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Meta nħarsu lejn il-Vanġelu ta’ San Mark, fl-għarfien hu l-iqsar wieħed fost l-erbgħa, jistonaw il-prominenza u d-dettall li jinagħtaw għat-tradiment ta’ Pietru fil-passjoni ta’ Kristu. Huma tant drammatiċi, li ma nistgħux ma niqfux inħalluhom ikellmuna. Ċertament tinħass il-biża’ mill-fatt li n-narazzjoni tieħu postha mad-daħla tal-Palazz. Ma jixtiqx ikun barra, imma mhuwiex ġewwa kompletament. L-arma tas-sejf fil-Ġetsemani fallietu u issa bħal donnu m’għandux iktar għodod għajr li jsegwi mill-bogħod. “M’iniex nifhem x’int tgħid,” irrisponda mal-ewwel akkuża, “…u s-serduk idden” (14:67). Tant hu preokkupat bis-sigurtà tiegħu nnifsu li lanqas jagħti kas tas-serduq. Jipprova jagħmel passejn oħra bit-tama li ma jagħrfuhx, iżda jinkixef għal darba darbtejn. L-infedeltà laħqet quċċata li żgur qatt ma mmaġina li se jilħaq minn meta beda jsegwi ‘l-Imgħallem. Bdiet minn sempliċiment kumment li ma kienx qed jifhem, u dawn progressaw għal gidba waħda wara oħra. Ċaħda. Dan hu dak li għadu jagħmel id-dnub f’ħajjitna: jibda mix-xejn, anke f’mument ta’ fraġilità, u jiprogressa bil-mod, gidba wara l-oħra.

 

Is-serduk reġa’ idden u Pietru ftakar fil-kliem li tant kien iddisturbah waqt l-ikla. Iċċaqlaq minn fejn kien, u f’dak il-mument, Ġesù, kif ħareġ minn quddiem Kajfa, “dar u ħares lejn Pietru” (Lq 22:61). X’imħabba din! Ġesù ma waqafx biss ma twissija fl-ikla bit-tama li jipprevjeni, imma wara l-waqa’, reġa’ intervjena billi jdur u jħares lejh. Sa qabel dik il-ħarsa, Pietru għaraf li wasal biex ċaħad; ma’ dik il-ħarsa, għaraf lil min ċaħad. Din ukoll riflessjoni importanti għalina llum: aħna naħarbu d-dnub mhux sempliċiment biex inżommu xi tip ta’ clean-sheet magħna nfusna; fuq kollox, nagħmlu ħilitna biex naħarbuh għax warajh hemm persuna tant għażiża għalina. Kif jgħid Salm 51: “dak li hu ħażin f’għajnejk għamilt.” Mhux dak li hemm f’għajnejna jew f’għajnejn dawk ta’ madwarna, imma f’għajnejn Alla nnifsu: dawk l-istess għajnejn li jqajmu lil Pietru min-nuqqas ta’ kongruenza mal-kuxjenza tiegħu li s-serduq waħdu ma rnexxilux iqajjem.

 

Meta nixtarru dan kollu, ma nistgħux ma niftakrux ukoll f’Ġuda li n-narrattiva tiegħu hi tant simili għal ta’ Pietru. Bħal Pietru, Ġuda wkoll ġie mwissi fl-aħħar ikla. Bħalu wkoll żbalja. Jekk Ġesù “dar u ħares lejn Pietru,” ma’ Ġuda għamel ħafna iktar: ħallieh ibusu. Iżda, kif nafu, il-kumplament tal-vjaġġ kien differenti għaż-żewġ persunaġġi. Ġuda, bħal Pietru, għaraf ħtijietu (Mt 27:4). Allura x’wassal għad-differenza bejniethom? Pietru wera fiduċja fil-ħniena t’Alla u ħalla lilu nnifsu jiġi maħbub mill-ġdid. Il-Bibbja mimlija b’immaġnijiet simili li l-ħtija teħodhom f’destinazzjonijiet opposti. Kajin u David it-tnejn qatlu. Wieħed imċanfar u l-ieħor eżaltat. Kajin jiddispra fit-twemmin li dnubu ikbar mill-maħfra li qatt seta’ jirċievi (Ġenesi 4:13), u David jafda fil-ħniena t’Alla (Salm 51). Fuq il-Kalvarju għandna l-istess: żewġ ħallelin, bl-istess sentenza. Wieħed jinsulta, u l-ieħor jitlob ħniena. Narrattivi simili imma bi tmiem tant differenti. Għaldaqstant, it-tagħlima ewlenija f’dan kollu x’inhi? M’hemm l-ebda dnub jew ħtija akbar mill-ħniena t’Alla u minn xewqtu li jħobb.

 

Ġew kwotati diversi kotba mill-Bibbja, imma sar enfasi fuq il-Vanġelu ta’ San Mark, li tant jesponi l-ħtijiet ta’ Pietru. Tajjeb inkunu nafu li Mark kiteb il-Vanġelu kif kien deskritt minn Pietru nnifsu, bħallikieku s-segretarju tiegħu. U din tagħtina dimensjoni ġdida għal dak kollu li għadna kif irriflettejna: Pietru jistqarr ħtijietu pubblikament man-nies ta’ żmienu u ma’ dawk ta’ ġenerazzjonijiet oħra. Jagħraf li l-ferħ mill-maħfra t’Alla kien ħafna ikbar milli kieku baqa’ kkunsmat minn dak li xi darba għamel. Jagħraf li l-identità tiegħu tistrieħ mhux fuq dak li jagħmel, imma fuq dak li għalih jagħmel kollox. Fl-istqarrijiet tiegħu hemm xewqa li meta jien u int, xi darba naqgħu bħalu, bħalu wkoll nafdaw fil-ħarsa ta’ mħabba ta’ Kristu.

 

Ispirat minn The Gaze of Mercy, Raniero Cantalamessa, 2015.

Longing to See Her Face

“In various phases of life, we have to enter a process of waiting whether we like it or not. I must admit that I am not always capable of doing so. However, this time around, I cannot try to wait any less by paying for fast shipping or asking someone to pick up an item for me. This kind of waiting is completely new to me: that of a child. This is a kind of waiting that is unrelenting in its lessons of life.

“Personally, this waiting is exciting, joyful, and gives me a strong sense of gratitude for the new life unfolding. I wish the next few months would pass as quickly as possible so I can finally meet our little one and see her face! However, among the positive emotions, there is also an element of anxiety, of doubt for what I cannot see or control; for what is unknown.

“These are the moments that help me realise that, in life, I cannot have control over everything, and the desire for control can also work against me. While these emotions may be mixed and I always prefer to be content and calm, they are the same emotions that draw me to the presence of God. They humble me to open my eyes to relinquish control and offer what I have in my heart and mind to Him. These are the moments that remind me of how God was faithful to me in previous experiences through which I have learnt that He is truly providential and patient. Reflecting on the past helps me build a sense of gratitude, while at the same time giving me the courage to continue to live in the present and offer my future to the Lord.

“In all of this, I find the courage to wait. Most of all, I come to understand that waiting is an inevitable journey, both an external and an internal one. It is a process within myself, with my loved ones, and with God.

“During this waiting, I decided to choose a particular song to listen to in quietness and prayer: ‘Not in a Hurry’, by Will Reagan. This is a song which I enjoy playing to my baby, especially now that I have learnt that babies hear sounds outside their mothers’ bodies at 27 weeks. Whilst praying with the mentioned song, I continue to grasp the importance of sitting with my emotions, patiently, before the Lord. I understand that this is a process that takes time and that I need to accept it with a spirit of gratitude and humility. Even though at times, it is not always easy to appreciate each and every moment, this period is helping me to understand that this waiting is an attitude which in return provokes more opportunities to think, reflect, and act with a sense of responsibility.”

Have a listen to ‘Not in a Hurry’ by Will Reagan, and make the most of it by reciting a verse or two in your prayer.


This is the experience of a 25 year old Maltese female who is counting the days to see the face of the one she is carrying.

Make time to reflect

  • We might not be expecting a child at the moment. However, what face am I eager to see? Various authors in the Bibles, especially Psalmists, express their desire to see the face of the Lord, a term which in other words means to enter in a deeper communion to discover something more of God.
  • How are you desiring to know God better?
  • The narrator lets her adverse emotions be a vehicle to draw herself to God. How do you make use of such emotions?
  • In times of doubt, she recalls experiences in which the Lord was faithful to her in the past. What are some of your experiences in which you find refuge?

Longing: A Reflective Resource for Advent

This year, the Malta Catholic Youth Network has collaborated with Lifelong Catechesis to explore the attitude of longing during the Advent season. Whether you are simply searching, in this journey of faith without belonging to any particular community, or or already part of a group, we extend an invitation for you to delve into these reflections either independently or with your community.

We have met four categories of people in Malta who are all longing for something in one way or another. We encourage you to explore their stories, finding resonance and acknowledging your own experiences of longing. In this liturgical period of Advent, consider redirecting your yearnings towards Christ, turning this season into a transformative journey of spiritual growth.

Click here to download a print version.

Imħasseb

Riflessjoni għall-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa

Jekk qatt ħassejt iż-żiffa friska qalb il-muntanji fin-Nofsinhar tal-Polonja, hemm mnejn iltqajt ma’ din l-immaġni mnaqqxa fuq il-bibien tipiċi tal-madwar. Wiċċ Kristu mħasseb, imserraħ fuq idu, f’mument sieket fil-ġrajja mqanqla tal-Passjoni. Mument ċkejken qabel dik l-istess id iltaqgħet mal-iskald aħrax t’għuda li xejn ma tixbah is-slaleb xkatlati bi truf imdiehba tal-vari madwarna.

Similaritajiet ta’ dan l-immaġni jinsabu wkoll il-Ġermanja u l-Litwanja, fost l-oħrajn.

Xi jħalli fik il-wiċċ imħasseb ta’ dak li s-soltu nħares lejh setgħan u sovran? Ngħid għalija, l-ewwel sentiment iqanqal fija togħma morra li taħsad il-mod ta’ kif kultant inħares lejn il-fidi. Naf li l-fidi mhijiex maġija li fiha nsib konfort immedjat, imma l-immaġni t’Alla mħasseb xorta tistona ma’ ħsibijieti. Nippreferih miexi fuq il-baħar, ifejjaq l-impossibbli u jsikket il-maltemp. Nippreferih mhux imħasseb. Jekk xejn, il-muskulatura erojka mirquma tal-iskultura tal-Ħassieb ta’ Rodin, hi ferm iktar attraenti.


Hu maħsub li din l-immaġni, qabel il-figura ta’ Kristu, kienet tirrappreżenta ‘l Ġob: raġel “perfett u tajjeb” (Ġob 1:1), tal-familja, ta’ fidi, u b’sitwazzjoni finanzjarja komda. Nistħajjel li bħali, xewqtek tħabbrek għal dan l-għajxien. Iżda żgur li ma tħabbrekx għall-kumplament tan-narrattiva kkaratterizzata minn: fallimenti f’ħidmietu, imwiet ta’ familjari, mard, solitudni, u dwejjaq. F’sommarju ta’ ftit kliem, f’Ġob nilmħu diżappunt. Għalkemm xewqti ma tħabbrekx għal din l-iżvolta, nagħraf li, xi ftit jew wisq, doqt ftit mill-imrar ta’ Ġob f’ħajti. Bħalu staqsejt “għaliex?” u ddiżappuntajt ruħi f’Alla li fih tant ittamajt u qdejt. Tħassibt. Kont nixtieq verżjoni ta’ ħajja aħjar jew imqar rimedji iktar effiċjenti. Kont nippreferi immaġni t’alla inqas fraġli. Imma ma setax kelli immaġni t’imħabba aħjar minn dak t’Alla ħosbien! Vulnerabbli fil-ġisem. Vulnerabbli fil-ħsieb. Bħali. Miegħi.


Bħalma l-maltemp jikxef l-abiltajiet tal-baħri, Alla ma jiddistikkax ruħu mill-immaġni tiegħu ħosbien, u b’hekk jikxef imħabbtu. Ma kienx ikun veru bniedem li kieku qatt ma ġarrab il-ġlidiet tal-moħħ li magħhom aħna nissieltu ta’ kuljum. Is-saħħa mentali mhuwiex suġġett aljen għal Kristu, għax bħali u bħalek issielet miegħu sa għereq l-għaraq tad-demm. Għall-kuntrarju tiegħi, ma jagħżilx li jaħrab mal-ewwel buffuri ta’ sofferenza.


Fit-tħassib uman, mexa pass eqreb biex jifhem dak li, ħaddieħor jew saħansitra inti stess, ma tistax tifhem fik innifsek. Fit-tħassib tiegħu seta’ jilmaħ u jifhem it-tħassib tiegħek. U għax int ukoll parti minn din-narrattiva, fit-tħassib jagħraf opportunità ta’ mħabba. Imħabba li mhux dejjem hemm raġuni valida għaliha, jew li mhux dejjem tkun reċiprokata. Għax dejjem hemm mnejn l-iben il-ħali jiddawwar biex jiġi. Jekk jiġi! L-istennija ta’ Kristu mnaqqxa f’wiċċ ħosbien imserrħa f’idejh, ma tistrihx qabel tarak mill-ġdid.


Ħnientu, friska iktar miż-żiffa tal-muntanji, titħasseb għalik.

This Christmas, Make Room

I can only imagine the attentiveness of parents just before the woman gives birth. Many parents prepare the famous hospital bag weeks – if not months – before the delivery day, to make sure they are fully equipped when the moment arrives. I believe that Joseph and Mary were just as mindful before Jesus was born, while also being filled with joy and excitement. These are undoubtedly memorable moments cherished by many which make everything else seem irrelevant.

During these delicate moments, the last thing that I would want to think of  is a 30-minute telephone survey by one of some statistic agencies – which have a tendency to test my nerves every so often. Joseph and Mary were not exempt from such statistical exercises; their government had in fact demanded their participation a few days before the delivery. The only difference was that the couple had to embark on a 33–hour journey between Nazareth and Bethlehem to enrol themselves. I must thank Google maps for the 33-hour calculation, though this might have been slightly different knowing the vulnerability of Mary in her last pregnancy days (if not hours) and the accompaniment of a poor donkey.

The couple had to leave their home in this vulnerable situation in order to foster responsibility and  be lawful citizens.
NB: The Romans had not been a corruption-free authority either.

Am I willing to leave my comfort zones to meet my obligations towards the state/superiors?

Knowing Joseph’s profession, I can only imagine what he had been preparing to ensure that  baby Jesus received a warm welcome to planet Earth. The simplest preparation that comes to mind is a comfy bed where the mother and child could rest. Yet, he had to leave everything behind to participate in such census, and the selfless woman who had just accompanied Elizabeth in her pregnancy now found herself on a physically and emotionally challenging journey with Joseph – without the warmth of that bed which her husband had planned for baby Jesus and without the warmth of their relatives’ presence.

Would I be able to sit with my own self in moments of vulnerability without being distracted by my possessions?
Would I be able to acknowledge and trust God amid my suffering?

The time for Mary to deliver arrived, and we all know how the rest of the story unfolded. The most comfortable piece of furniture found by the carpenter was nothing less than a manger, and the ones who had accompanied the couple during these joyful moments were none other than some sheep and the poor donkey. I cannot imagine how the couple must have felt at  that  point, after being stripped of all their plans and desires, and finding themselves in a place far from luxurious or fit for a rising king – a cave. A human disappointment. Nevertheless, God still finds His delight, especially now that He could start engaging with His beloved children through an embodied medium, in the simplest form of communication: newborn’s cry.

Am I aware of God’s wish to reach out to me today?

Aspiring to build a space for Jesus  to dwell in is wonderful; however, are these dreams  replacing  my thirst to meet Him? Am I so preoccupied with being sinless or with my works, that I am forgetting that this is a two-way relationship?

May this story humble us in the realisation that Jesus brings life when and wherever He wants to. He does not require us to be fully equipped; rather, He requires us to have an expectant heart. God did not choose a carpenter to satisfy His needs to sleep in a luxurious bed; rather He chose Joseph for who he was. Mary was not chosen because she was a skilful mother; He chose her because of who she was.

In the same way, God wants to encounter me and you today, not because of what we can offer, but because of who we are, for He is in love with us, despite our disappointments or failed plans. Just as He wanted to journey with Joseph and Mary, He wants to walk the journey of life with me and you.

How can I make room for Jesus this Christmas?

One Church, One Journey – For Youth Ministry

In June 2020, the Archdiocese of Malta launched the process of ecclesial renewal One Church, One Journey. This process invites the Church in Malta to a journey taking place between 2020 and 2024.

MCYN has created an abridged version of One Church, One Journey. This version was written with the intention of making the original text shorter, simpler and easier to reflect upon. We’ve made it with hope that it will inspire reflection and, ultimately, drive action.

We pray that this process truly opens us to the will of God and the conversion of heart required to be true witnesses of Christ.

Healthy Tension

Tension and stress are rarely associated with something positive. And yet the Gospel invites us to live in healthy tension. Tension is when one is stretched between two contradictory points. And the Gospel has many of these contradictory invitations. John portrays Jesus as calling his disciples to be in the world but not of this world (Jn 17:14-15). Matthew and Luke both write of the contradiction ‘For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’ (Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24). But perhaps the greatest sign of contradiction of all is Christ’s death on the cross, in order to bring life to the full. This is the ultimate tension. Christ here is literally stretched on the cross to bring heaven and earth together, to redeem all the human race in the loving embrace of God the Father.   

Perhaps our contemporary culture is more open to living in tension after all. Our culture no longer thinks in black and white. Our culture stretches our potential to all limits. So too our youth ministry can invite and challenge young people to live these healthy gospel tensions, as challenging as they may be. Can we invite them to be more of Christian witnesses in their daily lives? In the world but not of this world? To speak in a counter-cultural manner? To write blogs, facebook posts, newspaper articles in favour of life, truth and more Christian values?

Can we invite them to live out of their comfort zone? Without their gadgets? To live a period intensely for others, perhaps through voluntary work? To make radical choices in their lives? Isn’t this the way we invite them to lose their life in order to gain it?

Any youth minister who has challenged a youth group, be it daring them to an abseiling adventure or to a mission, know that they rise up to the occasion. And when they live in tension, it acts like a catapult. It helps them grow in spiritual maturity, it helps them be of witness to others and mobilise others to taste what they have experienced.

As youth leaders and ministers, we too are called to live in a tension that is life-giving and creative. We are called to be lamps to others and recognise the mission which we have been given for “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” At the same time, it is important we acknowledge that we bear ‘this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” So, in our journey as youth leaders, we need to continuously strive between doing all to polish and train ourselves so that we shine God’s light brightly, whilst at the same time trusting that it is God who will work through us, if we only step out of his way!

Christine Rossi

Ms Rossi together with Profs Adrian-Mario Gellel will be presenting their research entitled: ‘Of Lamps & Clay vessels – Towards the validation of non-formal and informal learning of youth leaders in Church youth groups.’ on the 23rd September 2017 at Sala San Gorg Preca – Catholic Institute in Floriana at 9am. For more info please send an email on: [email protected]

That Unreachable Thing Called Beauty

“I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” (The Book Thief by Markus Zusak)

There must be a reason why this sentence etched itself so deeply into my memory. It doesn’t happen often, so when it does, there simply must be a good reason for it to do so. I keep finding myself returning to this sentence, each time inserting different adjectives – opposites, contradictions – that shouldn’t work together. Words such as distant and close; rich and poor; wretched and peaceful; silent and loud; real and abstract; man and God…you get the picture. In all cases, the sentence holds true.

It seems to me now, that this single sentence is somewhat of a paradigm of the entire human experience. We simply cannot understand the value of one thing without that value which tends to stand on the most distant, opposite end. Can we start to understand the truth, without identifying the non-truths; or true friendship without having suffered betrayal? Can we read a complete sentence, without knowing the value of a single letter? Can we fully appreciate the splendour of a mosaic, without considering the thousands of little glass pieces (tesserae) used to create it? I am convinced the answer is no. So how can we expect to recognise Beauty (yes, with a capital B); or Truth, or Love (all with capitals), or Oneness without first seeing (but it is an ever so small and limited a glimpse) what they are not, through the multiplicity of means and scenarios which we are offered throughout our life, daily?

I am here concerned with Beauty, but since all are connected, one will naturally and inevitably relate to the other in a practically inseparable way. Much has been written about Beauty already, and whatever has been written here has certainly been written elsewhere before. “Art,” claims Pope Francis, “is not only a witness of the beauty of Creation, but it is also an instrument of evangelisation” (‘My idea of art,’ 2015). In other words, art is both passive and active – it is one and the other, and both at the same time. Indeed, the sentence still holds true.

Art is a tool, an instrument, and for a long time in the history of art (and man), Beauty was the insufferable cause and desire of several artists and patrons. All longed for Beauty, many attempted to reach it, and all, of course, failed. Because Beauty, in this sense, is not only unreachable but also unrecognisable. Yet, and here comes the paradox, it is forever approachable. We yearn what we cannot fully have. Still we try to reach it in one way other, and often we do not realise that we are.

What we will possibly find within art is not Beauty itself, but an expression of it, a taste to wet our appetite for the actual thing. And so we ask for more, to see more and know more. But the actual thing we are then looking for, is something art cannot provide us with. It is only an instrument, not the actual music, and it is the music that we desire most to hear.

Giulia Privitelli – Pietre Vive

Throughout the summer period, Pietre Vive is offering numerous formation camps in Spain (Santiago de Compostela and Puente de la Reina), in France (on Gothic art and architecture) and Greece (on early Christian communities, between paganism and jews). Contact [email protected] for more information or [email protected] to get in touch with the local community.

Of Resounding Gongs on Christian Conscience

 

Lately, there has been much talk about Conscience. More exactly claims about decisions taken from a Christian formed Conscience. Such claims got even an enthusiastic and “blogged opinion piece support” coming from “a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1Cor 13: 1) hijacking – as in the recent past – Christian discourse on Conscience.

The Greek word for “conscience” in the New Testament is suneidēsis, i.e. “moral wakefulness/consciousness.” In the New Testament conscience has more of a personal undertone, while in the Old Testament it is more related to the covenant community through which one relates to God and Covenantal Precepts in being friends with God. Therefore for a conscience claiming to be Christian, it has to be always informed by and formed within the Community of Faith, though personal as it may be.

Conscience is:

  1. God-given capacity for self-evaluation. A good conscience is clearly in accordance with morals and values based on God’s standards. A good conscience shows uprightness of heart.

2. A witness to the presence of God’s law written in our hearts and therefore it is not external to us. It is honest, leads to holiness of life and authenticity.

3. A retainer of the individual’s values yielding a strong sense of right and wrong. There is no good conscience if the latter is lacking. Conscience is clear where there is the maturity of faith and understanding. Immaturity in faith and lack of understanding leads to weak conscience. At this level, conscience is reduced to an opinion. BUT CONSCIENCE IS NOT OPINION.

A clear conscience does not smell of ulterior Pinocchian hidden motivations. It stems from the virtue purity of heart and is preserved by constant adherence to God through God’s Word and participation in the life of the Church (the community of disciples) which renews and softens our hearts.

Rev. Dr Charlo Camilleri 

in Riflessjonijiet – www.ccarmel.com