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[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Rajna l-kewkba tiegħu tielgħa mil-lvant u ġejna nadurawh”[1] (Mt 2,1 u Mt 2, 2).
Dan il-kliem, li nsibuh biss fil-Vanġelu ta’ San Mattew, qaluh xi “nies għorrief”, li kienu waslu mill-bogħod biex jaraw lil Ġesù tarbija.
Dawn l-għorrief kienu jagħmlu parti minn grupp żgħir ta’ nies. Huma kellhom iħabbtu wiċċhom ma’ vjaġġ twil li fih imxew wara daqsxejn ta’ dawl, biex ifittxu Dawl akbar, universali: is-Sultan li kien twieled fid-dinja. Xejn ma nafu aktar dwar dawn in-nies, imma din il-ġrajja fiha ħafna x’tixtarr u b’hekk nistgħu nirriflettu fuqha u fuq il-ħajja Nisranija tagħna.
Din is-sena, dan il-kliem qed jipproponuh xi Nsara tal-Lvant Nofsani għall-ġranet meta niċċelebraw il-Ġimgħa ta’ Talb għall-Għaqda tal-Insara[2]. Din hi okkażjoni prezzjuża biex flimkien nerġgħu naqbdu l-mixja tagħna, inkunu lesti li nilqgħu ʹil xulxin, imma fuq kollox inkunu xhieda ta’ mħabbtU għal kull persuna u poplu ta’ din l-art.
“Rajna l-kewkba tiegħu tielgħa mil-lvant u ġejna nadurawh”.
Fid-dokument li fih hemm il-proposti għal din il-Ġimgħa ta’ Talb, l-insara mil-Lvant Nofsani kitbu hekk: “[…] fil-kewkba li dehret tiddi fis-sema tal-Ġudea naraw sinjal ta’ tama li tant ilna nixtequh. Dan is-sinjal mexxa s-Slaten Maġi, f’isem il-ġnus kollha tal-art, lejn il-post li fih deher il-veru Sultan u Feddej tal-bnedmin. Il-kewkba hi rigal, hi sinjal tal-preżenza kollha mħabba t’Alla għalina lkoll. […] Il-Maġi juruna dik l-għaqda li Alla jrid li ssaltan fost il-ġnus kollha. Huma telqu minn pajjiż ʹil bogħod u jirrapreżentaw kulturi differenti, iżda huma kienu kollhom ħeġġa biex jaraw u jagħrfu s-Sultan li kien għadu kif twieled. Huma nġabru flimkien fl-Għar ta’ Betlem, biex hemm jagħtuH qima u joffrulu r-rigali tagħhom. L-insara huma msejħa biex ikunu sinjal tal-għaqda li Hu jixtieqha ssaltan fid-dinja.
Għalkemm ġejjin minn kulturi, razez u ilsna differenti, l-Insara kollha jaqsmu flimkien ix-xewqa li jsibu ʹl Kristu biex jadurawH. Għalhekk, bħal dik il-kewkba, il-missjoni tagħhom hi li jkunu sinjal biex imexxu l-bnedmin għatxana għal Alla u jwassluhom għand Kristu, u biex ikunu għodda f’idejn Alla ħalli sseħħ l-għaqda bejn il-ġnus kollha”[3]. Il-kewkba li dehret tiddi għall-Maġi qiegħda hemm għalina lkoll. Qabelxejn hi qed tixgħel fil-fond tal-kuxjenza tagħna u biha ddawlilna mħabbitna. Ilkoll kemm aħna nistgħu nitfgħu ħarsitna fuqha biex nilmħuha, nimxu warajha u naslu biex niltaqgħu m’Alla u ma’ ħutna fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum ħalli b’dan il-mod naqsmu flimkien mill-ġid kollu tagħna.
“Rajna l-kewkba tiegħu tielgħa mil-lvant u ġejna nadurawh”.
Li nagħtu ġieh lil Alla hi ħaġa fundamentali biex nagħrfu ʹl xulxin kif aħna quddiemU: żgħar, fraġli, dejjem fil-bżonn tal-maħfra u l-ħniena. B’hekk b’mod sinċier inkunu disposti li nġibu ruħna mal-oħrajn. Dan il-ġieh, li jingħata biss lil Alla, nesprimuh b’mod sħiħ meta nadurawH.
Jista’ jgħinna f’dan kollu dak li qalet Chiara Lubich: “[…] xi tfisser “tadura” ʹl Alla? Dan għandna nagħmluh biss lilU. Tadura jfisser tgħid lil Alla: “Inti kollox”, jiġifieri: “Inti dak li int”; u jiena għandi l-privileġġ immens tal-ħajja biex nagħraf Lilu, […]. Dan ifisser ukoll: […] “Jiena ma jien xejn”. U ma rridux ngħiduh biss bil-kliem. Biex naduraw ʹl Alla jeħtiġilna nsiru xejn u nħallu Lilu jirbaħ fuq kollox fina u fid-dinja. […]
Imma l-aħjar triq biex naslu ħalli ngħidu b’mod żgur li aħna m’aħna xejn u Alla hu kollox hi waħda pożittiva. Biex inxejnu l-ħsibijiet tagħna ma rridu nagħmlu xejn għajr li naħsbu f’Alla u jkollna l-istess ħsibijiet tiegħu kif imfissra fil-Vanġelu. Biex inxejnu r-rieda tagħna kulma rridu nagħmlu hu li nwettqu r-rieda Tiegħu fil-mument preżenti. Biex inwarrbu l-inklinazzjonijiet imħawda tagħna, biżżejjed inżommu f’qalbna mħabbitna lejH u nħobbu ʹl ħutna l-bnedmin meta jaqsmu magħna l-inkwiet u l-weġgħat kif ukoll il-problemi u l-ferħ tagħhom. Jekk dejjem inkunu “mħabba”, bla ma nindunaw aħna mmutu għalina nfusna. U biex ngħixu x-xejn tagħna, irridu nistqarru b’ħajjitna li Alla hu superjuri għalina, Hu kollox, biex hekk ninfetħu għall-adorazzjoni vera tiegħu”[4].
“Rajna l-kewkba tiegħu tielgħa mil-lvant u ġejna nadurawh”.
Nistgħu inħaddnu l-istess ħsibijiet tal-Insara tal-Lvant Nofsani: “Imbagħad, billi kienu mwissijin f’ħolma, qabdu triq oħra u reġgħu lura lejn arthom”[5]. Bl-istess mod, il-komunjoni li naqsmu fit-talb ta’ flimkien għandha tispirana biex nerġgħu lura lejn ħajjitna, lejn il-Knejjes tagħna u lejn id-dinja minn toroq ġodda. […] Illum, biex nintefgħu fil-qadi tal-Vanġelu, irridu nimpenjaw ruħna u nħarsu d-dinjità umana, l-aktar dik tan-nies foqra, debboli u mwarrbin. […] It-triq ġdida lura lejn il-Knejjes tagħna hi t-triq tal-għaqda magħmula b’sagrifiċċju, kuraġġ u ħila biex hekk, jum wara l-ieħor, “Alla jkun kollox f’kollox (1 Kor 15, 28)”[6].
Letizia Magri
[1] Il-Kelma li qed nipproponu hi meħudha minn Mt 2, 1 u Mt 2, 2.
[2] Fil-pajjiżi tat-tramuntana, id-data tradizzjonali li fiha tiġi ċċelebrata l-Ġimgħa ta’ Talb għall-Għaqda tal-Insara, hi bejn it-18 u l-25 ta’ Jannar. Fil-pajjiżi ta’ nofsinhar, fejn Jannar hu żmien ta’ vaganzi, il-Knejjes jiċċelebraw il-Ġimgħa ta’ Talb f’dati oħra, bħal fi żmien Pentekoste, li hu simbolu tal-għaqda tal-Knejjes. Din hi stedina biex inżommu ħaj l-impenn ekumeniku tagħna matul is-sena kollha.
[3] Cfr. http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/it/news/2021/spuc-2022.html.|
[4] Ibid.
[5] Cfr. Mt 2, 12.
“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him” [i] (Mt: 2:1-2).
These words are found only in the Gospel of Matthew. They are pronounced by “wise men” who have come from afar for a rather mysterious visit to the child Jesus. They are a small group of people who have undertaken a long journey, following behind a small light in the sky. They are in search of a greater, universal Light, that is the King who has been born and is already present in the world. Nothing else is known about these men but this episode is rich in ideas that call for reflection and are relevant to Christian life.
This phrase was chosen by the Christians of the Middle East to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this year.(i) This time is a precious opportunity to set out again together, to be open to mutual acceptance, but even more to God’s plan to be witnesses of his love for every person and people on earth.
“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”
This is what the Christians of the Middle East write in the document that accompanies the proposals for this Week of Prayer: “… the star that appeared in the sky of Judea is a long-awaited sign of hope which leads the Magi and, indeed, all the peoples of the earth, to the place where the true King and Saviour is revealed. The star is a gift, an indication of God’s loving presence for all humanity. The Magi reveal to us the unity of all peoples willed by God. They travel from distant countries and represent different cultures, yet they are all driven by the desire to see and know the new-born King. They gather together in the grotto of Bethlehem to pay him homage and offer their gifts. Christians are called to be a sign of the unity he desires for the world. Although they belong to different cultures, races and languages, Christians share a common search for Christ and a common desire to adore him.
The mission of Christians, therefore, is to be a sign, like the star, to guide God’s humanity in its hunger for Christ and lead the way to him, and to be God’s instruments to bring about the unity of all peoples.” (ii)
The star that brought light to the Magi is for everyone: it first begins to shine in the depths of our consciences and then love enables it to burn more brightly. We can all catch a glimpse of it, set out to follow it and reach the goal of meeting God and our brothers and sisters in our daily lives and sharing our riches with everyone.
“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”
Paying homage to God is essential if we are to recognise who we truly are. We are fragile, small and always in need of mercy and forgiveness: as a consequence, we are sincerely disposed to show the same attitudes towards other people. This homage, due only to God, is fully expressed in adoration.
These words written by Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich, may help us: “What does it mean to ‘adore’ God? It is an attitude that is directed to him alone. To adore means to say to God: ‘You are everything,’ that is: ‘You are what you are’; and life is giving me the immense privilege of recognising this. It also means: ‘I am nothing’. And not just saying so with words. To adore God, we must annihilate ourselves and let him triumph in us and in the world.
But the surest way to proclaim with our lives that we are nothing and that God is everything is an entirely positive one. In the place of our own thoughts we can simply think of God and his thoughts as revealed to us in the Gospel. In the place of our own will, we have only to do his will which is shown to us in the present moment. In the place of our wayward feelings, we need only to have love in our hearts for him and our neighbours, sharing their anxieties, their pain, problems and joys. If we are always “love”, without realising it we ourselves are nothingness. And because we live our nothingness, our lives affirm the superiority of God, his being everything, enabling us truly to adore God.” (iii)
“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”
We can share in the conclusions of the Christians of the Middle East: “After meeting the Saviour and adoring him together, the Magi were warned in a dream to return to their countries by another road. In the same way, the fellowship we share in common prayer should inspire us to go back to our lives, our churches and the whole world along new pathways. Serving the Gospel today requires a commitment to defend human dignity, especially of the poorest, the weakest and the marginalised. The new road for the Churches is the way of visible unity which we pursue with sacrifice, courage and boldness so that, day after day, “God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28)”. (iv)
Letizia Magri
(i) In the northern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated 18 – 25 January. In the southern hemisphere this coincides with holiday time and so it is held at another time e.g. Pentecost, a time symbolic of the unity of Christians. It is always an invitation to renew commitment to Christian unity.
(ii) Cf. http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/it/news/2021/spuc-2022.html
(iii) C. Lubich Word of Life Feb 2005
(iv) Ibid
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