Malti
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[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Imma (ħaġa) waħda hi meħtieġa” (Lq 10, 42).
Ġesù kien fi triqtu lejn Ġerusalemm fejn kien wasal biex itemm il-missjoni tiegħu. Waqaf f’raħal fejn kienu joqogħdu Marta u Marija. L-evanġelista San Luqa jgħidilna kif dawn iż-żewġt aħwa laqgħuh għandhom: Marta bdiet taqdi dmirha għax iddar hi kienet tieħu ħsiebha, “kienet moħħha fil-ħafna xogħol tad-dar” 1, filwaqt li Marija, “niżlet bilqiegħda f’riġlejn il-Mulej tisimgħu x’kien qed jgħid” (ara v. 39).
Waqt li Marija ntefgħet tisimgħu, Marta kienet imħabbta ħafna. Tant hu hekk li meta bdiet tgerger għax oħtha kienet ħallietha waħedha, Ġesù qalilha: “Marta! Marta! Inti taħseb wisq u tinkwieta fuq ħafna ħwejjeġ; imma waħda hi meħtieġa. U Marija għażlet l-aħjar sehem, li ma jitteħdilhiex” (ara v. 41-42).
Din is-silta nsibuha bejn il-parabbola tas-Samaritan it-tajjeb, meqjusa bħala l-isbaħ ġrajja dwar l-imħabba tal-proxxmu, u l-mument meta Ġesù jgħallem lid-dixxipli kif għandhom jitolbu, meqjusa bħala l-isbaħ paġna li titkellem fuq ir-rabta tagħna ma’ Alla l-Missier. Dawn iż-żewġ episodji huma eżempju ċar tal-imħabba tagħna lejn il-proxxmu u l-imħabba tagħna lejn Alla.
“Imma ħaġa waħda hi meħtieġa”.
F’din il-ġrajja tal-Vanġelu nsibu żewġ protagonisti nisa. Id-djalogu bejn Ġesù u Marta jiddeskrivi r-rabta ta’ ħbiberija li kien hemm bejniethom, tant li Marta ħassitha kunfidenti tgerger mal-Imgħallem. Imma Ġesù kif iridna naqduh? Hu kien jixtieq kieku Marta ma toqgħodx titħabat u xtaqha toħroġ mir-rwol tradizzjonali li kellhom in-nisa u toqgħod tisma’ l-Kelma Tiegħu, kif għamlet Marija. Din ġabet ruħha bħala dixxipla. Il-lezzjoni li nsibu f’din is-silta ħafna drabi ġiet interpretata bħala d-differenza bejn l-attiviżmu u l-ħajja kontemplattiva, kważi bħala żewġ modi kif inħarsu lejn ir-reliġjon. Imma kemm Marta kif ukoll Marija kienu jħobbu ʹl Ġesù u riedu jaqduh. Fil-fatt fil-Vanġelu mkien ma nsibu li t-talb u s-smigħ tal-Kelma huma aktar importanti mill-imħabba lejn il-proxxmu. Għalhekk jeħtiġilna norbtu dawn iż-żewġ imħabbiet u mhux nifirduhom minn xulxin. Żewġ imħabbiet, l-imħabba t’Alla u dik tal-proxxmu: dawn ma jmorrux kontra xulxin, imma jimxu id f’id għax din hi Mħabba waħda.
“Imma ħaġa waħda hi meħtieġa”.
Għalhekk irridu nifhmu sew liema hi l-‘ħaġa waħda’ li rridu nagħmlu. Għal dan il-għan jista’ jgħinna l-mod kif Ġesù jsejjaħ lil Marta: “Marta, Marta…” (ara v. 41). Billi Ġesù jtenni isimha, donnu wieħed jista’ jifhem li kienet xi twissija. Mentri hawnhekk insibu l-mod kif Hu jsejħilna għas-“sejħa/vokazzjoni” tagħna. Mela jidher ċar kif Ġesù qed isejjaħ lil Marta biex tibni rabta ġdida miegħu, rabta li ma tkunx waħda ta’ qaddejja imma ta’ ħabiba fejn tidħol fl-intimità ta’ ħbiberija Miegħu.
Chiara Lubich kitbet hekk: “Ġesù nqeda b’din iċ-ċirkustanza biex ifissrilna liema hi l-aktar ħaġa meħtieġa li l-bniedem irid jagħmel. (…) Li nisimgħu l-Kelma ta’ Ġesù. Għal San Luqa, l-awtur ta’ din is-silta, li wieħed jisma’ l-kelma jfisser ukoll jgħixha.
[…] Inti wkoll għandek tagħmel hekk: tilqa’ l-kelma, tħalliha ġġib bidla fik. Mhux biss. Imma tobdiha, tħarisha f’qalbek biex hi ssawwar ħajtek, kif il-ħamrija żżomm fiha ż-żerriegħa biex din tinbet u tagħti l-frott. Jiġifieri rridu nagħtu l-frott ta’ ħajja ġdida, bħala effett tal-kelma” .
“Imma ħaġa waħda hi meħtieġa”.
Min jaf kemm aħna wkoll ikollna okkażjonijiet biex nilqgħu l-Imgħallem tagħna fl-intimità ta’ darna, kif għamlu Marta u Marija, u nistgħu nintefgħu f’riġlejh biex nisimgħuh bħala veri dixxipli tiegħu. Ħafna drabi l-inkwiet, il-mard, l-impenji kif ukoll il-ferħ u s-sodisfazzjon itellfuna fil-mitt ħaġa li rridu nagħmlu, u ma jibqgħalniex żmien biex nieqfu ftit ħa nagħrfu ʹl-Mulej u nisimgħu xi jrid jgħidilna. Din il-Kelma hi okkażjoni prezzjuża biex nitħarrġu ħalli nagħżlu l-aħjar sehem, jiġifieri li nisimgħu l-kelma Tiegħu. B’hekk inkunu nies ħielsa u nimxu fuq kelmtu fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum, bħala frott ta’ rabta ta’ mħabba li biha naraw kemm jagħmel sens li naqduH u nisimgħuH.
Letizia Magri
1. C. Lubich, Kelma tal-Ħajja Lulju 1980, fil-ktieb Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi
(Opere di Chiara Lubich 5; Città Nuova, Roma 2017), pġ. 176-177.
[:en]
“There is need of only one thing” (Lk. 10:42).
Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem where his mission will be fulfilled. On the journey, he stops in a village at the home of Martha and Mary. The evangelist, Luke, describes the reception that the two sisters give to Jesus: Martha fulfils the traditional role of housekeeper and, ‘was distracted by her many tasks’ [i] as she provides hospitality, while Mary, ‘sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he was saying’ (v. 39). Mary’s attentiveness is countered by Martha’s agitation and, in fact, to her complaints about being left alone to serve, Jesus replies, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’ (vv. 41-42). This passage is situated between the parable of the Good Samaritan which is arguably one the greatest descriptions of love of neighbour, and the passage recounting how Jesus taught the disciples to pray which is certainly the greatest explanation of the relationship with God the Father: thus, it is almost like a pivotal point on the scales balancing love for our neighbour and love for God.
“There is need of only one thing.”
The protagonists of this Gospel passage are two women. The dialogue that takes place between Jesus and Martha describes the friendship that allows the latter to complain to the Master. But what is the service that Jesus would like? For him it is important that Martha should not worry, that she should set aside the traditional tasks assigned to women and that she too should listen to his word like Mary who is taking on a new role as a disciple. The message of this text has often been reduced to contrasting active and contemplative life, almost as if they were two alternative religious approaches. However, both Martha and Mary love Jesus and want to serve him. In the Gospel, in fact, it is not said that prayer and listening to the Word are more important than charity, but rather that we need to find a way to link these two loves in an indissoluble way. The two loves – love of God and love of neighbour – are not opposed to each other but are complementary because Love is one.
“There is need of only one thing.”
How do we understand what is the one thing that is needed? The beginning of the sentence can help us do this: ‘Martha, Martha …’. (v. 41). In the repetition of the name which can almost be seen as a rebuke, there is really a personal ‘vocational call’. It seems, therefore, that Jesus is calling Martha to a new way of relating to him, to weaving a bond with him not as a servant but as a friend who is entering into a profound relationship with him. Chiara Lubich writes: ‘Jesus used these circumstances to explain what is most necessary in human life. … To listen to the Word of Jesus. And for Luke, who writes this passage, listening to the Word also means living it. … This is what you have to do too: welcome the Word and let it bring about a transformation in you. But that is not enough; you should remain faithful to it and hold it in your heart so that it shapes your life, just as the earth holds seed in its bosom so that they may sprout and bear fruit. Therefore, bear the fruits of new life, the effects of the Word.’ [ii]
“There is need of only one thing.”
Who knows how many opportunities we have to welcome the Master into the intimacy of our home, just like Martha and Mary, and to sit listening at his feet like true disciples. Often our worries, illnesses, commitments and even joys and satisfactions plunge us into a whirlwind of things to do, leaving us no time to stop and recognise the Lord and listen to him. This Word is a precious opportunity to practise choosing the better part, that is, listening to his Word and acquiring that inner freedom that enables us to act accordingly in our daily lives. It can help us to carry out actions that are the fruit of a loving relationship that gives meaning to service and listening.
Letizia Magri
[i] Lk 10:40. The verb perispàomai has a double meaning: it can mean either ‘to be fully occupied/to be greatly overburdened’ or ‘to be distracted’.
[ii] Chiara Lubich Word of Life July 1980
Listen to the Word of Life
https://soundcloud.com/user-63571203/july-2022-word-of-life?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing[:]
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