[:mt]Kelma tal-Ħajja ta’ Frar[:en]February Word of Life[:]

[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti

“Ħa jsir kollox fostkom bl-imħabba” (1 Kor 16, 14)

Dan ix-xahar ejjew inħallu l-esperjenza u l-kliem ta’ San Pawl ikunu ta’ dawl għall-passi fil-ħajja tagħna². Bħalma għamel mal-Insara ta’ Korintu, hu qed iħabbar lilna wkoll messaġġ qawwi: il-qalba tal-Vanġelu hi l-imħabba, l-agape. Din il-kelma tfisser l-imħabba għall-bnedmin u l-imħabba ta’ bejn l-Insara, dik li ma tistenna xejn lura.

Din hi Kelma tal-ħajja li nsibuha fi tmiem din l-ittra. Hu spjega b’mod ċar din il-kwalità ta’ mħabba: hi taf tistabar, hi ta’ qalb tajba, tħobb is-sewwa, ma tfittixx l-interessi tagħha³ (…).

Jekk fil-komunità Nisranija ngħixu l-imħabba ta’ bejnietna b’dan il-mod, hi tkun bħal balzmu għall-firdiet li dejjem jhedduha u sinjal ta’ tama għall-bnedmin kollha.

“Ħa jsir kollox fostkom bl-imħabba”.

Jolqotna l-fatt li San Pawl, li kiteb din l-ittra bil-Grieg, iħeġġiġna biex nagħmlu kollox “billi nkunu fl-imħabba”, bħal qisu biex jurina xi ħaġa li ma tinbidilx, jiġifieri li ngħammru f’Alla Mħabba.

Infatti, kif nistgħu nilqgħu lil xulxin u lil kull bniedem b’din l-imġiba, jekk ma nagħrfux li huwa Alla li jħobbna l-ewwel, anki fid-dgħufija tagħna? Jekk inġeddu fina dan l-għarfien inkunu nistgħu ninfetħu għall-oħrajn bla biża’ biex nifhmu l-bżonnijiet materjali u spiritwali tagħhom.

Araw daqsxejn dak li għamel Ġesù, li Hu l-mudell tagħna. Minn dejjem kien Hu li beda jħobb l-ewwel: “[…] Hu fejjaq il-morda, ħafer il-midinbin, ta ħajtu għalina lkoll. Jekk inkunu ġenerużi, neħduha kontra l-istint tagħna li dejjem hu lest li jaħtaf; jekk inkunu attenti lejn l-oħrajn ma nibqgħux aktar iċċentrati fuq il-bżonnijiet tagħna; jekk nagħtu minn dak li hu tagħna, ma nibqgħux aktar egoisti. Mhux importanti nistgħux nagħtu ħafna jew ftit. L-importanti hu l-mod kif nagħtu, kemm inpoġġu mħabba anki fl-attenzjoni tagħna lejn l-oħrajn. […] Irridu nżommu f’moħħna l-imħabba, għax biha nkunu nistgħu nersqu lejn l-oħrajn sempliċement billi nisimgħuhom, naqduhom, inkunu lesti ngħinuhom, infittxu nkunu mħabba qrib ħutna. B’hekk inkunu sibna t-triq diretta biex nidħlu f’qalbhom u nwiżnuhom”⁴.

“Ħa jsir kollox fostkom bl-imħabba”.

Din il-Kelma tal-ħajja tgħallimna nersqu lejn ħutna b’rispett, mingħajr wiċċ b’ieħor u b’mod kreattiv ħalli nwettqu x-xewqat tagħhom, biex hekk kulħadd jagħti sehemu għall-ġid komuni.

Din il-Kelma tgħinna nagħtu siwi għal kull okkażjoni konkreta tal-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum: “[…] mix-xogħol tad-dar jew fl-għelieqi jew fuq il-post tax-xogħol, fl-uffiċċju, għax-xogħol tad-dar tal-istudenti, kif ukoll ir-responsabiltajiet li għandna fil-ħajja ċivili, politika jew reliġjuża tagħna. Kollox jista’ jinbidel f’servizz attent magħmul bil-ħeġġa”⁵.

Nistgħu nimmaġinaw biċċa mużajk ta’ Vanġelu li juri ħajja mgħixa b’mod sempliċi.

Żewġ ġenituri kitbulna hekk: “Meta waħda mill-ġirien, imnikkta għall-aħħar, qaltilna li binha spiċċa l-ħabs, aċċettajna li mmoru narawh. Lejlet iż-żjara tagħna għamilna sawma, bit-tama li naqilgħu l-grazzja li ngħidulu dak li jgħodd għalih. Imbagħad ħallasna l-pleġġ biex ikun jista’ joħroġ”⁶.

Grupp ta’ żgħażagħ minn Buea (il-Kamerun) nieda ġbir ta’ fondi biex jgħinu ʹl dawk li kellhom jaħarbu minħabba l-gwerra li hemm bħalissa⁷. Marru jżuru raġel li tilef driegħu waqt li kien qed jaħrab. Għalih, li jgħix b’din id-diżabiltà saret sfida kbira, għax kellu jibdel dak li kien imdorri jagħmel. “Qalilna li ż-żjara tagħna tatu tama, ferħ u fiduċja. Ħass l-imħabba t’Alla f’dak li konna għamilna miegħu”. Mara oħra qaltilna: “Wara din l-esperjenza, inħossni tassew konvinta li ebda rigal li nagħtu ma hu żgħir jekk nagħmluh b’imħabba… Hi l-imħabba li tmexxi d-dinja. Ejjew ngħixu hekk aħna wkoll!”

Letizia Magri u t-team tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja

1. Għal dan ix-xahar, il-Kelma tal-Ħajja li qed nipproponu hi l-istess waħda li grupp ta’ Nsara minn ħafna Knejjes mill-Ġermanja għażel li jgħix tul is-sena kollha.

2. Ara Sal 119 [118], 105.

3. Ara kap. 13.

4. C. Lubich, Kelma tal-Ħajja ta’ Ottubru 2006, mill-ktieb Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5; Città Nuova, Ruma 2017) pġ. 791-792.

5. Ibid. p. 792.

6. S. Pellegrini, G. Salerno e M. Caporale, Famiglie in azione. Un mosaico di vita, Città Nuova 2022, pġ.70-71.

7. Silta addattata minn https://www.unitedworldproject.org/workshop/camerun-condividere-con-gli-sfollati

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Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor. 16:14)i

This month, the word and experience of the apostle Paul can guide us and be a lamp for our steps.ii He proclaims a powerful message to us just as he did to the Christians in Corinth; he announces that charity, agape and the selfless love as found among brother and sisters lie at the heart of the Gospel. Our Word of Life is part of this letter’s conclusion. It frequently refers to the importance of charity and explains it in all its nuances: it is patient, benevolent,loves truth and does not seek its own interests … iii

Mutual love lived out in this way in the Christian community is balm for the divisions that always threaten it and is a sign of hope for all humanity. Let all that you do be done in love. It is striking that in the Greek text, Paul exhorts us to act as a consequence of “being in love,” as if to direct us towards a permanent state of being – a dwelling in God who is Love. For how can we welcome each other, how can we be open towards each person we meet if we do not acknowledge that God took the initiative in loving us just as we are, complete with our frailties and failures? A renewed awareness of God’s love enables us to have no fear in being open to others, discerning their needs and standing alongside them, sharing material and spiritual resources.

Let’s look at how Jesus did this as he is our model. He was always the first to give: “… health to the sick, forgiveness to sinners, life to us all. He contrasted a selfish instinct to hoard with an attitude of generosity; he challenged focus upon personal needs with attention to others and the desire to possess with a culture of giving. It does not matter whether we can give a lot or a little. What matters is how we give, how much love we put into even the smallest things we do for another person. …

Love is essential because it knows how to approach others even if all we have to offer is our availability to listen or to serve. How important … it is to try to ‘be love’ beside each person. It is the most direct way to enter their hearts and raise their spirits.”iv

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

This Word teaches us to approach others with respect, without falsehood, with creativity, making room for their best aspirations, so that each person can make a contribution to the common good. It helps us to value all the practical aspects of daily life: “… from household tasks, work in industrial units or on the land, duties in an office or school, to civil, religious and political responsibilities we may undertake. Everything can be transformed into attentive and caring service”.v

Let’s imagine a series of images showing simple gestures inspired by the Gospel. Here are two examples. Two parents write, “When a very distressed neighbour told us that her son was in prison, we agreed to visit him. We fasted the day before we went and hoped we would have the grace to say the right things to him. Then we paid his bail so he could leave jail.”

A group of young people in Buea, southwest Cameroon, organized a collection of goods and funds to help those internally displaced by the ongoing war. They visited a man who had lost an arm while fleeing from his home. Living with this disability was extremely challenging and had a serious impact upon his life. Regina said, “He told us that our visit gave him hope, joy and confidence. He felt God’s love through us.” Marita added, “After this experience, I am convinced that nothing is too small if done with love… There is no need for anything else: it is love that moves the world. Try it!”

Edited by Letizia Magri and the Word of Life Team

i This month the Word of Life we propose is the same that a group of Christians from different Churches in Germany has chosen to live throughout the year.

ii Cf. Ps. 19 [18] 105

iii Cf. Ch. 13

iv Chiara Lubich Word of Life, Oct 2006

v  ibid[:]