Malti
English (UK)[:mt]Niżżel il-fuljett tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja bil-Malti
“Qumu, la tibżgħux” (Mt 17, 7).
Ġesù ħa miegħu lil Pietru, lil Ġakbu u lil Ġwanni, u tellagħhom fuq muntanja għolja; hemmhekk huma raw il-glorja tal-Imgħallem, u semgħu leħen il-Missier jistqarr li Ġesù hu Ibnu. Din kienet esperjenza tal-għaġeb fejn Alla ppermetta li dawn il-ħlejjaq tiegħu jagħrfuh fil-ġmiel tiegħu. Id-dixxipli tant beżgħu li waqgħu mal-art, iżda Ġesù messhom u qalilhom:
“Qumu, la tibżgħux.”
“Qumu” hu l-verb li spiss insibuh fil-Vanġelu biex jagħmel referenza għall-Qawmien ta’ Kristu. U wara li Kristu Rxoxt sellem lin-nisa li marru jfittxuh fil-qabar vojt, l-ewwel ħaġa li qalilhom kienet: “tibżgħux”[1]. Għalhekk, dan il-kliem ċar u qawwi li Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli f’din l-okkażjoni kien stedina deċiżiva għal ħajja ġdida, li huma setgħu jagħmlu esperjenza tagħha għax hu kien “messhom”.
Xi drabi, aħna wkoll inħossuna idejna marbuta u mtaqqla minħabba l-biżgħat tagħna, minħabba t-tiġrib tal-ħajja u s-sitwazzjonijiet li ma nkunux nistgħu nsibu tarfhom. Iżda jekk irridu nsibu mill-ġdid l-entużjażmu biex nagħtu xhieda tal-fidi tagħna, ma nistgħux inserrħu biss fuq il-forzi tagħna; irridu nserrħu fuq il-grazzja t’Alla li dejjem hi hemm għalina.
“Hemm xi ħadd li ma għaddiex mill-provi tal-ħajja? Il-provi jaslu taħt uċuħ differenti: falliment, faqar, dipressjoni, dubju, tentazzjoni […]; u barra minn hekk, aħna qed ngħixu f’soċjetà materjalista u individwalista, f’dinja fejn ma jonqsux il-gwerer, il-vjolenza u l-inġustizzji. Quddiem dan kollu jista’ jidħol id-dubju u nistaqsu: imma l-imħabba t’Alla fejn hi? […] Ġesù jidħol f’kull sitwazzjoni ta’ tbatija; hu ħa fuqu t-tiġrib kollu li ngħaddu minnu […] Hu l-Imħabba, u l-imħabba tkeċċi l-biża’. Kull darba li l-biża’ jaħkimna jew li t-tbatija toħnoqna, aħna nistgħu nagħrfu r-realtà li hemm moħbija f’dak li nkunu qed inġarrbu: Ġesù jinsab hemm […] Mela, ejjew inħalluh jidħol f’ħajjitna; u nkomplu ngħixu dak li Alla jitlob minna billi nintefgħu nħobbu ‘l-proxxmu tagħna. Hekk inkunu nistgħu niskopru li Ġesù hu dejjem Imħabba, u nkunu nistgħu ngħidulu dak li qalulu d-dixxipli: «Int tassew l-Iben t’Alla!” (Mt 14, 33)[2].
“Qumu, la tibżgħux.”
Meta fil-ħajja tagħna niltaqgħu ma’ Alla bis-serjetà, il-preżenza tiegħu ssaħħarna, u l-Kelma tiegħu tmissna u tfejjaqna. Spiss, ix-xhieda tal-komunità nisranija takkumpanjana f’din l-avventura divina u tagħtina l-kuraġġ inqumu fuq saqajna, noħorġu minna nfusna u nerġgħu nibdew il-mixja tagħna ma’ Ġesù u mal-oħrajn.
Żagħżugħa mis-Sirja li qasmet l-esperjenza tagħha, qalet hekk:
“Fl-aħħar tas-sena l-oħra, pajjiżi kien għaddej minn mument iebes ħafna; fil-belt fejn noqgħod jien kien hemm mewġa kbira ta’ rvellijiet u biża’. Kont ninkwieta ħafna minħabba l-familja, il-ħbieb u anki minħabba fija stess. Iżda minkejja dak kollu li kien qed jiġri u li ħadd ma jaf kif u fejn ser nispiċċaw, fittixt li nibqa’ nemmen u ngħix b’mod sħiħ it-tama tiegħi f’Alla. Qabel ma nibtet din is-sitwazzjoni, flimkien ma’ grupp ta’ żgħażagħ li nagħmlu ħilitna biex ngħixu l-Vanġelu, konna bdejna nippjanaw kif ser ngħinu lil xi familji fil-bżonn billi nagħtuhom affarijiet tal-ikel u nagħmlu inizjattivi oħra.
Iżda għal xi żmien bilfors kellna nwaqqfu kull attività minħabba s-sitwazzjoni fil-pajjiż. Meta rnexxielna nerġgħu niltaqgħu, sibna l-forza u l-kuraġġ f’xulxin, u ddeċidejna li m’għandniex ninħakmu mill-biża’, imma li npoġġu l-fiduċja tagħna f’Ġesù u nkomplu bil-mixja li konna bdejna. Grazzi għal din il-ħajja ta’ fidi li ngħixu flimkien, irnexxielna ngħinu aktar minn 40 familja li kienu tassew fil-bżonn tal-għajnuna. Minkejja d-diffikultajiet kollha, grazzi għall-imħabba t’Alla u għall-għaqda ta’ bejnietna, stajna nagħmlu ftit tad-differenza fil-ħajja”.
“Qumu, la tibżgħux.“
Wara li nkunu tlajna ma’ Ġesù fuq il-muntanja biex niltaqgħu ma’ Alla u nisimgħu leħnu, imbagħad inkunu nistgħu ninżlu wkoll minn hemm fuq miegħu sabiex “[…] nerġgħu lura lejn il-wita fejn niltaqgħu ma’ ħutna l-bnedmin imtaqqla bl-għejja, il-mard, l-inġustizzji, l-injoranza, il-faqar materjali u spiritwali”[3].
Letizia Magri u il-grupp tal-Kelma tal-Ħajja
[1] Mt 28, 10; cf, 28, 5
[2] C. Lubich, Kelma tal-Ħajja Awwissu 2002, Parole di Vita, ta’ Fabio Ciardi, (Opere di Chiara Lubich 5), Città Nuova, Ruma, 2017, pġ. 664-665
[3] Ara Papa Franġisku, Angelus 16 ta’ Marzu 2014
[4] Ibid.[:en]Download Word of Life
“Get up and do not be afraid” (Mt 17:7).
Jesus climbed a high mountain with Peter, James and John and, from there, the disciples saw the glory of their Master and heard the voice of the Father who recognised him as his son. This was an extraordinary experience; being face to face with God allowed his creatures to know him in his splendour. The disciples were afraid and fell to the ground, but Jesus touched them and said,
“Get up and do not be afraid.”
The verb ‘to get up’ is the same one often used in the Gospel in reference to the Resurrection, just as ‘do not be afraid’ are the first words that the Risen Lord addressed to the women at the empty tomb after having greeted them. (i) Jesus’ strong and clear words on this occasion are a decisive invitation to enter into a new life which the disciples were able to experience through the touch of his hand.
We too are sometimes held back by our fears and weighed down by life’s trials and situations that seem to have no solution. When this happens, we cannot rely solely on our own strength if we want to rediscover the enthusiasm and momentum of witnessing to our faith. Instead, we should depend on the grace of God who always goes before us.
“Who does not go through trials in life? They take the form of failure, poverty, depression, doubt or temptation … Furthermore, the materialistic and individualistic society that surrounds us, with its wars, violence and injustices is also frightening… Faced with these situations, doubt can creep in and we may ask ourselves, ‘Where has God’s love gone?’ … Jesus truly entered into every painful situation and took all our trials upon himself … He is Love, and it is love that drives out all fear. Every time we are assailed by fear or suffocated by pain, we can recognise the true reality hidden within it: it is Jesus who is present … Let us allow him to enter our lives. And then let us continue to live as God wants us to do by focusing upon loving our neighbour.
We will discover that Jesus is always Love. We will then be able to say to him, just as the disciples did, ‘You are truly the Son of God.’ (Mt 14:33)”. (ii)
“Get up and do not be afraid.”
Those who have experienced God in their lives have been captivated by his presence, touched and healed by his Word. Sometimes, the witness of a Christian community accompanies us on this divine adventure and gives us the courage to get up again, to step outside ourselves and resume our journey with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters.
Let us read the testimony of a young Syrian woman:
“At the end of last year, my country went through a very difficult time. My city was hit by a wave of chaos and fear. I was deeply concerned for my family, my friends and myself. In the midst of so much uncertainty, I tried to remain steadfast in my hope in God and to stay strong despite everything that was happening. Before these events, the young people with whom I am committed to living the Gospel had planned some projects to support families in need by preparing food parcels and organising various initiatives.
But the situation forced us to temporarily suspend all activities. After a few days, we managed to get together and, at that meeting, we found strength and courage in one another. We decided not to let fear overwhelm us, but to put our trust in Jesus and continue on the path we had begun. Thanks to the faith we shared among us, we were able to help more than forty families who were in real need of support. In the midst of those difficulties, we felt that, thanks to God’s love and our unity, we could really make a difference.”
“Get up and do not be afraid.”
After climbing the mountain with Jesus to meet God and hear his voice, we can also descend with him, to “return to the plain, where we meet so many brothers and sisters weighed down by fatigue, illness, injustice, ignorance, poverty both material and spiritual.” (iii)
Even as a Christian community, we may suffer and feel lost, but this Word urges us to set out together, to bring to everyone “the fruits of that experience with God by sharing the graces we have received.” (iv)
Prepared by Letizia Magri and
the Word of Life Team
(i) Mt. 28:10, cf. 28:5
(ii) C. Lubich Word of Life, Aug 2002
(iii) Pope Francis, Angelus 16 March 2014
(iv) Ibid[:]
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