen Jesus then gave this group of imperfect men a very demanding task: he told them to go out into the streets to bring the news of the Gospel to the world, as he himself had done. It took courage on his part! In the same way as the Father has trusted him, Jesus trusted them completely.
Last of all, John adds that Jesus “breathed on them”, which means that he shared his own inner strength with them, the same Spirit of love that renews hearts and minds.
Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
Jesus had experienced human life, knowing the joy of friendship and the pain of betrayal, the demands of work and the tiredness of travelling. He knows what we are made of and understands the limits, sufferings and failures that accompany us every day. Just as he did with the disciples in that darkened room, he continues to seek out each one of us in our darkness and narrow-mindedness. He goes on believing in us.
The risen Jesus offers us the experience of new life and peace with him that we can share with others. He sends us out to witness to our having met him. This means “going out” of ourselves, beyond our fragile sense of security and our limitations, to continue the mission he received from the Father: proclaiming that God is Love. In this way his mission is extended throughout the world and down through time.
Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
Chiara Lubich wrote a commentary on this Word of Life in May 2005: “Nowadays, words are not enough. … The proclamation of the Gospel will be effective if it is based on testimonies such as those given by the first Christians who said, ‘We declare to you what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes.’ It will be effective if what was said of them can be said of us: ‘See how they love one another, and each one is ready to die for the others’.It will be effective if our love is practical and we give food, clothing and shelter to those who need them; if we offer friendship to those who are alone and desperate, and support people in trying times. By living in this way, others will experience the wonder of knowing Jesus and, by becoming other Christs, will contribute to the continuation of his work.”
Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
We too can seek out Jesus in people who are locked in suffering and loneliness. We can be available to them as respectful companions on their life journey, travelling towards the peace that Jesus gives. An example of this is Maria and her friends who work in a small centre in southern Italy helping migrants. The pain of war and violence that these people have experienced can be seen on their faces.
‘What am I looking for?’ Maria commented. ‘It is Jesus who gives meaning to my life and I know I can recognize and meet him in my brothers and sisters who are suffering a lot. At the beginning, our centre offered courses in Italian and helped find houses and work, providing for the migrants’ material needs. Then we asked if they also needed spiritual support and this was accepted gladly by the Orthodox women attending the Italian lessons. One day some Baptist Christians came to one of our reception centres. In agreement with the local Baptist minister we arranged to accompany them to their church on Sunday, which was quite a distance away. This concrete love among Christians led to friendships that were further strengthened through cultural exchanges, discussions and concerts. We discovered ourselves to be a “people” that can seek and find new ways of being united in diversity, and so give a witness of the kingdom of God to everyone.’
Letizia Magri
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