L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna
Pietru, għal darba, darbtejn, tlieta, jgħid kelma li ta’ min nirriflettu fuqha f’dawn il-ġranet qaddisa li għadna kemm bdejna. “Jien ma nafux lil dan il-bniedem!” (Mt 26:72). Ta’ min nistaqsu lilna nfusna: aħna, lil dan Ġesù nafuh? Dak li qed jgħid Pietru, biex jeħles mill-arrest jew mill-mewt, li qed jgħid frott il-biża’; forsi għandu ironija iżjed profonda. “Le, ma nafux lil dan il-bniedem!” (Mt 27:74). Ma nafx dan il-bniedem, l-imħabba tiegħu safejn se twasslu. Għadni ma għaraftx li l-qawwa tal-imħabba tiegħu twasslu sa fuq is-salib; u li l-imħabba tiegħu tkun ir-rebħa fuq il-mewt.
Għalhekk tajjeb li f’din il-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa, insiru nafuh lil dan ir-raġel. U niskopru li hu l-Iben ta’ Alla magħmul bniedem; li quddiem il-Qassis il-Kbir jammetti li hu l-Messija; u li quddiem Pilatu jammetti li huwa s-Sultan tal-Lhud. Li fuq is-salib, jilqa’ fuqu s-solitudni wisq tremenda tal-bniedem, meta jħossu li Alla telqu u abbandunah. Hija s-solitudni tad-dnub u tal-infern, li hu ġarr fuqu, huwa u jitlob b’salm 22, biex jeħlisna minnha.
Lil dan ir-raġel nafuh? U jekk ma nafuhx biżżejjed, nitolbu l-grazzja f’dawn il-ġranet qaddisa, biex insiru nafuh iżjed. U niltaqgħu miegħu bħala s-Salvatur tagħna.
As we start Holy Week today, we have listened to the Passion narrative according to Matthew. When Peter is tempted and challenged whether he was actually part of the group of Jesus of Nazareth. He repeats: “I don’t know the man” (Mt 26:72). And that could also be true for each and every one of us. Do we really know Jesus of Nazareth? Do we really understand who he is in our lives, in the history of humankind?
So let us start this week by praying that we come to know Jesus more deeply, more intimately. That we understand how great love is for each and every one of us is, and how powerful love is over hatred, over envy, and even over death.
We may not know him well, but let us pray that we come to know him better.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Arċisqof ta’ Malta
Qari tal-quddiesa
Qari I: Iż 50:4-7
Responsorju: S 21 (22):8-9,17-18a,19-20,23-24
Qari II: Fil 2:6-11
L-Evanġelju: Mt 26:14 – 27:66
