L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles Jude Scicluna
“Hu, li kien ħabb lil tiegħu li kienu fid-dinja, ħabbhom għall-aħħar” (Ġw 13:1). Huwa dan li qegħdin niċċelebraw illejla: l-imħabba ta’ Ġesù, li tilħaq il-qofol tagħha, u tilħaq ukoll il-milja tagħha. L-espressjoni “ħabbhom għall-aħħar” (Ġw 13:1), mhux biss temporali, imma wkoll ta’ kwalità; ma setgħax iħobbna iżjed: ħabbna sal-aħħar.
Fil-poeżija ta’ Dun Karm, li aħna nkantaw, fl-innu ‘Tina l-Ħlewwa’, “l-aħħar qatra ta’ Demmek tajtilna”, dan li qegħdin niċċelebraw: l-għotja ta’ Ġesù – l-umiljazzjoni tiegħu, li mhijiex umiljazzjoni li tkissirna, imma li turina kemm iħobbna. Illum, nirringrazzjawh tad-don tal-Ewkarisitja. L-invenzjoni tiegħu li jagħtina Ġismu biex niekluh u Demmu biex nixorbuh, ħalli Hu jkun fina u aħna fih, u Hu jkun magħna; biex l-isem li jingħata mill-Profeta Iżaija, “Alla magħna” (Iż 7:14), iseħħ sal-aħħar taż-żminijiet – “Għimmanu-el – Alla magħna” (Iż7:14). Alla magħna fil-Kelma tiegħu, imma fuq kollox, fit-tifkira li qegħdin nagħmlu, u li ordnalna li nagħmlu – Alla magħna fl-Ewkaristija.
Illum ukoll jagħtina l-kmandament li naħslu saqajn xulxin. Li taħsel saqajn ħuk jew oħtok, ifisser li titgħabba wkoll, bil-piż tat-tajn u t-trab tal-vjaġġ ta’ ħajjithom. Hekk għamel Hu, u qalilna: “Jien, li jien il-Mulej u l-Imgħallem, ħsiltilkom saqajkom, hekk intom għandkom taħslu saqajn xulxin(Ġw 13:14).
This blessed evening is a memorial of the great love of Jesus, for each and everyone of us. “Having loved his own in the world, and he loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). This is not only a category in time, but it is also a qualitative category. He could not love us more than He did. And today as an expression of His love, He gives us the great gift of the Eucharist. His own way, His own invention of being God with us to the end of time, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “and shall call his name Immanuel – God with us (Is 7:14). He is with us in the Eucharist, He is with us in His word; but He is with us in the Eucharist. And we need to thank him for this memorial of His death and resurrection. This great sacrament of His presence, of His love, of His redemption.
Today, He also teaches us, to wash each other feet. Not because they are clean, but because they need to be cleansed. To wash the feet of another person means, to be part of the life journey, of the dust they have gathered, of the sweat, of the weariness of one’s life journey. And so, as He did, by taking on the weariness of our pilgrimage, He invites us to share with one another, not only the hopes of our journey, but also the challenges, the difficulties, the failures; and this is love, according to His own dictionary.
Today He gives us a huge essential dictionary of love, that the world needs to remember. We look on our leaders, and we see so many who are actually taken up by their own image, by their own illusionary self-importance. The Lord who kneeled down to wash out feet, has a different style of leadership. This is the leadership that the world needs.
And so as we pray for peace, let us pray for the peace of those who are ready to wash the feet of those who are wearisome in life’s pilgrimage, that we are all part of. As we pray for peace in the world, let us also be filled with the hope, that we are not left alone; that in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, He is with us – Immanuel.
✠ Charles Jude Scicluna
Arċisqof ta’ Malta
Qari tal-quddiesa
Qari I: Eż 12:1-8,11-14
Responsorju: 115(116):12-13,15-16bċ,17-18
Qari II: 1 Kor 11:23-26
L-Evanġelju: Ġw 13:1-15
