Malti
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[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla, u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija” (Sal 51[50], 12).
F’dan iż-żmien tar-Randan aħna mistednin ngħixu din is-sentenza li nsibuha fis-Salm numru 51. Fil-vers 12 insibu din it-talba magħmula b’ħeġġa u b’umiltà kbira: ‘Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla, u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija.’ Dan il-kliem hu magħruf bħala l-“Miserere” (“Ħniena”). L-awtur ta’ dan is-salm jibda billi jfittex fl-aktar partijiet moħbija tar-ruħ tal-bniedem li bihom nagħrfu kemm aħna msejkna quddiem Alla u, fl-istess ħin, l-għatx kbir tagħna biex ningħaqdu ma’ Min jista’ jiksbilna grazzji kbar, mogħtija lilna bi ħniena liema bħalha.
“Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla, u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija”.
Is-salm jaf il-bidu tiegħu lil ġrajja magħrufa ħafna fil-ħajja tas-sultan David. Alla kien għażlu biex jieħu ħsieb il-poplu Lhudi u jmexxih fl-ubbidjenza lejn il-Patt. Imma hu kiser il-liġi u ma tax każ tal-missjoni li ngħatatlu. Wara li għamel adulterju ma’ Betsabea, bagħat lil Urija, ir-raġel tagħha, fuq quddiemnett
għall-gwerra, fejn hemm tilef ħajtu. Il-profeta Natan urieh kemm kienet kbira ħżunitu u għenu jagħraf id-dnub tiegħu. B’hekk għal David kien wasal iż-żmien li jistqarr dan id-dnub u jerġa’ jagħmel paċi m’Alla.
“Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla, u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija”.
L-awtur ta’ dan is-salm ipoġġi fuq fomm is-sultan talb qawwi ħafna li joħroġ mis-sogħba kbira u l-fiduċja fil-maħfra t’Alla: “ħassar ħtijieti”, “naddafni”, “saffini”. Saħansitra, f’dan il-vers juża l-kelma “oħloq”, biex biha juri li Alla biss jista’ jeħles il-bniedem min-nuqqas ta’ ħila tiegħu. B’dan l-għarfien nindunaw li Hu biss jista’ jagħmilna ħlejjaq ġodda, jagħtina “qalb safja”. Hu biss jista’ jimliena bl-ispirtu tiegħu li jagħti l-ħajja u bil-ferħ Tiegħu. Hu biss jibdel mill-qiegħ ir-rabta tagħna ma’ Alla u mal-ħlejjaq l-oħra, u mal-ħolqien kollu.
“Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla, u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija”.
Kif nistgħu ngħixu din il-Kelma tal-ħajja? L-ewwel pass li jeħtiġilna nagħmlu hu li nagħrfu li aħna midinbin u neħtieġu l-maħfra t’Alla. Irridu nġibu ruħna quddiemu b’fiduċja mill-aktar kbira. Għandu mnejn l-iżbalji li naqgħu spiss fihom jaqtgħulna qalbna u jagħlquna fina nfusna. Għalhekk jeħtieġ inbexxqu ftit il-bieb ta’ qalbna. Chiara Lubich, fis-sena 1940, kitbet ittra lil xi ħadd li kien iħossu bla ħila minħabba l-miżerji tiegħu: “Irridu nwarrbu minn moħħna kull ħsieb ieħor, filwaqt li nemmnu li Ġesù jinġibed lejna jekk aħna b’umiltà u mħabba kbira nistqarru dnubietna. Aħna, min-naħa tagħna, m’għandna xejn u ma nagħmlu xejn għajr miżerji. Hu, min-naħa tiegħu, m’għandux għajr kwalità waħda lejna: il-Ħniena.
Ruħna tista’ tingħaqad miegħu biss billi toffrilu mhux il-virtujiet tagħha, imma dnubietha! […] Jekk Ġesù ġie fid-dinja, jekk Hu sar bniedem, jekk hemm xi ħaġa li tant jixtieq […] hi biss: li jkun is-Salvatur tagħna, it-Tabib tagħna! Ma jixtieq xejn aktar minn hekk” 1.
“Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla, u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija”.
Wara li naqalgħu l-maħfra rridu nżommu f’moħħna l-għajnuna ta’ ħutna, għax issaħħa
tan-Nisrani tiġi mill-komunità; irridu nintefgħu nħobbu ʹl ħutna b’mod konkret, ikunu min ikunu. “Dak li hu mitlub minna hu li nħobbu lil xulxin, b’imħabba li taqdi, tifhem, tagħraf tagħmel tagħha t-tbatija, it-taqtigħ il-qalb, u l-ferħ ta’ ħutna; b’dik l-imħabba li tgħatti kollox, taħfer kollox, li hi tipika tan-Nisrani” 2.
Fl-aħħarnett, Papa Franġisku jgħid: “Il-maħfra t’Alla […] hi l-ikbar sinjal tal-ħniena tiegħu. Hi grazzja minn Alla u kull min jirċeviha hu msejjaħ jaqsamha ma’ kull min jiltaqa’. Dawk kollha li l-Mulej ipoġġi ħdejna, il-familjari, il-ħbieb, il-kollegi, il-parruċċani… ilkoll kemm huma jeħtieġu l-ħniena t’Alla, kif neħtiġuha aħna wkoll. Kemm hi sabiħa l-maħfra, imma anki int, jekk trid li taqla’ l-maħfra, trid taħfer inti wkoll. Aħfer! […] biex tkun xhud tal-maħfra tiegħu, li ssaffina u tibdlilna ħajjitna” 3.
Augusto Parody Reyes
u t-team tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja
1. C. Lubich, Lettere 1943-1960, ta’ F. Gillet, (Opere di Chiara Lubich 4/1), Città Nuova, Ruma 2022; pġ. 350.
2. C. Lubich, Kelma tal-Ħajja Mejju 2002, fil-ktieb Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5), Città Nuova, Ruma
2017, pġ. 658-659.
3. PAPA FRANĠISKU, Udjenza Ġenerali, Il-ħniena tħassar id-dnub, 30 ta’ Marzu 2016.[:en]
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Ps. 51[50]:10.
The phrase of Scripture offered to us during this Lenten season is part of Psalm 51. In the twelfth verse, we find the poignant and humble invocation, ‘Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.’ The passage in which the sentence is found is known as the ‘Miserere’. In this text, the author begins by exploring the hidden places of the human soul in order to understand its deepest nuances. On one hand, there is an awareness of a deep inadequacy in our relationship with God but, at the same time, there is an insatiable yearning for full communion with the One from whom all grace and mercy proceed.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
The Psalm takes its cue from a well-known episode in David’s life. He has been called by God to care for the people of Israel and to lead them on the paths of covenant obedience; however, he transgresses during his mission. After committing adultery with Bathsheba, he ensures that her husband, Uriah the
Hittite, an officer in his army, is killed in battle. The prophet Nathan reveals to him the seriousness of his guilt and helps him acknowledge it. This is the moment when he confesses his sin and is reconciled with God.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
The psalmist describes the king using heartfelt forms of invocation that flow from his deep sense of repentance and total trust in divine forgiveness: ‘erase,’ ‘wash me,’ ‘cleanse me.’ In particular, in the verse that interests us, he uses the verb ‘create’ to indicate that complete deliverance from human frailty is possible only for God. It expresses the realization that only God can make us new creatures with ‘pure hearts’, filling us with his life-giving spirit, giving us true joy and radically transforming our relationship with him, with other people and with nature and the cosmos through a ‘steadfast spirit’.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
How can we put this word of life into practice? The first step is to recognize that we are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness and to have an attitude of immense trust in him. Maybe our repeated mistakes make us feel discouraged and tempt us to close us in on ourselves. When this happens, we should try to keep the door of our heart open, at least a little.
In the early 1940s, Chiara Lubich wrote to someone who felt unable to go beyond her own limitations: ‘You need to remove every other thought from your soul and believe that Jesus is drawn to us when we humbly and lovingly confide in him and tell him our sins. What we have and do is wretched; there is only one attitude God will show us: mercy. Our souls can be united with him only by offering him as our gift, as our only gift, not our virtues but our sins! … If Jesus came to earth, if he became man, if he longed for one thing alone… it was to be a Saviour, to be a Physician! It is the only thing that he wanted.’ (i)
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Then, once freed and forgiven and mindful of the help we receive from others, because Christians find strength in the community, let us set out to concretely love our neighbour whoever they may be. ‘What is asked of us is mutual love, service, understanding and sharing in the sufferings and joys of others. We are asked for a love that covers and forgives all, and which is typical of the Christian.’ (ii)
Finally, Pope Francis says, ‘God’s forgiveness… is the greatest sign of his mercy. It is a gift that every forgiven sinner is called to share with every brother and sister he meets. All those whom the Lord has placed beside us, family, friends, co-workers, parishioners… everyone needs, as we do, the mercy of God. It is beautiful to be forgiven, but you too, if you want to be forgiven, forgive in turn. Forgive!…Be witnesses to his forgiveness, which purifies the heart and transforms life.’ (iii)
Augusto Parody Reyes
and the Word of Life Team
(i) C.Lubich ‘Letters 1943-60’. New City 2022
(ii) C. Lubich. Word of Life May 2002
(iii) Pope Francis. General Audience, 30 March 2016[:]
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