Fir-Randan ma’ San Ġorġ Preca

Kitba ta’ Joe Galea

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Fir-Randan ma’ San Ġorġ Preca

Għal San Ġorġ Preca, l-indiema ma kinitx stedina biss għal żmien ir-Randan. Il-bniedem hu wieħed u għemilu mhux marbut ma’ xi żmien tas-sena, hekk li ngħaddu minn divertiment għal ieħor imbagħad fir-Randan nieqfu xi ftit. Hu parti mill-ħajja li xi drabi ma nġibux ruħna kif jixtieqna Alla. M’għandniex nistennew ir-Randan biex nirrikonċiljaw ma’  Alla. Dan nistgħu nagħmluh fil-Qrar kull meta rridu.

Il-Ktieb il-Kbir

Għalhekk San Ġorġ Preca ħallielna għajnuniet għeżież biex l-indiema tkun parti minn ħajjitna tul is-sena kollha u tul ħajjitna kollha. Għalih, Kristu li fdiena mid-dnub kien ‘il-Ktieb il-Kbir’. Jistedinna nkunu grati lejn Kristu li tant bata għalina. F’ħamsin riflessjoni jgħidilna biex: “Noqogħdu fuq il-Kalvarju quddiem Kristu Ġesù Msallab ħdejn Marija Santissima Ommu, u nieħdu minnu tagħlim tal-ħajja eterna.” Fost il-meditazzjonijiet hemm dwar il-kruha tad-dnub, in-neċessità tal-penitenza, it-tama mid-demm ta’ Kristu, il-ħniena ta’ Alla, Alla bħala r-refuġju tal-midneb u suġġetti oħra li huma relatati mal-indiema.

Is-Sakrarju tal-Ispirtu ta’  Kristu

Ktieb tassew sabiħ mimli tagħlim mill-aħħar ġimgħat tal-ħajja ta’ Kristu hu ‘Is-Sakrarju tal-Ispirtu ta’  Kristu’. Isemmi 50 episodju f’vers jew tnejn dwar x’għamel Ġesù tul ħajtu u għal kull ħaġa jistaqsi: “Liema spirtu tosserva f’din iċ-ċirkustanza?”

Il-ktieb fih sezzjoni b’50 mistoqsija dwar x’għallem Ġesù, u jistaqsi: “X’jiġik f’moħħok b’dan il-kliem?” Sentenza minnhom hi: “Fejn hemm it-teżor tiegħek, hemm hi qalbek.” U t-tweġiba hi: “Il-ħsieb tal-bniedem imur fuq dak li jħobb; min iħobb lil Alla, ifittex lil Alla f’kollox.”

‘Is-Sakrarju tal-Ispirtu ta’ Kristu’ fih ukoll ftit folji b’50 mistoqsija: “Għal xhiex bata Ġesù?” u għal kull waħda jitlobna naħsbu: “X’tara inti hawn?” Jiġifieri għal min, għalxhiex bata hekk Ġesù? Eżempju minnhom hu: “Kristu bata meta attewlu għajnejh fil-Passjoni.” It-tweġiba hi: “Ġesù hawnhekk bata għad-dnubiet li jsiru meta nużaw għajnejna biex naraw dak li mhux xieraq.”

Il-ktieb fih ukoll 50 sentenza dwar x’mhuwiex l-Ispirtu ta’  Kristu, bħal meta ngħiru għall-ġid li għamel ħaddieħor.

Eżerċizzju interessanti ieħor fil-ktieb ‘Is-Sakrarju tal-Ispirtu ta’ Kristu’ hu dak li hu msemmi ‘Fhiex Tiftakar’, fejn San Ġorġ Preca jsemmi xi oġġett jew azzjoni li niltaqgħu magħha fil-ħajja, biex ngħidu fhiex tfakkarna fil-ħajja ta’ Ġesù, bħal: “Fhiex tiftakar meta xi ħadd jikkoreġik?” It-tweġiba hi: “Meta Ġesù ħares lejn Pietru biex jikkoreġih.”

San Ġorġ Preca ukoll jiddjaloga ma’ Ġesù u joqgħod ifakkru f’55 episodju fil-ħajja tiegħu, bħal: “Sinjur Ġesù, tiftakar meta bkejt fuq Ġerusalemm għax il-Lhud ma laqgħukx?” U jesprimi: “B’liema mħabba inti tridilna l-ġid!”

Tnax-il talba ta’ ndiema

San Ġorġ Preca ħallielna wkoll 12-il stqarrija ta’ indiema, paragrafi qosra b’siltiet mill-Bibbja fejn isemmi d-dispjaċir ta’ persuni, bħalma huma r-Re David, l-appostlu Pietru, Marija Madalena, il-ħalliel ‘it-tajjeb’ u oħrajn, wara l-iżball li jkunu għamlu. Filwaqt li juri l-kruha tad-dnub, San Ġorġ Preca jafda fil-ħniena kbira ta’ Alla lejn il-midneb.   

Jixbhu lil dak li qrajna fil-Quddiesa tal-Erbgħa tal-Irmied, fejn fir-ritornell tlabna: “O Alla, ħenn għalina għax dnibna.” San Ġorġ Preca jagħti l-mod partikulari lil dawn is-Salmi, bħal din, l-ewwel waħda: “Kemm bdieli, o Sinjur, li mxejt kontra tiegħek! Il-paċi telqitni, il-benefiċċji tiegħek ċanfruni, u l-biża’ nkesa miegħi. La tiddisprezzanix, umiljat u konfuż quddiemek. Nistħi nerfa’ għajnejja lejk. Żommni bħala wieħed mill-inqas sefturi tiegħek.”

“Ħares ‘l hawn u kkwieta;”

Fost il-kitbiet ta’ San Ġorġ Preca dwar il-Kurċifiss, u kif għandna nħarsu lejh, hemm din tant sabiħa mill-ktieb ‘Taħdit għat-Tfal’. Jikteb hekk:

“Għidli, min hu li jħares lejn il-Kurċifiss u ma jikkwitax f’mistrieħ perfett? Dnubietek ibeżżgħuk? Stħajjel lil Kristu kurċifiss jgħidlek: Ħares ’l hawn u kkwieta għax jiena ħallast għalik.

Xi ħadd ittrattak ħażin? Stħajjel lil Kristu Kurċifiss jgħidlek: Ħares ’l hawn u kkwieta għax jiena għamilt il-ġid u ħallsuni b’deni.

Inti mweġġa’ jew imnikket? Stħajjel lil Kristu kurċifiss jgħidlek: Ħares ’l hawn u kkwieta għax jiena innoċenti f’baħar ta’ wġigħ, ta’  niket.

Tinsab inti nieqes minn xi ħaġa? Stħajjel lil Kristu kurċifiss jgħidlek: Ħares ’l hawn u kkwieta għax jiena msallab għarwien.

Inti inti mżeblaħ? Stħajjel lil Kristu kurċifiss jgħidlek: Ħares ’l hawn u kkwieta għax jiena Alla oġġett ta’ żebliħ, żuffjett u ta’  daħk.

F’kelma waħda f’kull stat tiegħek spiritwali għandek dejjem konfort x’tiġbed minn Kristu kurċifiss, li jgħid lil kull min iħares lejh li kollox jispiċċa bil-mewt: delizzji u biki.

Ara qatt taħseb li inti spiritwali jekk titffa l-ħarsa tiegħek, biex timita banda oħra ħlief fuq il-Kurċifiss. Kristu waħdu biss it-triq, il-verità u l-ħajja u ħadd ma jasal fis-saltna eterna tal-paċi ħlief permezz tiegħu biss. Tfittex il-pjaċiri li jgħaddu? Kun af li inti m’intix dixxiplu veru ta’ Kristu, li bata għalina u ħallielna l-eżempju li nimxu warajh, hu li dnub m’għamilx: ara mela li quddiem it-tbatija tgħid sinċerament: “O Salib, is-sliem għalik!” 

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It is a part of life that sometimes we do not conduct ourselves as God wishes us to do, and we should not wait for Lent to reconcile ourselves to God, as we do in Confession. Every person is unique, and his actions are not tied to any particular time of the year, like when we move from one amusement to another, but then during Lent we take a short break.

‘The Great Book’

Saint George Preca, therefore, proposed a few helps to do penance as part of life all the year round, at any time of life. For him, Christ, redeeming us from sin, was ‘The Great Book’. In 50 reflections he tells us to ‘stay on Calvary before Christ Jesus Crucified, beside the Blessed Virgin Mary His Mother, and take from Him teachings of eternal life.’ Included among the meditations of ‘The Great Book’ there are those on the horror of sin, on the necessity of penance, on hope from the blood of Christ, on the mercy of God, on God being the refuge of sinners, , and on other subjects related to penance.

‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’

A beautiful book full of inspiration from the last weeks in the life of Christ is ‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’. It includes 50 episodes of one or two verses each about what Jesus did throughout his life.  For each episode he asks: “What spirit do you observe in this circumstance?’ 

The book also includes 50 questions about what Jesus taught, asking: ‘What comes to your mind with these words?’ One statement he gives is: ‘Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also’ (Mt 6,21). And the answer he gives is: ‘“A man’s mind is directed to what he loves; one who loves God seeks God in all things.’”

‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’ also includes 50 questions: ‘What did Jesus suffer for?’ for each of which he asks: ‘What do you notice here?’ That is, for whom and for what reason did Jesus suffer so much? This is one example: “Christ suffered when blindfolded during the Passion.” For which the answer given is: “Here Jesus suffered for sins committed with our eyes to see what is not appropriate.

“The book also contains 50 sentences about what the Spirit of Christ is not, such as when we are envious of the good others have done. 

Another interesting exercise in this book is named ‘What does this remind you of?’, where Saint George Preca mentions an object or an action we encounter in life to reflect on what it reminds us of in the life of Jesus, like: “Do you remember when someone corrected you?” The answer is: “When Jesus looked at Peter to correct him.”

In ‘The Sanctuary of the Spirit of Christ’, Saint George Preca also opens dialogues with Jesus reminding him of 55 episodes in his life, such as: ‘Lord Jesus, do you remember when you wept over Jerusalem because Jews did not accept you?’ and expresses himself thus: ‘With how much love do you wish us to pursue good!’

Prayers of a Contrite Heart

Saint George Preca left us also 12 prayers of a contrite heart, short paragraphs with excerpts from the Bible mentioning the repentance of Biblical persons. Included in the ‘Prayers of a Contrite Heart’ are repentant sinners, such as King David, the apostle Peter, Mary Magdalene, the ‘good’ thief on the cross, and others, following wrongs they had committed. While showing the horror of sin, Saint George Preca still puts his trust in the great mercy of God towards the sinner. 

These are like some refrains we repeat in the Ash Wednesday Mass, where we pray: “O God, have mercy on, us for we have sinned.” Saint George Preca gives a particular way to these Psalms, like the first one which is this: “How sorry am I, O lord, that I have tread against you! Peace has forsaken me, your benefits rebuke me, and fear overcomes me. Do not despise me, humiliated and confused as I am before you. I am ashamed to lift my eyes to you. Keep me as one of the least of your servants.”

“Look here and be calm.”

Among Saint George Preca’s writings about the Crucifix, and the way to look at it, there is this very beautiful one taken from the book ‘Talks to Children’.

“Tell me, who may look at the Crucifix and not rest in perfect peace?” Do your sins frighten you? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and keep calm for I have paid for you. 

”Has someone treated you badly? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and keep calm for I have done good and have been paid with evil. 

”Are you hurt or saddened? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and keep calm for though innocent, I am in a sea of pain, of sorrow. 

”Are you missing something? Imagine Christ crucified telling you: Look here and be still as I am nailed naked to the cross. 

”Are you being ridiculed? Listen to Christ crucified telling you: Look here and be still for I who am God, am an object of ridicule, mockery and laughter.” 

In a word, in whatever spiritual state you find yourself in. You always could find comfort to draw from Christ crucified, telling anyone who looks at him that all ends in death: both pleasures and tears. 

Never think of yourself as spiritual if you should turn your gaze anywhere else but on the Crucifix. Christ alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one reaches the eternal kingdom of peace except through him alone. Do you seek temporary pleasures? Know that you would not be a true disciple of Christ who suffered for us and left us an example to follow him, who committed no sin. See therefore that in the face   of suffering you may sincerely say: “O Holy Cross, I salute you!”