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[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Għax Alla ma taniex spirtu ta’ biża’, imma Spirtu ta’ qawwa, ta’ mħabba u ta’ rażan” (2 Tm 1, 7).
L-ittra li minnha hi meħudha din il-Kelma tal-ħajja, titqies bħala testment spiritwali ta’ Pawlu. Dan l-appostlu kien il-ħabs f’Ruma, jistenna sa ma jkun ikkundannat. Minn hemm kiteb lil Timotju, dixxiplu żagħżugħ tiegħu li issa kien responsabbli mill-komunità ta’ Efesu.
F’din l-ittra nsibu xi twissijiet u pariri li Pawlu ta lil Timotju, imma li jgħoddu wkoll għal kull wieħed u waħda mill-komunità Nisranija ta’ dak iż-żmien u tallum. Pawlu kien marbut bil-ktajjen minħabba l-predikazzjoni tal-Vanġelu u ried iqawwi qalb id-dixxiplu biex hekk ikun jista’ jgħaddi mill-provi u jkun mexxej għaqli tal-komunità. Timotju kien aktarx imbeżża’ quddiem il-persekuzzjonijiet u kien joqgħod xi ftit lura minħabba d-diffikultajiet li kien isib fil-qadi ta’ dmiru. Ma kenitx xi ħaġa naturali għal Pawlu u għal Timotju li jbatu minħabba l-Vanġelu, imma din ix-xhieda tagħhom setgħu jagħtuha għax kienet isserraħ fuq il-qawwa t’Alla.
“Għax Alla ma taniex spirtu ta’ biża’, imma Spirtu ta’ qawwa, ta’ mħabba u ta’ rażan”.
Pawlu jrid jagħti xhieda għall-Vanġelu. Jidher ċar li mhumiex it-talenti, il-ħiliet jew il-limiti personali li jiggarantixxu jew imexxu x-xandir tal-Kelma, imma huma d-doni tal-Ispirtu: il-qawwa, l-imħabba u r-rażan li jiggarantixxu x-xhieda tagħhom. L-imħabba, li tinsab bejn il-qawwa u r-rażan, tgħinna nwettqu d-dmir tad-dixxerniment. Bir-rażan nistgħu nibqgħu għaqlin quddiem kull sitwazzjoni. Timotju, bħal kull dixxiplu ta’ kull żmien, jista’ jwassal il-Vanġelu bil-qawwa, bl-imħabba u r-rażan, saħansitra jbati għall-Vanġelu jekk ikun meħtieġ.
“Għax Alla ma taniex spirtu ta’ biża’, imma Spirtu ta’ qawwa, ta’ mħabba u ta’ rażan”.
Aħna wkoll jiġuna mumenti fejn inkunu se naqtgħu qalbna biex ngħixu u nixhdu għall-Kelma t’Alla, meta ma nkunux nafu kif se nagħmlu f’ċerti sitwazzjonijiet. Chiara Lubich tgħinna nifhmu minn fejn nistgħu niksbu l-qawwa f’mumenti bħal dawn: “Irridu nisiltu l-qawwa mill-preżenza ta’ Ġesù ġewwa fina. Aħna ma rridux neħlu u nibqgħu passivi u rrassenjati, imma rridu noħorġu barra minna nfusna, insiru ħaġa waħda ma’ dak li r-rieda t’Alla titlob minna. Hekk inwettqu dak li l-vokazzjoni titlobna nagħmlu u nserrħu fuq il-grazzja ta’ Ġesù li jinsab ġewwa fina, jiġifieri noħorġu barra minna nfusna. Imbagħad ikun Ġesù stess li jkabbar fina dawk il-virtujiet meħtieġa biex nagħtu xhieda għalih fil-ħidma li ġiet fdata f’idejna”[1].
“Għax Alla ma taniex spirtu ta’ biża’, imma Spirtu ta’ qawwa, ta’ mħabba u ta’ rażan”.
Qawwa, imħabba u rażan huma tliet virtujiet tal-Ispirtu li niksbuhom bit-talb u l-eżerċizzju tal-fidi tagħna. Patri Justin Nari, mir-Repubblika tal-Afrika Ċentrali, kien mhedded bil-mewt flimkien ma’ sħabu u ma’ xi elf Musulman li kienu qed jistkennu fil-Knisja. Irġiel armati talbuh iċedi imma hu baqa’ jiddiskuti magħhom sabiex jevita straġi. Ħin minnhom marru quddiemu b’erbgħin litru petrol u heddewh li jaħarquhom ħajjin, jekk ma jċedux u jagħtu f’idejhom lil dawk il-Misilmin.
Patri Justin jirrakkonta hekk: “Flimkien ma’ sħabi, iċċelebrajt l-aħħar Quddiesa, u dak il-ħin ftakart fi Chiara Lubich. Tgħid x’kienet tagħmel hi kieku kienet minfloki? Kienet tkun lesta tagħti ħajjitha għal dawk il-Misilmin. U hekk qtajnieha li nagħmlu. Fi tmiem il-Quddiesa waslet telefonata mhux mistennija: l-armata tar-Repubblika tal-Afrika Ċentrali kienet għaddejja minn dawk l-inħawi”.
Patri Justin ikompli jirrakkonta: “Mort niġri niltaqa’ magħhom u flimkien morna lura fil-parroċċa. Kien fadal tlettax-il minuta biss sabiex jiskadi l-ultimatum; tlettax-il minuta li fihom kollox spiċċa b’wiċċ il-ġid u bla ebda tixrid ta’ demm”[2].
Letizia Magri
[1] C. Lubich, Parola di Vita Ottubru 1986, mill-ktieb Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5; Città Nuova, Ruma 2017), pġ. 373.
[2] Unità è il nome della pace: La strategia di Chiara Lubich, ta’ Maddalena Maltese, Città Nuova, Ruma 2020, pġ. 29-30.
Listen to the Word of Life
https://soundcloud.com/user-63571203/october-2022-word-of-life[:en]
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self- discipline” (2 Tim 1:7).
The letter from which this Word of Life is taken is considered by many to be St. Paul’s spiritual testament. The apostle is imprisoned in Rome and awaiting sentence, when he writes to Timothy, who is a young disciple and his co-worker in charge of the complex community of Ephesus. The writing contains recommendations and advice addressed to Timothy in particular, but is applicable to every member of the Christian community both yesterday and today. Paul is in chains in prison because he has preached the Gospel. He wants to encourage the disciple to face trials and to be a safe guide for the community, even though Timothy is rather afraid of persecution and hesitant because of the difficulties involved in his ministry. It is not in the nature of Paul and Timothy to suffer because of the Gospel but such witness is possible because it is based on the power of God.
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”
Paul wants to bear witness to the Gospel. It seems clear that it is not talent, ability or personal limitations that ensure or hinder the ministry of the Word, but it is the gifts of the Spirit – strength, charity and prudence – that guarantee the power of witness. If charity lies between strength and prudence, it facilitates discernment and, together with prudence, is manifested in our being wise and ready, when faced with any situation. Timothy, like disciples from all ages, can proclaim the Gospel with strength, charity and prudence, even to the point of suffering for its sake.
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”
We too may have felt the temptation to become discouraged in living and bearing witness to the Word of God and we may have been unsure how to deal with certain situations. Chiara Lubich helps us to understand where to draw strength during such times: ‘We must appeal to the presence of Jesus within us. The best attitude is not being passively resigned to the situation and feeling blocked by it, but going outside ourselves and taking up what is required by God’s will. It means facing the duties to which our vocation calls us and relying on the grace of Jesus within. So, it is important to look and act outside of ourselves. Jesus himself will develop in us the virtues that we need in order to bear witness to him in carrying out the task that has been entrusted to us’.
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”
Strength, charity and prudence are three virtues of the Spirit that are obtained through prayer and the exercise of faith. Father Justin Nari, from the Central African Republic, his confreres and about one thousand Muslims were taking refuge in a church as they tried to escape from the reprisals of war. They received death threats and, on several occasions, the militia leaders who were besieging them asked Father Justin to surrender. However, he always tried to dialogue with them in the hope of avoiding a massacre. One day they showed up with forty litres of petrol and threatened to burn everyone alive if he did not hand the Muslims over to them. ‘With my confreres, I celebrated Mass for the last time,’ says Father Justin, ‘and there I remembered Chiara Lubich. I asked myself what she would have done in my place She would have stayed and given her life. And that’s what we decided to do.’ After Mass there was an unexpected telephone call: the African Union army was passing through the region and was in a nearby town. Father Justin ran to meet them and together they returned to the parish. There was just thirteen minutes to go before the ultimatum expired, thirteen minutes that saved the lives of all those people and avoided bloodshed. [i]
Letizia Magri
[i] Unità è il nome della pace: La strategia di Chiara Lubich, edited by Maddalena Maltese, Città Nuova, Rome 2020.
Listen to the Word of Life
https://soundcloud.com/user-63571203/october-2022-word-of-life[:]
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