Is-Sibt, 17 ta’ Jannar 2026: Omelija mill-Isqof Awżiljarju Mons. Joe Galea Curmi fl-okkażjoni tal-professjoni reliġjuża temporanja ta’ 17-il tfajla fil-Kongregazzjoni Ulied il-Qalb ta’ Ġesu’. Dawn is-17-il tfajla ġejjin mill-Kenja, l-Uganda, it-Tanżanija, iż-Żimbabwe u l-Indja. Parroċċa ta’ San Gejtanu, Ħamrun.
Omelija mill-Isqof Awżiljarju Mons. Joe Galea Curmi
Għeżież ħuti, Ulied il-Qalb ta’ Ġesù, illum huwa jum ta’ ferħ u grazzja kbira. Intom qegħdin quddiem Alla u l-Knisja, lesti biex tagħmlu l-professjoni reliġjuża temporanja tagħkom. Illum intom ittennu l-“iva” bħal għadd kbir ta’ nisa u rġiel li, tul is-sekli, segwew lil Ġesù Kristu fil-ħajja reliġjuża kkonsagrata. Illum intom qed tidħlu f’ħajja li titlob minnkom kollox – il-ħin tagħkom, l-enerġija tagħkom, qalbkom, l-eżistenza kollha tagħkom.
Il-Kelma ta’ Alla f’dan it-Tieni Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena tgħinna nifhmu l-qalba ta’ dak li qed tħaddnu. Fl-Evanġelju, Ġwanni l-Battista jara lil Ġesù riesaq lejh, u jgħid: “Araw il-Ħaruf ta’ Alla, li jneħħi d-dnub tad-dinja” (Ġw 1:29). Ejjew nieqfu fuq dan il-kliem, għax hu kliem li jdawwal il-vokazzjoni tagħkom u l-ħajja li llum qed twiegħdu li tgħixu.
Ħajja li toffruha għall-oħrajn
Il-proklamazzjoni ta’ Ġwanni l-Battista hija sempliċi imma profonda. Hu jagħraf f’Ġesù lil dak li joffri lilu nnifsu kollu kemm hu, mhux għalih innifsu, imma għall-ħajja tal-oħrajn. Il-ħaruf mhuwiex b’saħħtu; huwa umli, vulnerabbli u, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, jagħti lilu nnifsu.
Meta għażiltu l-ħajja reliġjuża, intom segwejtu lill-Ħaruf ta’ Alla. Il-professjoni reliġjuża tagħkom mhijiex pretensjoni ta’ poter personali jew ta’ kumdità, imma don sħiħ tagħkom infuskom għas-servizz ta’ Alla u tal-oħrajn. Intom msejħin biex tirriflettu f’ħajjitkom stess l-istess umiltà, sempliċità u ġenerożità li wera Ġesù.
Il-ħajja reliġjuża titlobkom biex ma tkunux maħkuma mix-xewqat personali tagħkom. Titlobkom tħaddnu l-kastità, il-faqar u l-ubbidjenza, mhux bħala piżijiet, imma bħala triq biex issiru dejjem aktar bħall-Ħaruf li jaqdi, ifejjaq u jifdi. Illum intom tesprimu t-talba li għedna fis-Salm: “Hawn jien, Mulej, ġej nagħmel ir-rieda tiegħek” (Salm 40). Essenzjalment qed tgħidu: Mulej, nagħżel li ngħix għalik u għall-poplu tiegħek.
Tagħrfu l-leħen ta’ Alla fil-ħajja tagħkom
Ġwanni l-Battista jgħid ukoll: “Jien ma kontx nafu; imma dak li bagħatni ngħammed bl-ilma, hu stess qalli: ‘Fuq min tara l-Ispirtu jinżel u joqgħod, dak hu li jgħammed bl-Ispirtu s-Santu’” (Ġw 1:33).
Din hija lezzjoni importanti għall-vokazzjoni tagħkom. Il-professjoni reliġjuża temporanja tagħkom mhijiex il-bidu tal-mixja tagħkom, imma t-tkomplija tas-sejħa ta’ Alla f’ħajjitkom. Bħal Ġwanni, intom b’dixxerniment għaraftu l-preżenza tal-Ispirtu s-Santu f’qalbkom u fil-ħajja tal-Knisja. Intom għarftu l-leħen ta’ Alla jsejħilkom biex issegwu lil Ġesù b’mod radikali. Għalhekk kull waħda minnkom resqet ‘’il quddiem u wieġbet illum, fil-bidu tar-Rit tal-Professjoni: “Hawn jien, Mulej, int sejjaħtli”.
Fil-mumenti tat-talb, fl-isfidi tal-ħajja komunitarja, u f’dak li jitlob minnkom is-servizz, l-Ispirtu s-Santu se jmexxikom. Il-professjoni reliġjuża tagħkom hija “iva” pubblika – hija impenn li tisimgħu lil Alla b’attenzjoni kuljum, anki meta t-triq ma tkunx faċli.
Xhieda għad-dinja
Il-vokazzjoni li qed tħaddnu llum hija xhieda. In-nies jaraw ħajja mogħtija għal kollox lil Alla u jiġu sfidati biex jirriflettu fuq il-prijoritajiet tagħhom. F’soċjetà li ħafna drabi tiffoka fuq l-interess personali, ħajjitkom se titkellem b’leħen qawwi dwar l-imħabba, l-altruwiżmu u s-sbuħija divina.
San Ġwanni Pawlu II kien spiss jgħid li l-ħajja kkonsagrata hija “sinjal profetiku” fid-dinja: sinjal tas-Saltna li diġà tinsab preżenti fostna. Kull tbissima li toffru, kull att ta’ servizz, kull mument ta’ talb u kull sagrifiċċju se jipproklamaw fis-skiet: Alla huwa mħabba, u l-imħabba tiswa li nagħtu kollox għaliha.
Inkoraġġiment fil-mixja tagħkom
Għeżież ħuti, il-ħajja reliġjuża mhijiex dejjem faċli. Se jkun hemm mumenti ta’ dubju, ta’ solitudni jew ta’ għeja. Xi kultant se jkun hemm ukoll nuqqas ta’ qbil. Imma ftakru: il-Ħaruf li ssegwu qatt mhu ’l bogħod. Hu jimxi magħkom fis-skiet tat-talb, fil-kumpanija tal-aħwa, u fl-uċuħ ta’ dawk li taqdu. Hu qatt ma jabbandunakom.
Il-professjoni tagħkom illum hija patt, impenn qaddis li tippersistu fl-imħabba. Hekk kif tagħmlu dan il-pass, afdaw li l-grazzja ta’ Alla hija akbar minn kull dgħufija li tħossu. Fittxu l-appoġġ tal-komunità tagħkom u tat-talb; dawn ikunu għajnuna essenjzali għall-ħajja tagħkom. U dejjem ftakru fil-kliem ta’ Ġwanni l-Battista: il-Ħaruf ta’ Alla jiġi mhux għall-kumdità, imma għall-ħajja tad-dinja, u intom issa parti minn dik il-missjoni.
Ħajja ta’ mħabba u ferħ
Hekk kif illum tinsabu quddiem l-altar, toffru lilkom infuskom lil Alla, erġgħu isimgħu l-kliem ta’ Ġwanni l-Battista: “Araw il-Ħaruf ta’ Alla.” Araw lil dak li qed issegwu, u għarfu kif ħajjitkom, offruta b’mod sħiħ, issir rifless tal-imħabba tiegħu fid-dinja.
Jalla l-professjoni reliġjuża tagħkom illum issaħħaħ il-ferħ tagħkom, timliekom bil-kuraġġ u ġġedded ix-xewqa tagħkom li taqdu lil Alla b’fedeltà. Jalla qalbkom dejjem tinġibed lejn il-Ħaruf, u jalla ħajjitkom tkun xhieda ħajja tal-ħniena u l-paċi tiegħu.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Isqof Awżiljarju
Behold, the gift of your life. Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
Saturday, 17 th January 2026: Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi during a Mass with the Temporary Religious Profession of 17 women with the Daughters of the Sacred Heart. The Parish Church of St Cajetan, Ħamrun.
Homily by Auxiliary Bishop Mons. Joseph Galea-Curmi
Dear sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Heart, today is a day of profound joy and grace. You stand before God and the Church, ready to make your temporary religious profession. Today, you echo the “yes” of countless women and men who, through centuries, have followed Jesus Christ in consecrated religious life. Today, you step into a vocation that asks for your whole self – your time, your energy, your heart, your very being.
The Word of God in this Second Sunday of the Year helps us understand the essence of what you are embracing. In the Gospel, John the Baptist points to Jesus and says: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Let us dwell on these words, for they enlighten your vocation and the life you now promise to live.
A life offered for others
John the Baptist’s proclamation is simple but profound. He recognises Jesus as the one who offers himself fully, not for himself, but for the life of others. A lamb is not strong, it is humble, vulnerable, and ultimately self-giving.
In choosing religious life, you are following the Lamb of God. Your profession is not a claim of personal power or comfort, but a total gift of yourself for the service of God and others. You are called to reflect in your own life the same humility, simplicity, and generosity that Jesus showed.
Religious life asks you to lay down your own desires, to embrace chastity, poverty and obedience, not as burdens, but as a way of becoming more like the Lamb who serves, heals, and redeems. Today, you express the prayer of the Psalm – “I have come, Lord, to do your will” (Psalm 40). You are saying, in essence: Lord, I choose to live for you and for your people.
Recognising God’s voice in your life
John the Baptist also tells us: “I did not know him; but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me: ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain he is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit’” (John 1:33).
This is an important lesson for your vocation. Your temporary religious profession is not the beginning of your journey, but a continuation of God’s call in your life. Like John, you have discerned the presence of the Holy Spirit in your heart and in the life of the Church. You have recognised God’s voice calling you to a radical following of Jesus. That is why each one of you have come forward and responded today, at the beginning of the Rite of Profession: “Here I am Lord, you have called me”.
In the moments of prayer, in the challenges of community life, and in the demands of service, the Holy Spirit will guide you. Your profession is a public “yes” to listening attentively to God every day, even when the path is not easy.
A witness to the world
The vocation you embrace today is a witness. The world sees a life given fully to God and is challenged to reflect on its own priorities. In a society often focused on self-interest, your life will speak of love, selflessness, and divine beauty.
Saint John Paul II often said that the consecrated life is a “prophetic sign” in the world: a sign of the Kingdom that is already here. Every smile you offer, every act of service, every moment of prayer, and every sacrifice will silently proclaim: God is love, and love is worth giving all.
Encouragement in your journey
Dear sisters, religious life is not always easy. There will be moments of doubt, loneliness, or fatigue. Sometimes, there will be disagreements. But remember: the Lamb you follow is never far. He walks with you in the quiet of prayer, in the companionship of sisters, and in the faces of those you serve. He will never abandon you.
Your profession today is a covenant, a sacred commitment to persevere in love. As you make this step, trust that God’s grace is greater than any weakness you feel. Lean on your community and on prayer; these will be your lifelines. And always remember the words of John the Baptist: the Lamb of God comes not for comfort, but for the life of the world, and you are now part of that mission.
A life of love and joy
As you stand before the altar today, offering yourself to God, hear again the words of John: “Behold the Lamb of God”. Behold the One you follow, and be mindful that your life, offered completely, becomes a reflection of his love in the world.
May your religious profession today deepen your joy, strengthen your courage, and renew your desire to serve God faithfully. May your hearts always be drawn to the Lamb, and may your lives be a living witness of his mercy and peace.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop