Malti
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[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Tgħallmu għamlu t-tajjeb, fittxu d-dritt” (Is 1, 17).
Il-Kelma tal-ħajja ta’ Jannar hi silta mill-ewwel kapitlu tal-profeta Isaija u ntagħżlet għall-Ġimgħa ta’ Talb għall-għaqda tal-Insara, li tiġi ċċelebrata bejn it-18 u l-25 ta’ Jannar. Il-kumment tħejja minn grupp ta’ Nsara mill-belt ta’ Minnesota, fl-Istati Uniti1. Id-dritt, il-ġustizzja hu argument jaħraq ħafna. Id-diżugwaljanzi, il-vjolenza u l-preġudizzji jikbru f’soċjetà li qajla tagħti xhieda għal kultura ta’ paċi u għaqda.
Żmien il-profeta Isaija ma kienx differenti wisq minn żmienna. Ħtija tal-gwerer, l-irvellijiet, il-kilba għall-flus u s-setgħa, il-qima tal-allat foloz u l-emarġinazzjoni tal-foqra, il-poplu Lhudi kien tilef triqtu. Il-profeta beda jkellimhom bi kliem iebes ħafna biex jaqbdu t-triq tal-konverżjoni, u wriehom minn fejn kellhom jgħaddu biex jerġgħu lura għall-patt li Alla kien għamel ma’ Abraham.
“Tgħallmu għamlu t-tajjeb, fittxu d-dritt.”
Xi jfisser titgħallem tagħmel it-tajjeb? Irridu nkunu dejjem lesti li nitgħallmu u dan jitlob minna sforz. Fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum dejjem ikollna x’nitgħallmu jew intejbu, u jekk xi ħaġa tmurilna żmerċ nistgħu nibdew mill-ġdid.
Xi jfisser tfittex id-dritt? Id-dritt hu bħal teżor li rridu nfittxuh, nixtiquh, u li bih naslu biex nagħmlu t-tajjeb. Meta nimxu fid-dritt inkunu nistgħu nagħmlu l-ġid. Bih nindunaw xinhi r-rieda t’Alla, li m’għandniex ġid ieħor ħliefha.
Isaija jagħtina eżempji konkreti. Alla jippreferi l-aktar lil min nieqes mill-ħila, lill-batuti, l-orfni u r-romol. Alla jistieden lill-poplu tiegħu biex jieħu ħsieb l-oħrajn, l-aktar lil min ma jistax iħares id-drittijiet tiegħu. Alla jistkerrah iċ-ċerimonji reliġjużi, is-sagrifiċċji u t-talb jekk min jagħmilhom ma jgħixx sew u jgħix ħajja ġusta.
“Tgħallmu għamlu t-tajjeb, fittxu d-dritt.”
Dan il-kliem iħeġġiġna ngħinu ʹl-oħrajn, noqogħdu attenti għal min jinsab fil-bżonn u ngħinuh. Il-mixja tagħna ta’ konverżjoni titlobna niftħu qalbna, moħħna u dirgħajna l-aktar lejn min ikun għaddej minn xi tbatija.
“Ix-xewqa u t-tfittxija tad-dritt minn dejjem jinsabu fil-kuxjenza tal-bniedem. Dawn Alla stess poġġiehomlu f’qalbu. Imma minkejja s-suċċess u l-progress li saru tul is-snin, kemm għadu ʹl bogħod it-twettiq tal-proġett t’Alla! Il-gwerer li għadhom għaddejjin, kif ukoll it-terroriżmu u l-ġlied razzjali huma sinjali tad-diżugwaljanzi soċjali u ekonomiċi, tal-inġustizzji, tal-mibegħda. […] Mingħajr imħabba, rispett għall-persuni u attenzjoni għal dak li jeħtieġu, ir-rabtiet bejn in-nies, minkejja li jitjiebu, jistgħu wkoll isiru affarijiet burokratiċi, bla ma jagħtu tweġibiet tajba għall-bżonnijiet tal-bniedem. Mingħajr imħabba qatt ma jista’ jkun hemm il-vera ġustizzja, il-qsim tal-ġid bejn l-għonja u l-fqar, l-attenzjoni għal kull mara u raġel u għas-sitwazzjoni konkreta li fihom isibu ruħhom”2.
“Tgħallmu għamlu t-tajjeb, fittxu d-dritt.”
Biex nimpenjaw ruħna għal dinja magħquda, irridu nieħdu fuq spallejna l-ġrieħi tal-bnedmin b’azzjonijiet żgħar li jistgħu jgħinuna nibnu l-familja tagħna l-bnedmin.
Darba waħda Josè, raġel mill-Arġentina, kumbinazzjoni ltaqa’ mas-surmast tal-iskola fejn kien jgħallem u li bi skuża kien keċċih. Kif dan is-surmast għarfu, ipprova jiskartah imma Josè resaq ħdejh. Staqsieh kif kien u s-surmast beda jirrakkuntalu d-diffikultajiet tiegħu. Qallu li kien mar joqgħod f’belt oħra u li kien qed ifittex ix-xogħol. Josè offra li jgħinu u l-għada, lil min kien jafu, beda jgħidlu li kien qed ifittex ix-xogħol għal xi ħadd. It-tweġiba ma damitx ma waslet. Meta s-surmast irċieva l-aħbar tal-offerta għal xogħol ġdid, qajla seta’ jemmen! Aċċettaha u kien grat ħafna. Ħassu mqanqal għall-fatt li kien wieħed imkeċċi minnu li interessa ruħu fih u għenu.
Imbagħad Josè irċieva l-“mitt darba aktar3” għax kien propju dak iż-żmien li offrewlu żewġ postijiet ta’ xogħol li kien jixtieq jagħmel sa minn meta kien qed jibda l-università. Hu wkoll baqa’ mistagħġeb u milqut mill-imħabba konkreta t’Alla4.
Kitba ta’ Patrizia Mazzola u tal-grupp tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja
- George Floyd inqatel f’Minneapolis, belt fl-Amerka, fl-2020. Minn dan il-qtil twieled moviment biex titneħħa kull diskriminazzjoni razzjali.
- C. Lubich, Kelma tal-Ħajja 2006, mill-ktieb: Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5; Città Nuova, Roma 2017) pġ. 795.
- Ara Mt 19, 29.
- Silta addattata minn: “Il Vangelo del giorno”, Città Nuova, anno VIII, n. 1, gennaio-febbraio 2022.
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“Learn to do good; seek justice” (Is 1:17).
The Word of Life for the this month is taken from the first chapter of the prophet Isaiah. This sentence was chosen for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is celebrated throughout the northern hemisphere from 18 – 25 January. The texts were prepared by a group of Christians from Minnesota, USA.1 The subject of justice is a hot topic. Inequality, violence and prejudice grow within a society that struggles to witness to a culture of peace and unity.
And Isaiah’s times were not so different from ours. Wars, rebellions, the pursuit of wealth, power, idolatry and the marginalisation of the poor had led the people of Israel astray. The prophet uses harsh words to call his people back to a path of conversion and points the way to a return to the original spirit of the covenant God made with Abraham.
“Learn to do good; seek justice.”
What does it mean to learn to do good? It means that we need to be open to the idea of learning and that requires effort on our part. Each day, there is always something to understand or something to improve: we can always start again if we have made a mistake.
What does it mean to seek justice? This is a treasure that we should desire and search for as the goal of our actions. Practising justice helps us learn to do good because it means we better understand the will of God, which is our good. Isaiah offers concrete examples. The people most preferred by God are the helpless, the oppressed, the orphans and the widows because they are the most defenceless. God invites his people to take practical care of others, especially those who are unable to assert their rights. Religious practices, rites, sacrifices and prayers are not pleasing to him if they are not matched by the pursuit and practice of goodness and justice.
“Learn to do good; seek justice.”
This Word of Life urges us to support others, to have a watchful eye and practically help those in need. Our journey of conversion requires us to open our hearts, minds and arms to others, especially towards those who suffer.
“The desire and the search for justice have always been inscribed in the human conscience. God himself put them in our hearts. But despite the conquests and progress made throughout history, how distant we are from fulfilling God’s plan! The wars that are still being fought today, as well as terrorism and ethnic conflicts, are the sign of social and economic inequalities, injustices, hatred… Without love and respect for the individual and attention to his or her situation, personal relationships may be correct, but they can also become bureaucratic and incapable of providing decisive answers to human requirements.
Without love there will never be true justice, goods will never be shared between rich and poor, and there will never be attention to the life and specific needs of each man and woman.’ (2)
“Learn to do good; seek justice.”
To live for a united world means taking upon ourselves the wounds of humanity and carrying out small gestures that can help build up the human family.
One day, J. from Argentina bumped into the headmaster of the institute where he had taught and who had used an excuse to force him to leave his job. When the headmaster recognised him, he tried to move away but J. went towards him. He asked him for news and the headmaster told him about his difficulties, that he lived in another city and was looking for work. J. offered to help him and the next day he spread the news among his acquaintances that he was looking for a job for someone. The response was not long in coming. When the headmaster received the news of an offer for a new job, he could
hardly believe his ears! He accepted the job, deeply grateful and moved that the very person he had once fired had taken a real interest in him.
J. then received the ‘hundredfold’ because, at the same time, he was offered two jobs that he had always wanted since he started university. He too was amazed and touched by this practical love of God.
by Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life team
1 In 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, George Floyd was murdered. This murder started a movement for the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.
2 C. Lubich, Word of Life Nov 2006
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