L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna
Your Excellency, your presence among us gives new meaning to the responsorial psalm today. Lord on every nation on earth will adore you. Il-ġnus kollha tal-art jagħtuk qima Mulej. You come from Hong Kong, the Far East. Mgr Dennis [Kuruppassery] comes from great subcontinent of India. Both of you come from the East. And in the Gospel of Matthew today, we hear about these Three Wise Men coming from the East. They have a special vocation, a special mission. There is a light that warms their hearts, invites them to a meeting, to an encouter, not with a lore, not with a set of rules but as Benedict, a blessed memory, used to insist – they are being called to meet a person – the God who is love made man and the word dwelt among us.
We rejoice at the beginning of your ministry among us as the representative of the love, the solicitude of the Holy Father. Today, as we celebrate the Epiphany, we celebrate the Catholicity of the Church. The Church is Catholic because it is found, as Irenaeus would say, in every part of the world. It is Catholic because every human being is called to the embrace of faith, hope and charity that we celebrate. And we meet the mystery of the love of God in a little baby, defenseless, vulnerable, totally dependent. There is no invitation. So freeing and so free. Before a baby you have a choice – you either embrace it or you discard it. Let the spirit of epiphany make us yearn to embrace the Lord of life and light.
Nixtieq insellem il-komunità ta’ fidi, mhux biss dawn li qegħdin hawnhekk fil-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann, imma wkoll dawk li qed isegwuna permezz tax-xandira diretta fuq TVM biex ilkoll kemm aħna ningħaqdu u waqt li nilqgħu lill-Eċċellenza tiegħu Savio Hon Tai-Fai, in-Nunzju Appostoliku l-ġdid, nilqgħu l-imħabba tal-Papa, li hu jirrappreżenta u niftakru li aħna parti minn Knisja familja kbira ta’ dawk li jemmnu f’Ġesù, li jittamaw fih u li jħobbuh.
Il-festa tal-Epifanija llum tfakkarna li aħna Kattoliċi. Għandna sejħa li nkunu parti minn familja li tinsab fid-dinja kollha imma wkoll sejħa għal kull bniedem. Hi sejħa universali biex kull bniedem jiltaqa’ ma’ xi ħadd, mhux ma’ regoli jew kmandamenti. Imma f’laqgħa ta’ mħabba jiltaqa’ mal-Mulej sid il-ħajja.
Quddiem tarbija għandek għażliet: tilqagħha jew twarrabha għax it-tarbija tiddependi minnek biex tgħix. L-għażla tagħna tkun dik li aħna nilqgħu dan id-don kbir ta’ ħajja, dawl, umanità vera u ferħ.
Ejjew nitolbu li aħna u naduraw lil din it-tarbija bħalma għamlu t-Tliet Slaten Maġi wara li terrqu u fittxew u għażlu li jitilqu kollox biex jiltaqgħu ma’ Ġesù. Ejjew aħna u naduraw din it-tarbija, nifhmu li quddiem tarbija għandek għażliet: tilqagħha jew twarrabha għax it-tarbija tiddependi minnek biex tgħix. L-għażla tagħna tkun dik li aħna nilqgħu dan id-don kbir ta’ ħajja, dawl, umanità vera u ferħ.
Your Excellency, we are not only pleased to greet you a Bishop from Hong Kong, but also now apostolic nuncio for Malta, Mgr Dennis, the first councillor of the Nunciature but also Mgr Ferrer that comes from Spain. To a certain extent, your presence here your excellency, a secretary of the dicastery for clergy in the Holy See is also a sign of our Catholicity.¡Bienvenido excelencia! And I’m very pleased to greet your mamà as well. ¡Bienvenida! And your friends. May your stay in Malta be also a reminder that we are a humble people with a large heart. And please pray for us.
Aħna li nilqgħu lill-isqfijiet minn Hong Kong, minn Spanja, lil Mons. Dennis mill-Indja, nifhmu li aħna l-Maltin u l-Għawdxin parti minn familja kbira. Din hi festa kbira li nagħmlu fl-Epifanija.
Id-Djaknu wara l-Evanġelju tal-lum fakkarna fl-Għid il-Kbir li ġej fid-9 t’April 2023. Imma ħin minnhom qal xi ħaġa li nixtieq nerġa’ nsemmiha. Qalilna hekk illum id-Djaknu Gylan: “Din is-sena l-ferħ tal-Għid il-Kbir, li jixxerred ma’ kullimkien fid-dinja, se ngħixuh mal-Knisja kollha fid-9 ta’ April. Iżda kull nhar ta’ Ħadd il-Knisja tistedinna biex ngħixu dan il-ferħ tal-Għid, għax kull nhar ta’ Ħadd il-Knisja tiċċelebra il-misteru kbir tal-fidwa tagħna u tfakkarna li l-Mulej bil-mewt tiegħu qered il-mewt tagħna u bil-qawmien tiegħu mill-imwiet tana ħajja ġdida.” Kull nhar ta’ Ħadd.
Il-festa t-tajba lil kulħadd u sena ġdida mimlija risq u barka!
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Arċisqof ta’ Malta
Qari tal-quddiesa
Qari I: Iż 60:1-6
Salm: 71 (72):1-2,7-8,10-11,12-13
Qari II: Ef 3:2-3a,5-6
L-Evanġelju: Mt 2:1-12