Malti
English (UK)
[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni” (Sal 23[22],1).
Salm 23, li hu wieħed mis-salmi l-aktar magħrufa, hu għanja u fl-istess ħin stqarrija ta’ fidi mimlija fiduċja u ferħ. Din it-talba qed jagħmilha mill-poplu Lhudi, li kien irċieva mingħand il-profeti l-wegħda li l-Mulej kien se jkun ir-Ragħaj tiegħu. L-awtur ta’ dan is-Salm jesprimi l-hena li jħoss għax jaf li hu jinsab taħt il-ħarsien tat-Tempju 1. Fih hu jistkenn u jaqla’ l-grazzji. Bl-istess mod, bl-esperjenza tiegħu, irid jagħmel il-qalb lill-oħrajn biex jimtlew bil-fiduċja fil-preżenza tal-Mulej.
“Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni”.
Ix-xbieha tar-ragħaj u tal-merħla hi għażiża ħafna fil-Kotba Mqaddsa. Biex nifhmuha sew, irridu mmorru bil-ħsieb fid-deżerti niexfa u mimlija blat tal-Lvant Nofsani. Ir-ragħaj imexxi l-merħla tiegħu bi ħlewwa liema bħalha, għax mingħajru żgur li tintilef u tmut. In-ngħaġ iridu jitgħallmu jafdaw fih billi jisimgħu leħnu. Fuq kollox, ir-ragħaj irid jibqa’ dejjem magħhom bla ma jħallihom qatt waħidhom.
“Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni”.
Dan is-salm jistedinna nsaħħu r-rabta intima tagħna m’Alla billi nagħmlu l-esperjenza ta’ mħabbtu. Forsi jkun hemm min jistaqsi l-għala l-awtur ta’ dan is-salm jasal biex jgħid “xejn ma jonqosni?” L-esperjenza tagħna ta’ kuljum qatt ma tkun nieqsa minn sfidi u problemi ta’ saħħa, minn problemi ta’ qrabatna, minn diffikultajiet fix-xogħol, eċċ. U ma rridux ninsew it-tbatijiet kbar ħafna li jġarrbu ħafna minn ħutna minħabba gwerer, tibdiliet fil-klima, emigrazzjoni, vjolenza eċċ.
“Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni”.
Forsi l-qofol ta’ dan is-salm jinsab fil-kliem “għax inti miegħi” (Sal 23, 4). Dan jiżgurana li Alla jħobbna, jimxi magħna u bil-ħila tiegħu ħajjitna tinbidel. Hekk kitbet Chiara Lubich: “Hi ħaga tajba li nkunu nafu li Alla jeżisti u jħenn għalina u li nistgħu nduru lejh għax ħallas għal dnubietna; imma hi ħaġ’oħra li ngħixu u nħossuna fiċ-ċentru tal-attenzjoni Tiegħu. B’hekk jgħib kull biża’ li jista’ jwaqqafna; ma nħossuniex aktar waħedna u ma nafux x’ser naqbdu nagħmlu […] Kull min jagħmel esperjenza profonda t’Alla, jaf li hu maħbub minnu u jemmen bil-qawwa kollha f’imħabbtu. Iċ-ċirkustanzi ta’ dwejjaq jew ta’ ferħ tal-ħajja jiddawlu mill-fatt li hu jkun iridhom jew jippermettihom” 2.
“Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni”.
Din il-profezija sabiħa seħħet f’Ġesù, li fil-Vanġelu ta’ San Ġwann ma jibqax lura milli jiddeskrivi lilu nnifsu bħala “ir-Ragħaj it-tajjeb”. Ir-rabta tagħna ma’ dan ir-ragħaj hi waħda personali u intima: “Jiena r-ragħaj it-tajjeb; jiena nagħraf in-ngħaġ tiegħi, u n-ngħaġ tiegħi jagħrfu lili” (Ġw 10, 14-15). Hu jmexxi n-ngħaġ fil-mergħat tal-Kelma tiegħu li hi ħajja, b’mod partikulari l-Kelma li fiha nsibu l-“Kmandament il-Ġdid” 3. Jekk ngħixu dan il-Kmandament, aħna jkollna l-ħila naraw il-preżenza tal-Irxoxt fil-komunità miġbura f’ismu u f’imħabbtu 4.
Augusto Parody Reyes
u t-team tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja
1: Ara Sal 23, 6.
2: C. Lubich, L’essenziale di oggi, ScrSp/2, Città Nuova, Ruma 19972, pġ. 148
3: Ara Ġw 13, 34.
4: Ara Mt 18, 20.
https://soundcloud.com/user-63571203/july-2024-word-of-life[:en]
for ages 4-8 | for ages 9-17 | Print | Audio
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Ps 23[22]:1).
Psalm 23 is one of the best known and most loved psalms. It is both a canticle of trust and a joyful profession of faith expressed by someone who belongs to the people of Israel. Through the prophets, the Lord has promised to be their shepherd. The psalmist expresses his personal happiness because he knows that he is protected in the Temple, [i] a place of refuge and grace, but also, drawing on his experience, he wants to encourage others to have confidence in the presence of the Lord.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
The image of the shepherd and the flock is very dear to all biblical literature. To understand it fully, we must think of the arid and rocky deserts in the Middle East. The shepherd gently guides his flock, for without him they could go astray and die. The sheep must learn to rely on him, listening to his voice. He is their constant companion.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
This psalm invites us to strengthen our intimate relationship with God by experiencing his love. Some may wonder why the author goes so far as to say that ‘I lack nothing’? Nowadays the problems and challenges of health, family, work, etc are part of everyday life. In addition, there is the immense suffering experienced by so many of our brothers and sisters due to war, the consequences of climate change, migration, violence, etc.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Perhaps the key to interpretation lies in the verse where we read “for you are with me” (Ps 23:4). It refers to certainty in the love of a God who always accompanies us and makes us live in a different way. Chiara Lubich wrote: “It is one thing to know that we can have recourse to a Being who exists, who has mercy on us, who has paid for our sins, and quite another to live and feel ourselves at the centre of God’s predilection, with the consequent banishment of all the fears that hold us back, of all loneliness, of all sense of orphanhood and all uncertainty… Men and women can know they are loved and believe in this love with all their being. They can surrenders to it trustingly and follow it. Everything that happens in life, whether sad or joyful, is enlightened by knowing love has willed or permitted it all.”
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Jesus brought this prophecy to fulfilment: in John’s Gospel he does not hesitate to call himself the ‘good shepherd’. Relationships with this shepherd are personal and intimate in nature. “I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (Jn. 10:14-15). He leads them to the pastures of his Word that is life, particularly the Word that contains the message enclosed in the “new commandment”, which, if lived, makes “visible” the presence of the Risen One in the community gathered in his name, in his love. [ii]
Edited by Augusto Parody Reyes
and the Word of Life Team
[i] Cf Ps. 23:6
[ii] CF. Matt. 18:20
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