L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna
A special greeting to our friends from abroad, who are non Maltese residents, welcome to this celebration. We are celebrating 800 years since the passing of Saint Francis of Assisi. We are in the presence of a special relic from Assisi, a bit of material which touched the wound on his side.
Il-preżenza ta’ din ir-relikwa ta’ San Franġisk li hi materjal li miss il-kustat tiegħu, meta l-Mulej iddeċida li lill-qaddej tiegħu, Franġisku jagħtih sinjal konkret, tanġibbli tal-passjoni tiegħu – l-istimmati.
Qegħdin ukoll nibdew b’mod solenni l-istaġun qaddis tar-Randan. Ġesù fl-Evanġelju li għadna kemm qrajna, iħajjarna biex nidħlu fil-kamra ta’ ġewwa, ta’ qalbna, u hemmhekk nibdew it-triq li twassalna għall-Għid il-Kbir. L-Evanġelju jgħidilna biex nindmu u nikkonvertu, bil-karità, bit-talb u bis-sawm. Dawn huma tliet atteġġjamenti li inti tista’ tarahom, il-karità li nagħmlu, it-talb li nitolbu, is-sawm li nsumu. Ġesù mhux impressjonat minn dak li jidher, u javżana – “tagħmlu xejn għall-għajn in-nies” (Mt.6:1), imma qis li l-karità, it-talb u is-sawm tiegħek joħorġu mill-qalb. Dik il-kamra ta’ ġewwa fejn Alla biss huwa xhud. Aħna nitolbu bl-interċessjoni ta’ San Franġisk biex jgħallimna l-karità tiegħu, li ta kollox lill-foqra, ħaddan il-faqar u ħaddan miegħu wkoll lil-lebbruż, dik it-tgħanniqa ta’ Franġisku mal-lebbruż hija l-karità li taf teżisti, li tħobb sal-aħħar.
Il-Patrijiet, uliedu kienu jafu li fi Fraaġisku kellhom qalb ta’ missier u ta’ omm għaliex l-imħabba tiegħu kienet imħabba tenera, il-karità tiegħu kienet li jaqsam il-ħobża ta’ kuljum, il-ftit li kellu ma’ ħaddieħor, u jagħmlu bil-ferħ. San Franġisk jgħallimna li t-talb irid ikun djalogu konkret, leali ma’ Alla. U fit-talb, il-ftit li ħallielna, wieħed jirrealizza l-għaqda ta’ Franġisku mal-Mulej, fejn kien jitpaxxa jitħaddet miegħu, fejn it-talb tiegħu mhux biss kien spiritwali imma djalogu bejn ħbieb. Jalla aħna f’dan ir-Randan nikbru f’dan l-istil ta’ talb.
Franġisku li għex il-ħajja komda ta’ iben nies sinjuri ħalla kollox biex iħaddan is-sawm bħala stil ta’ ħajja. Iċċaħħad minn kollox biex ikun ta’ Ġesù u ma’ Ġesù. Il-Pjagi li l-Mulej ried iżejjnu bihom kien is-siġill ta’ dan l-istil ta’ ħajja, ta’ ċahda ferħana, u ferrieħa ta’ min iħobb, u ċ-ċaħda jaraha bħala espressjoni ta’ mħabba. Ejjew nitolbu li dan ir-Randan aħna wkoll ngħixu l-mumenti ta’ ċaħda, bħala sinjal tal-mħabba. Wara kollox il-Knisja dan tixtieq li bis-sawm tagħna niddedikaw iżjed ħin għat-talb u għal-karità. B’xi mod is-sawm isir allura t-triq tar-Randan. San Franġisk jgħallimna li din it-triq tista’ tkun triq ta’ ferħ.
The Lord mentions three attitudes for this holy season of Lent.: Charity, prayer and penance. And we can see these three beautifully espressed in the life of Saint Francis. Saint Francis embraced charity by loving his neighbour, embracing the lepper and showing that love is not only love words but a movement of the heart.
The Lord presents three attitudes for this holy season of Lent: charity, prayer, and penance. We can see these three beautifully expressed in the life of Saint Francis.
Saint Francis embraced charity by loving his neighbour, embracing the leper, and showing that love is not only words, but a movement of the heart.
He also embraced prayer through a constant dialogue with the Lord. His prayer praises God for creation; it is full of joy and humility. It blesses and embraces the loving sentiments of others.
Francis shows us that penance is a way of life — one of strength, poverty, an offering of love. For Francis, penance and fasting are expressions of a dedication that goes beyond the beauty of life and seeks the beauty of the Master. Therefore, it is not something that should sadden us, but something to be embraced with enthusiasm, for in self-control and inner strength lies the secret of holiness.
And so, as we begin this holy season of Lent, let us pray for the intercession of Saint Francis. He had a special role: at San Damiano, the Lord told him, “Go and rebuild my Church.” May we also rebuild our strength through his intercession in this holy year, as we celebrate the 800th anniversary of his death. May we be, as he was, holy and full of compassion.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Arċisqof ta’ Malta
Qari tal-quddiesa
Qari I: Ġoel 2:12-18
Responsorju: Salm 50(51):3-4,5-6a,12-13,14,17
Qari II: 2 Kor 5:20–6:2
L-Evanġelju: Mt 6:1-6,16-18
