“The Lord purifies the intention of all those who enter into politics at the service of the nation” – The Archbishop on Rememberance Day

Homily by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna

Kon-katidral ta’ San Ġwann, il-Belt Valletta

8 ta’ Novembru 2015

L-ewwelnett nixtieq insellem l-ogħla awtoritajiet tal-pajjiż: lilek Eċċellenza, Sur Preca, Onorevoli Prim Ministru, il-President tal-Kamra tar-Rappreżentanti, il-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni, Ministri, Membri Parlamentari, il-membri tal-Bank tal-Ġudikatura u tal-Maġistratura, Presidenti Emeriti. I would like to greet the members of the Diplomatic Corps. Insellem b’mod speċjali lill-Forżi Armati u lill-membri tal-Korp tal-Pulizija, għax inħoss li llum, f’Jum it-Tifkira, irridu nsellmu b’mod speċjali mhux biss il-memorja ta’ min ħalla ħajtu jiddefendi lil pajjiżna jew f’missjonijiet ta’ solidarjetà madwar id-dinja, imma nsellmu wkoll tip ta’ sagrifiċċju verament partikolari.

Jekk aħna nħarsu lejn iż-żewġ mumenti tal-Vanġelu tal-lum (Mk 12, 38-44) nistgħu ngħidu li Ġesù, f’żewġ mumenti, jagħtina lezzjoni kbira fuq is-sinifikat veru tas-servizz fis-soċjetà. L-ewwelnett jikkundanna l-klerikaliżmu, li jibqa’ tentazzjoni kbira anke fil-Knisja, li jfittex il-privileġġi, ifittex l-osanna tan-nies imbagħad, jgħid “iberbaq il-ġid tar-romol” u jgħatti kollox b’ħafna talb. Dawn jieħdu kundanna aktar iebsa.

L-ewwel parti tal-Vanġelu tal-lum hija ċensura qawwija ta’ Ġesù għall-kleru li jinqeda bil-missjoni tiegħu għall-privileġġ personali u biex ixaħħam il-but tiegħu. Aħna u nisimgħu l-kelma ta’ Ġesù ma nistgħux naħsbu f’ħaddieħor u ma nitolbux maħfra tad-dnubiet tagħna, aħna l-kleru. Il-kelma ta’ Alla qabel kulħadd illum iċċanfar lilna. Nitolbu ’l Mulej jagħtina l-għerf, l-għaqal u l-umiltà, li dak li ngħidu u niċċelebraw fit-talb u fil-ħajja tal-Knisja jkun ta’ veru, u ma jkunx aġenda moħbija, maskra li tgħatti l-kilba għall-ġid u għall-prestiġju.  

Il-kelma ta’ Ġesù tgħodd ukoll għal kull min jidħol għas-servizz tas-soċjetà. Anke min jidħol għas-servizz tas-soċjetà għandu t-tentazzjoni li moħħu jisker bil-kilba għall-poter u għall-ġid. Il-Mulej isaffi l-intenzjoni ta’ kull min jidħol għall-politika u għas-servizz tan-nazzjon. U anke llum, nitolbu maħfra lill-Mulej ta’ kemm il-darba nċedu quddiem it-tentazzjonijiet li hu jispjega tant tajjeb mingħajr ma jaħfirha lil ħadd.

Illum nixtieq ukoll nikkumenta fuq l-armla li jsemmi fil-Vanġelu. Ġesù kellu soft spot għar-romol. Meta ltaqa’ mal-armla ta’ Najm qiegħda wara l-katavru ta’ binha, waqqaf il-korteo u lil binha qajmu mill-mewt u reġa tahulha ħaj. U ‘llum’ jiltaqa’ ma’ armla li quddiem it-teżor tat-tempju titfa’ l-unika muniti, il-ftit, “żewġ muniti” li jgħid li kellha. Setghet iżżomm anke waħda imma l-plural tal-muniti jenfasizza li hi ddeċidiet tagħti, bħal ma jgħid il-Mulej: “kull ma kellha biex tgħix”.

Jiena dejjem nagħmel din ir-riflessjoni li Ġesù kellu din is-soft spot f’qalbu għar-romol għax il-mama’ tiegħu hekk kienet, meta beda l-ħajja pubblika. It-tradizzjoni kostanti tal-Knisja tgħid li Ġużeppi kien miet u Marija kienet waħidha. Nazzaret tiddependi ħafna mis-solidarjetà tal-extended family, tal-familja ikbar, dawk li fil-Vanġelu jissejħu ħutu li kienu l-familji ta’ Ġużeppi u ta’ Marija. Imma hu ddeċieda li lil ommu jitlaqha, u ma setax ikompli jaħdem ta’ mastrudaxxa għax dik kienet issa l-missjoni ġdida tiegħu, biex jgħixu huma t-tnejn. U f’din l-armla li tat kollox, Ġesù żgur kien qed jara wkoll lill-mama’ tiegħu.

Aħna u nsellmu lill-membri tal-Forzi Armati, lill-membri fil-Korp tal-Pulizija u dawk kollha tas-sigurtà li taw ħajjithom fil-qadi ta’ dmirijiethom, naraw immedjatament id-distanza, id-distakk bejn dak li jsemmi Ġesù fil-bidu tal-Vanġelu min juża’ l-poter għall-vantaġġi personali tiegħu, u dawn l-ulied il-poplu li, biex jaqdu lill-Istat, iħallu ħajjithom. Lill-Istat ma jkunux tawh xi ħaġa miż-żejjed tagħhom, imma ħajjithom stess.

Kull meta nżur iċ-ċimiterji tal-Commonwealth li għandna f’pajjiżna, u wkoll meta kont ngħix Ruma, jien u sieħbi Amerikan, illum Arċisqof ta’ San Franscisco, bħal daż-żmien kull sena konna nagħmlu pellegrinaġġ fiċ-ċimeterji militari li hemm f’Anzio u Nettuno. Hemmhekk tara dawn ir-ringieli twal ta’ memorjali ta’ żgħażagħ ta’ 18 il-sena, 19 il-sena, 20 sena, li mietu biex l-Ewropa terġa ssib il-libertà vera. Kien hemm ukoll ċimiterju tal-Ġermaniżi mhux il-bogħod minn Nettuno. Qatt ma rnexxilna mmorru imma kienet ħolma tagħna li mmorru, iżda imbagħad ma stajniex nibqgħu nagħmlu dawn il-pellegrinaġġi, imma dawk ukoll kienu żgħażagħ, dawk ukoll obdew l-ordnijiet ta’ fuq, ħallsu l-ogħla prezz billi taw ħajjithom.       

Aħna ma nistgħux ninsew, la s-sagrifiċċju tagħhom u lanqas it-tagħlima li jagħtuna mis-silenzju tal-qabar tagħhom. Għax quddiem il-qabar tagħhom aħna li qed nagħtu ħajjitna għas-soċjetà, irridu ngħidu: forsi minix se mmut fil-qadi tad-dmirijiet tiegħi, imma b’liema  motivazzjoni qiegħed nidħol għal din il-vokazzjoni? 

I would like to greet the members of the Diplomatic Corps and offer a summary of what I said in Maltese. The Gospel that you’ve heard proclaimed also in English, has two moments which are very important and I find a very important link between the first two. The first one is some sayings of Jesus that criticise the clergy in very harsh terms. And he criticises the clergy who use the mission in the community to make money, seek prestige and don’t really serve the people. They are hypocrites who only use religion and the service to the community as a façade. But these very strong words of Jesus can also apply to people who give their life, who dedicate their life to the service of the community, to the State, to politics, to community service. They are also tempted to use their status to make money or for prestige. The words of Jesus purify our motivation.

But in the second part of the Gospel Jesus talks about a widow, he had a soft spot for widows because his mama was also a widow at the time when during his public ministry he was saying these words. In noticing these people he met the widow of Naim who was crying for her dead son and he gives back her son to her because her livelihood depended on the work of her son. And Jesus knew that he had to stop working as a carpenter to start his ministry which was only two years long because then they crucified him but she had to live through the support of their extended family. But he notices a poor widow who goes to the treasury of the temple and gives two mites, two small coins, the value of a penny. And he says she has given more than all the rest put together.

And when we stand before the memorial of the fallen, the memorial of the dead who gave their life for country, for freedom, in obedience to the State we are honouring the memory of people who did not give of their own extra, but gave their life. And their memory should motivate us who are working for the community to purify our motivation, not to seek money or prestige but to be truly of service.

I used to visit the Commonwealth Cemetery in Anzio and Nettuno and there are cemeteries also for the German and German speaking soldiers who were on the other side, all young men, 18, 19, 20 years old. And you stop in silence because they are known to God but they are known to him as people who gave their lives.

And so we should work for a just society, for peace in honour of their memory but also learn from today’s Gospel that it is not what you give but how you give it and the love you put in your ministry and your generous service to the State and certainly those who gave their life for their country and for our freedom that we enjoy today merit our memory and our honour because they have given all they could give: their lives and thus more than we can give all put together.

✝​ Charles J. Scicluna

    Arċisqof ta’ Malta

Photos: Photocity, Valletta.

www.photocitymalta.com