Malti
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[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Ippruvaw kollox: it-tajjeb żommuh” (1 Tess 5, 21).
Il-Kelma tal-Ħajja ta’ dan ix-xahar hi meħuda minn sensiela ta’ rakkomandazzjonijiet tal-aħħar li l-Appostlu San Pawl għamel lill-komunità tat-Tessalonkin: “Ixxekklux l-Ispirtu, tmaqdrux il-profeziji. Ippruvaw kollox: it-tajjeb żommuh, u fuq kollox warrbu kull xorta ta’ ħażen”[3]. F’dan il-kliem għandna profezija u dixxerniment, djalogu u smigħ. Dawn kienu l-pariri li l-appostlu ta lill-komunità li kienet għadha kif bdiet il-mixja tagħha tal-fidi.
Fost il-ħafna doni tal-Ispirtu, Pawlu kellu ħafna għal qalbu d-don tal-profezija[4]. Il-profeta mhuwiex dak li jgħid x’se jseħħ fil-futur, imma hu dak li jkollu d-don li jara u jifhem l-istorja personali u kollettiva kif jaraha Alla.
Imma d-doni kollha huma mmexxija mill-akbar don, l-imħabba, l-imħabba ta’ bejn l-aħwa[5]. Santu Wistin jgħid li bl-imħabba biss ikollna l-ħila nifhmu x’għandna nagħmlu fis-sitwazzjonijiet li nsibu ruħna fihom[6].
“Ippruvaw kollox: it-tajjeb żommuh.”
Jeħtiġilna naslu biex inħarsu mhux biss lejn id-doni personali, imma wkoll lejn il-ħafna ħiliet u modi differenti ta’ kif jaħsbuha dawk li jkunu qrib tagħna u li magħhom nitkellmu, anki forsi dawk li niltaqgħu magħhom b’kumbinazzjoni. Importanti ħafna hi li nkunu onesti ma’ kulħadd, u nagħrfu sew il-limiti tal-opinjonijiet tagħna.
Din il-Kelma tal-ħajja tista’ tgħinna f’kull sitwazzjoni ta’ djalogu u konfront. Tisma’ lill-oħrajn ma jfissirx li bilfors taqbel ma’ dak kollu li jgħidu, imma tagħraf li jista’ jkun hemm xi ħaġa tajba f’dak li jgħidu, u hekk moħħna u qalbna jinfetħu. Bl-imħabba rridu nagħmlu l-vojt fina u b’hekk inkunu nistgħu nibnu xi ħaġa flimkien.
“Ippruvaw kollox: it-tajjeb żommuh.”
Patri Timothy Radcliffe, wieħed mit-teoloġi li kien fis-Sinodu tal-Isqfijiet tal-Knisja Kattolika, stqarr li “l-aktar ħaġa kuraġġuża li nistgħu nagħmlu f’dan is-Sinodu hi li nkunu sinċiera bejnietna fejn jidħlu d-dubji u l-mistoqsijiet tagħna li ma jkollniex risposti ċari għalihom. Għalhekk irridu nersqu lejn xulxin bħala sieħba li qed ifittxu, bħala tallaba tal-verità[7].
F’taħdita ma’ xi fokolarini, Margaret Karram għamlet dan il-kumment dwar din ir-riflessjoni: “Jiena u naħseb ftit, indunajt li ħafna drabi ma kellix il-kuraġġ ngħid dak li verament kont qed naħseb: forsi għax bżajt li ma jifhmunix, forsi għax ma ridtx ngħid xi ħaġa għal kollox differenti mill-opinjoni tal-maġġoranza. Fhimt li, biex ‘inkunu tallaba tal-verità’ jfisser li għandu jkollna l-ħila nersqu lejn ħaddieħor, lejn xulxin, għax ilkoll irridu dak li Alla jrid, għax ilkoll flimkien qed infittxu dak li hu tajjeb”[8].
“Ippruvaw kollox: it-tajjeb żommuh.
Din hi l-esperjenza ta’ Antía, li qed tieħu sehem fil-grupp tal-performing arts li jismu Mosaico, li twaqqaf fi Spanja fl-2017 bħala Proġett Lokali tal-Gen Rosso. F’dan il-grupp hemm żgħażagħ Spanjoli li permezz tal-arti u l-workshops tagħhom joffru l-esperjenza ta’ fraternità.
Antía tirrakkonta: “Dawn il-workshops jaqblu mal-valuri tiegħi: dinja li fiha ngħixu ta’ aħwa, fejn kull bniedem (żgħażagħ, persuni bla esperjenza u oħrajn vulnerabbli…) jagħti sehmu f’dan il-proġett. ‘Mosaico’ jġegħilni nemmen li dinja aktar magħquda mhijiex ħolma, minkejja d-diffikultajiet u x-xogħol iebes li rridu nagħmlu. Jien trabbejt naħdem fi grupp, fejn id-djalogu xi drabi jista’ jidher sinċier iżżejjed. Ta’ spiss kien ikolli nċedi l-idejat tiegħi li kont naħseb li kienu l-aħjar. Ir-riżultat hu li “t-tajjeb” jinbena biċċa biċċa lkoll flimkien, minn kull waħda u wieħed minna”[9].
Patrizia Mazzola
u t-team tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja
[1] Ġw 11, 5.
[2] Ġw 11, 27.
[3] 1 Tess 5, 19-22.
[4] Ara Ġwanni Pawlu II, Udjenza Ġenerali, 24.06.1992, n.7.
[5] Ara 1 Kor 13.
[6] Ara Wistin ta’ Ippona, Ep. Jo. 7, 8.
[7] Patri Timothy Radcliffe, Meditazzjoni nru. 3, Ħbiberija, Sinodu tal-Isqfijiet, Sacrofano, 2.10.2023.
[8] Taħdita mal-Fokolarini, Margaret Karram, President tal-Moviment tal-Fokolari, Rocca di Papa, 3.02.2024.
[9] Mosaico GRLP jagħmel parti mill-proġett Qawwija mingħajr vjolenza, li bih inwasslu f’postijiet ġodda laboratorji multi-dixxiplinarji maż-żgħażagħ matul tlett ijiem. Dan biex jixxandru l-valuri ta’ non-vjolenza, paċi u djalogu permezz tal-arti.
https://soundcloud.com/user-63571203/word-of-life-february-2025?si=51fea777291a400fbc61bbb6e59c8e0e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing[:en]
“Test everything but hold on to what is good” (1Thess 5:21).
This month’s Word of Life is taken from a series of final recommendations that the Apostle Paul makes to the community of the Thessalonians: ‘Do not quench the Spirit, do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold onto what is good. Abstain from every kind of evil.”[i]
Prophecy, discernment, dialogue and listening. These were Paul’s instructions to the community that had recently embarked on a journey of faith. Among the various gifts of the Spirit, Paul highly esteemed that of prophecy.[ii] A prophet is not someone who foresees the future but rather a person who has the gift of seeing and understanding personal and collective history from God’s perspective. However, all gifts are guided by the greatest gift of all and that is charity and fraternal love. [iii]Augustine of Hippo states that only charity enables us to discern the attitude we should take in the face of a range of different situations.[iv]
“Test everything but hold on to what is good.”
We should consider not only the personal gifts we may have, but also bear in mind the potential and variety of views and opinions offered to us by the people around us or with whom we work or even meet by chance. It is important to always maintain a sense of honesty and to be aware of the limitations of our own point of view. This word of life could be a motto to adopt in every situation of dialogue and even opposing views. Our hearts and minds are broadened when we listen to other people: although we may not accept everything they say, we may find something good in their ideas. When love impels us to create a space within ourselves in order to listen to other people, we have the possibility of building something together.
“Test everything but hold on to what is good.”
Cardinal elect Timothy Radcliffe, one of the theologians present at the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, said that ‘the bravest thing we can do at this synod is to be honest with each other about our doubts and questions, those for which we have no clear answers. Then we will approach each other as fellow seekers, as beggars searching for the truth.” [v]
In a conversation with members of the Focolare, Margaret Karram commented on this reflection: ‘Thinking about it, I realised that many times I did not have the courage to really say what I thought: perhaps because I was afraid of not being understood or because I didn’t want to be different from the majority. I realised that being “beggars of truth” means having that attitude of closeness towards one another, in which we all want what God wants, and where together, we all seek what is good.’[vi]
“Test everything but hold on to what is good.”
‘Test everything but hold on to what is good’. This is Antía’s, experience. She is a member of “Mosaico”, a performing arts group that began in Spain in 2017. It is a local project that has developed from the Gen Rosso music group. It is composed of young Spaniards who use their art and workshops to offer their experience of fraternity to others. Antia tells us: ‘It connects with my values – a fraternal world, in which everyone (very young, inexperienced, vulnerable…) gives their contribution to the project. “Mosaico” makes me believe that a more united world is not a utopia, despite the difficulties and hard work involved. I grew up working in a team where dialogue was too honest at times and I often gave up on my own ideas which I believed to be the best. I see that in this project “good” is built piece by piece together, by us all.”
Patricia Mazzola and the Word of Life Team
[i] Thess. 5:19-22
[ii] Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 24.6.1992
[iii] Cf. 1Cor. 13
[iv] Augustine of Hippo Ep. Jo. 7,8
[v] Cardinal elect Timothy Radcliffe, Synod of RC Church, 2.10.2023
[vi] Margaret Karram in conversation with focolarini, 3.02.2024
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