[:mt]Kelma tal-Ħajja ta’ Ġunju[:en]June Word of Life[:]

[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti

“Int Sidi; m’għandix ġid ieħor ħliefek.” (Sal 16 [15], 2). 

Il-Kelma tal-Ħajja ta’ dan ix-xahar hi meħuda mill-ktieb tas-Salmi, li fih hemm miġbur talb mill-isbaħ, ispirat minn Alla lis-Sultan David u lil nies oħra, biex jgħallimna nduru lejH. Is-Salmi jolqtu lilna lkoll: huma jmissu l-fond ta’ ruħna, fihom insibu sentimenti profondi u qawwija ħafna: dubji, tbatija, korla, qtigħ il-qalb, disperazzjoni, tama, ferħ. Għalhekk jgħoddu għal bniedem ta’ kull żmien, kultura u f’kull waqt ta’ ħajjitna. 

“Int Sidi; m’għandix ġid ieħor ħliefek. 

Is-Salm 16 kien ippreferut minn ħafna kittieba spiritwali. Per eżempju, Santa Tereża t’Avila tgħid: “Xejn ma jonqsu min jikseb ʹl Alla: Alla jkun biżżejjed għalih!”. Patri Antonios Fikri, teologu tal-Knisja Ortodossa, kiteb: “Dan hu s-salm tal-Irxoxt; il-Knisja titolbu fl-ewwel sigħat […], għax Kristu rxoxta maż-żernieq. Dan is-salm jagħtina t-tama li għad nirtu l-ħajja ta’ dejjem, għalhekk jgħidu li hu “tad-deheb”, jiġifieri fih insibu kliem tad-deheb, ġawhar tal-Kotba Mqaddsa”. Ejjew intennuh spiss, aħna u naħsbu f’kull kelma li hemm fih. 

“Int Sidi; m’għandix ġid ieħor ħliefek.”

Din it-talba twassalna biex inħossu l-preżenza attiva tal-imħabba t’Alla li tħaddanna, b’dak kollu li aħna flimkien mal-ħolqien kollu, u nindunaw li Alla jiġbor fih l-imgħoddi, il-preżent u l-ġejjieni tagħna. Fih insibu l-qawwa biex inħabbtu wiċċna bil fiduċja kollha mat-tbatija li tiġi fuqna fil-mixja tagħna u nsibu s-sliem li jgħinna ngħollu wiċċna ʹl fuq, lil hinn mid-dlam tal-ħajja, biex naslu għat-tama.

Mela kif nistgħu ngħixu l-Kelma tal-Ħajja ta’ dan ix-xahar? Din hi l-esperjenza ta’ C.D. “Ftit ilu bdejt inħoss saħħti sejra lura; għalhekk kelli mmur nagħmel ħafna testijiet u noqgħod nistenna r-riżultati. Fl-aħħar, meta sirt naf li kelli l-Parkinson… kien xokk kbir għalija! Kif jista’ jkun dan meta għad għandi biss 58 sena? Bdejt nistaqsi lili nnifsi: “għaliex ?”. Jiena ngħallem l-isports u bilfors ikolli nagħmel ħafna attivitajiet fiżiċi!

Ħsibt li kont qed nitlef xi ħaġa importanti ħafna. Imma quddiem għajnejja ġiet l-għażla li kont għamilt meta kont żagħżugħ: “Ġesù Abbandunat, m’għandix ġid ieħor ħliefek”!

Grazzi għall–mediċini mill-ewwel bdejt inħossni aħjar, imma ma nafx eżattament x’għad jiġri. Qtajtha li ngħix il-mument preżenti. Wara li sirt naf li għandi din il-marda, mill-ewwel ktibt kanzunetta li fiha kantajt l-Iva tiegħi lil Alla: u ruħi mtliet bis-sliem!”.

Chiara Lubich ukoll kienet milquta ħafna mill-kliem ta’ dan is-salm u kitbet hekk: “Dan il-kliem sempliċi jnissel fina fiduċja kbira fiH u jħarriġna ngħixu l-ħin kollu f’għaqda mal-Imħabba. Hekk, magħqudin dejjem aktar ma’ Alla u mimlija biH, nagħrfu li fuqu trid isserraħ il-ħajja vera tagħna, magħmulin xbieha Tiegħu”[1].

Mela, matul dan ix-xahar ta’ Ġunju, ejjew flimkien ngħollu leħinna ʹl fuq lejn Alla biex inwasslulu din ‘id-dikjarazzjoni ta’ mħabba’ u nxerrdu s-sliem u l-paċi madwarna.

Letizia Magri

[1] C. Lubich, Parola di Vita luglio 2001, mill-ktieb Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5; Città Nuova, Roma, 2017) p. 643.

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“You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (Ps 16[15]:2).

This month’s Word of Life is taken from the book of Psalms which contains some of the finest prayers attributed to King David and others:  they are fruit of God’s inspiration and teach us how to turn to him trustingly. We can all find ourselves expressed in the Psalms: they touch the soul intimately and express the deepest and most intense human feelings: doubt, grief, anger, anguish, despair, hope, praise, thanksgiving, and joy. That is why they can be pronounced by every man and woman during all ages, from all cultures, and at every moment of life.

“You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

Psalm 16 was a favorite of many spiritual authors. For example, St Teresa of Avila commented: “Nothing is lacking to those who possess God: God alone is enough for them!” Father Antonios Fikry Rofaeil,[i] theologian of the Coptic Orthodox Church, noted: “This is the psalm of the resurrection, so the Church prays it in the early hours … since Christ rose at dawn. This psalm gives us hope in our eternal inheritance, so it is often entitled “golden”, meaning that it is a golden word, a gem of Holy Scripture.” Let us try to repeat it, thinking about each word.

 “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

The words of this prayer enfold us, we feel that God’s active and loving presence encompasses everything about us and about creation: we perceive that he gathers up our past, our present, and our future. In him, we find the strength to confidently face the sufferings we encounter and the serenity to lift our gaze and see hope beyond the shadows of life.

So how can we live the Word of Life this month? Here is C.D.’s experience: “Some time ago I began to feel unwell, so I underwent a series of medical examinations which required a great deal of waiting. Finally, I found out what was wrong with me:  I had Parkinson’s disease…. it was a huge blow! I was 58 years old: how could I have Parkinson’s?  I asked myself why it was happening to me.  I taught Motor and Sport Sciences and so physical activity was part of me! I felt I was losing something too important. But then I thought back to the choice I had made when I was young: “You,  Jesus crucified and forsaken, are my only good!”.   Thanks to the medication I immediately started to feel much better, but I don’t know exactly what will happen to me in the future. I decided to live in the present moment.  After the diagnosis, quite spontaneously, I wrote a song:  I wanted to sing to God saying “Yes,  my soul is filled with peace!”

The words of this psalm also resonated deeply in the soul of Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich.  She wrote: “These simple words will help us to trust in him and will train us to live with Love.  Always more united to God and filled with him, we will continually lay down the foundations of our true selves as beings made in his image.”[ii][1]

During the month of June, we can be united in raising a  “declaration of love” to God and radiate peace and serenity around us.

Letizia Magri

[1] [1]  C.Lubich.  Word of Life June 2001

[i] Fr Rofaeil is a member of the Coptic Orthodox Church and has ministered in Egypt & Canada.

https://soundcloud.com/user-63571203/june-2022-word-of-life[:]