Archbishop’s Homilies

The Lord gave the commandments as a gift to his people as a guideline for freedom and love – The Archbishop

Mass on the Sixth Sunday of Easter in memory of the first apostolic journey of Pope St John Paul II in Malta

  The Shrine of Our Lady of Mellieħa

Homily by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna

One of the first images I would like to share with you today, inspired by this beautiful reading from Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, is that of a lover. Jesus loves his Church but loves each and every one of us. He talks about keeping his commandments but he grounds what he says and what he expects from each one of us on love, not fear but love… Read more »

True friendship is based on love – The Archbishop

Mass on the feast of St Matthias for the repose of the soul of those who have died in recent days especially the patients of Hospice Malta

  The Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa, the Archbishop's Curia, Floriana

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

Wieħed jifhem għaliex il-Knisja fil-festa tal-lum, il-festa ta’ San Mattija tagħżel din is-silta sabiħa ħafna mill-kapitlu 15 tal-Evanġelju skont San Ġwann anke għaliex fil-versett tal-hallelujah, qabel propju din is-silta, il-Knisja tirrepeti vers li japplika ħafna għall-każ u l-missjoni ta’ Mattija. “Jiena għażiltkom u ħtartkom” (Ġw 15:16). Ġesù anzi jinsisti li mhux aħna għażilna lilu imma hu għażel lilna.

U meta d-dixxipli, anzi l-appostli għandhom bżonn jagħżlu ’l xi ħadd minflok Ġuda l-Iskarjota, it-traditur, biex il-Kulleġġ tal-Appostli jibqa’ bin-numru 12 li kien l-ewwel nett in-numru li għażel Ġesù u fl-istess ħin kien ukoll is-sinjal tal-poplu ta’ Alla mġedded u ġdid, iqiegħdu quddiem il-providenza, quddiem ir-rieda ta’ Alla l-għażla bejn żewġ persuni li kienu t-tnejn adatti… Read more »

Peace: the greatest gift Jesus gives us – The Archbishop

Mass offered to all nurses, whether Maltese or foreigners, serving in our hospitals and residential homes

  The Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa, the Archbishop's Curia, Floriana

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

Din is-silta mill-kapitlu 14 ta’ San Ġwann, hija meħuda mid-diskors ta’ Ġesù fl-aħħar ikla mad-dixxipli tiegħu. Ftit sigħat wara dan id-diskors Ġesù jiġi arrestat u tibda t-tortura ħarxa tiegħu, il-passjoni tiegħu u l-mewt fuq is-salib.

Imma f’dan il-kuntest Ġesù jitkellem dwar is-sliem, il-paċi tal-qalb. “Jiena nħallilkom is-sliem, nagħtikom is-sliem tiegħi” (Ġw 14:27). Dawn huma kliem li aħna nfakkru f’kull quddiesa qabel is-saċerdot jgħidilna biex nagħtu l-paċi lil xulxin… Read more »

From our mothers we have received the gift of life, wisdom and learnt the way – The Archbishop

Mass on the Fifth Sunday of Easter and Mother's Day

  The Shrine of Our Lady of Mellieħa

Homily by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna

“I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life” (Jn 14:6). Jesus responds to the insistent question of Thomas who wants to know the way and he asks Jesus: “Master, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5). The answer Jesus gives is an important one and a solemn one… Read more »

St George Preca insisted on the need to learn to forgive one another – The Archbishop

Mass on the feast of St George Preca

  The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Blata l‑Bajda

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

Għalina l-Maltin u l-Għawdxin dan il-jum għażiż li jfakkarna fil-beatifikazzjoni ta’ San Ġorġ Preca bid-deċiżjoni u bil-preżenza fostna ta’ qaddis ieħor San Ġwann Pawlu II, propju fid-9 ta’ Mejju 2001 huwa jum għażiż. Dakinhar kien ukoll il-jum tal-beatifikazzjoni tal-Beatu Nazju Falzon u tal-Beata Adeodata Pisani.

Filgħaxija ta’ dak il-jum San Ġwann Pawlu II daħal f’din il-kappella bħala l-ewwel pellegrin jinvista l-fdalijiet għeżież ta’ San Ġorġ Preca li mbagħad kellu jkun ikkanonnizzat mis-suċċessur ta’ San Ġwann Pawlu II: Benedittu XVI fit-3 ta’ Ġunju 2007… Read more »

The ability of the Virgin Mary to cherish and keep the Word of the Lord – The Archbishop

Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii

  The Parish Church of Our Lady of Pompeii, Marsaxlokk

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

Il-Kelma ta’ Alla f’din il-festa għażiża għalina l-Maltin, il-festa tal-Madonna ta’ Pompej, tinsisti fuq il-kapaċità u l-għożża tal-Verġni Marija li żżomm fil-qalb tagħha l-Kelma tal-Mulej u taħseb fuqha bejnha u bejn ruħha.

Is-silta tal-Evanġelju li għadna kemm smajna propju tikkonkludi b’din l-osservazzjoni li jagħtina l-Evanġelista Luqa: “Marija, min-naħa tagħha baqgħet tgħożż f’qalbha dawn il-ħwejjeġ kollha u taħseb fuqhom bejnha u bejn ruħha” (Lq 2:19)… Read more »

Our joy is found in knowing that we must follow in the Lord’s footsteps – The Archbishop

Mass offered to those who are volunteering to help the sick and the lonely

  The Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa, the Archbishop's Curia, Floriana

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

Kif innutajtu l-Evanġelji li l-Knisja tagħżel fir-Raba’ Ġimgħa tal-Għid jagħtuna dejjem ħjiel ta’ riflessjoni fuq ir-ragħaj fil-Knisja ta’ Ġesù, il-leadership.

Illum il-Knisja tagħtina diversi elementi wħud ta’ dawl, oħrajn ta’ inqas dawl jew ta’ dlam. U ta’ min wieħed joffri riflessjoni qasira fuq dawn l-elementi. L-għażla tal-Evanġelju tal-lum torbot fuq l-aħħar kelmiet ta’ Ġesù anke għaliex hu jinsisti fuq dak li qed jgħid billi jintroduċi l-kliem tiegħu bil-frażi: “Tassew, tassew ngħidilkom” (Ġw 13:16)… Read more »

The Lord will not leave us even when we sin – The Archbishop

Mass offered to all parents so they are shepherds within their families according to Jesus' heart and to those who are praying to become parents

  The Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa, the Archbishop's Curia, Floriana

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

Il-festa tal-konsagrazzjoni tat-tempju kienet festa għażiża ħafna minn dejjem għall-poplu Lhudi. Kienet festa li tfakkar ukoll ir-rebħa tal-poplu Lhudi fuq tentattiv li tnessihom il-fidi ta’ missirijiethom. Kienet it-tifkira ta’ meta l-Makkabej reġgħu ħadu t-tempju f’idejhom u kkonsagrawh lill-Mulej.

F’dan il-kuntest il-Lhud jistaqsu lil Ġesù dwar l-identità tiegħu: “Jekk inti l-Messija għidilna ċar u tond” (Ġw 10:24). Il-Mulej fir-risposta tiegħu ma jiċħadx imma jikkonferma l-identità tiegħu… Read more »

Jesus laid down his life to protect and nurture us – The Archbishop

Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Easter and World Vocations Day, for the repose of the soul of Mgr Arthur Said Pullicino

  The Chapel of the Centre for Vocations, the Archbishop's Seminary, Tal-Virtù, Rabat

Homily by Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna

Reading the Gospel of St John chapter 10, we are used to hear Jesus calling himself the Good Shepherd. In the first 10 verses of the same chapter, however Jesus insists that he is also the gate of the sheepfold.

And if you understand what the sheepfold used to be in Jesus’ time, you would understand that the gate or the door he refers to, is actually an interval between stones where sheep could actually go in and come out and at night when the shepherd needed to protect the sheep in the sheepfold, he would stand in that interval, in that space between the rock, between this sort of space created in the wall and he would become the door physically, personally, directly… Read more »

Jesus’ teachings are relevant to see him in our neighbours – The Archbishop

Mass on the feast of Pope Saint Pius V

  The Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa, the Archbishop's Curia, Floriana

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna

F’din is-silta mill-kapitlu 6 ta’ San Ġwann, il-Mulej jinsisti fuq żewġ affarijiet importanti ħafna.

L-ewwel nett l-effett tal-preżenza u t-tagħlim tiegħu ma jiqfux fuq din l-art. Ħafna drabi aħna nidħlu fit-tentazzjoni li nirriduċu t-tagħlim ta’ Ġesù għal dimensjoni li tispiċċa u ssib il-milja tagħha fuq din l-art. It-tagħlim ta’ Ġesù huwa rilevanti ħafna biex ngħixu ħajja ta’ nies, biex naraw lilu fil-proxxmu u fuq dan se jiġġudikana… Read more »