nru ar il-preżenza tagħna f’ malta · 2014. 4. 11. · kapitlu provinĊjali - 12 sas-16 ta’...
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Il-preżenza tagħna f’ Malta
OORDNIRDNI TALTAL--PPATRIJIETATRIJIET MMINURIINURI -- M A L T AM A L T A
PPROROVINĊJAVINĊJA FFRANĠISKANARANĠISKANA TATA’ S’ SANAN PPAWLAWL AAPPOSTLUPPOSTLU http://www.ofm.org.mthttp://www.ofm.org.mt
NNRURU. 198 M. 198 MARAR 1414
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 1
Knisja u Kunvent Madonna tas-Sacro Cuor, Tas-Sliema
KAPITLU PROVINĊJALI - 12 sas-16 ta’ Mejju Nkomplu nitolbu lil Alla biex jgħenna ħalli nkomplu niskopru
xi jrid minna bħala Provinċja
200 sena
Din is-sena jaħbat il-200 sena mit-twelid tal-Beatu Ludovik ta’ Casoria
O.F.M. Hawn se nġiebu ftit hjiel fuq ħajtu.
11 ta’ Marzu 1814 - Arcangelo twieled f’ Casoria (Napli) minn Vincenzo
Palmentieri u Candida Zenga.
17 ta’ Ġunju 1832 - Huwa beda n-novizzjat ġewwa l-kunvent ta’
Giovanni del Palco f’ Taurano (Avellino).
4 ta’ Ġunju 1837 - Ġie ordnat saċerdot u beda jitgħallem u jgħallem il-
chemistry, il-mathematics u l-physics.
1847 - Fil-knisja ta’ S. Giuseppe dei Ruffo waqt it-talb, hass li l-Mulej
riedu jagħti ħajtu għall-foqra u l-morda. Akwista villa ‘ La Palma’, biex fiha beda jsservi lill-patrijiet
morda. Fiha waqqaf l-Opera dei moretti/e - maskili u oħra femminili - biex jeduka zagħzagħ afrikani biex
jħejjihom halli evanġelizzaw l-Afrika għax kien jgħid “L-Afrika għandha tikkonverti l-Afrika”. Ried li
jkollu miegħu s-sorijiet Stimmatine u l-membri tal-O.F.S.
1859 u 1862 - Waqqaf żewġ kongregazzjonijiet ta’ terzjarji franġiskani - Frati della Carita o Bigi
( minħabba l-kulur tat-tonka) u Suore Elisabettine o Bigie.
Waqqaf ukoll aktar opri ta’ għajnuna. Fosthom Opera degli Accattoncelli - li
fiha ġabar tant tfal, li ma kellhomx min jieħu ħsiebhom, bosta djar għall-
anzjani, skejjel, baned, stamperji, ħidmiet kulturali eċċ.
1871 - F’Assisi fetaħ dar għall-għomja u torox ( Papa Franġisku żarha nhar l-
4 t’ Ottubru 2013) u sitt snin wara f’ Firenze bena l-ewwel knisja ddedikata lil
Qalb ta’ Ġesu. Fl-istess waqt għamel ħbieb ma’ bosta persuni qaddisin u
famuzi.
30 ta’ Marzu 1885 - Huwa miet f’Napli, f’ dar li hu stess waqqaf għas-sajjieda
xjuħ. Jinsab midfun fiha stess.
18 t’ April 1993 - Ġie beatifikat mill-B. Papa Gwanni Pawlu II.
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OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 2
Mulej, mingħajrek ma nistgħu
nagħmlu xejn:
għinna nsibu mezzi u triqat
ġodda bilex il-Provinċja tagħna
tiġġedded spiritwalment
S. Franġisk u l-Papa Pawlu VI
N.B. Din hija parti minn intervista li saret mill-gurnalist Paolo Mieli lil P. Pietro Messa O.F.M., li huwa l
-preside tal-istudji medjevali u franġiskani.
Paolo Mieli: Tornando a Francesco d’Assisi, io ricordo un discorso di Giovan Battista Montini
Arcivescovo di Milano nel 1958 circa che si chiedeva “è possibile maneggiare i beni di questo mondo
senza restare prigionieri e vittime?”, parlando appunto di san Francesco. Che voleva domandarsi il futuro
Papa Paolo VI?
P. Pietro Messa: Montini è un grande intellettuale.
Paolo Mieli: E’ il più grande intellettuale della Chiesa del novecento, lo ripeto spesso perchè è un papa
ingiustamente sottovalutato, è un grandissimo papa ed è uno dei grandi della Chiesa del ‘900.
P. Pietro Messa: Dico una cosa che ho per testimonianza diretta: Papa Giovanni XXIII aveva dato ordine
all’entourage di Montini a Milano di fare in modo che il meno gente possibile potesse andare a
disturbarlo perché lui doveva prepararsi a condurre il Vaticano; si erano incontrati poco prima
dell’elezione di Roncalli al papato e Montini, futuro papa, si trova nella Milano degli anni cinquanta, la
Milano intraprendente.
Paolo Mieli: Perché va ad attingere alla sorgente di Francesco d’Assisi?
P. Pietro Messa: Va nel 1958 perché ogni anno, e ancora adesso è così, ogni regione d’Italia porta la
lampada che arde davanti alla tomba di San Francesco. Nel 1958 va la Lombardia e lui come metropolita
di Milano presiede le liturgie e quindi fa questa omelia bellissima, dove dice “possiamo coniugare
Madonna Povertà con Madonna Economia?”. Tante immagini di San Francesco che sono circolate
anche tra fine ‘800 inizio ‘900 e che ancora abbiamo anche nel mondo cinematografico, pensiamo a
Fratello sole, Sorella Luna di Zeffirelli, nascono anche da un mondo romantico, utopico, un mondo di
sogno: lì Montini si trova con la realtà e quindi chiede “questo Francesco ha qualcosa da dirmi in questa
realtà concreta, manageriale, di denaro, di intraprendenza, milanese, lombarda, oppure siamo qui per
un momento di evasione dalla realtà per poi ritornare con un sacco di domande senza risposte?”
Paolo Mieli: Facciamo un salto a oggi. Nel mondo globalizzato la povertà è l’incubo, povertà intesa non
francescanamente come rinuncia ai beni ma la povertà del Terzo Mondo rischia di risucchiare il mondo
globalizzato. Le rifaccio io la domanda che mi ha appena detto: in che modo è possibile coniugare
Madonna Povertà e Madonna Economia?
P. Pietro Messa: E’ importante la riflessione che fecero i frati
dopo Francesco, soprattutto Pietro di Giovanni Olivi, sul fatto che
il problema non è il denaro ma l’uso del denaro per cui Olivi
arriva a dire “anche un mercante può essere santo se usa il
denaro per il bene comune”. I frati devono avere un uso povero
del denaro, oggi diremmo un uso sobrio. I manager, persone che
lavorano nella finanza, nel mondo dell’economia, devono fare un
uso del denaro per il bene comune.
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 3
Il-Papa Pawlu VI qiegħed jbus il-blata, li jingħad li fuqha Gesu qal lil S.
Pietru: “Pietru tħobbni aktar minn dawn?”. Dan għamlu waqt
pelegrinaġġ fl-Art Imqaddsa fl-1964
Paolo Mieli: Mi allaccio a questa sua osservazione per farle l’ultima domanda. Veniamo a papa
Francesco. Sono proprio i suoi gesti poveri che colpiscono in maniera crescente l’opinione pubblica, una
serie di gesti da persona semplice, da persona che si comporta il più possibile come l’ultimo degli abitanti
del pianeta? Hanno un significato questi gesti, sono gesti studiati, voluti, che vogliono comunicare
qualcosa o sono semplicemente gesti naturali di una persona che viene da quel
mondo?
Pietro Messa: Sono gesti naturali da parte di una persona che viene da quel
mondo. Ad esempio, per comprendere papa Francesco bisogna comprendere
bene la Chiesa in Argentina e credo uno dei personaggi purtroppo trascurati,
ma che è un gigante, è il Cardinal Francisco Eduardo Pironio ( 1920-1998) ; se
uno va a leggere e va a vedere il modo di comportarsi di Pironio scopre che è
uguale a come si comporta oggi Papa Francesco.
——————————————————————————
Viżta
kanonika
fi Tripli
u Benghazi
Nitolbu
għalihom
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 4
Il-Kardinal Pironio mal-ex Ministru Ġeneral P. Giacomo Bini O.F.M. waqt il-Kapitlu
Ġeneral f’ Mejju 1997.
Tlett snin wara - Mons. Jose Bonello O.F.M.
22 ta’ Novembru 2013 - tlett snin mill-jum tat-tħabbira tal-għażla (nomina)
12 ta’ Frar 2014 - tlett snin mill-jum tal-konsagrazzjoni episkopali
2 ta’ Frar 2014 - sentejn mill-jum tas-suċċessjoni
‘Xi drabi Alla ma jagħżilx lill-imħarġa imma iħarreġ lill-magħżula”. Dawn il-kelmiet sbithom,
lissinthom, ktibthom 3 snin ilu, imqanqal minn taħlita ta’ sentimenti, fosthom: umilta’ biża, ubbidjenza u
fiduċja. Dawn l-istess kliem nikkonfermhom illum, tlett snin wara. Din id-darba imqanqal minn taħlita ta’
sentimenti, kuraġġ, ħidma u fidi.
Iż-żmien ittir. Miegħu kollox jibda joqgħod f’postu. Ħafna jistaqsuni: “Kif int sejjer Olancho (il-missjoni
tal-isqof)”? Qatt ma nwieġeb li sejjer tajjeb, pero’ lanqas li sejjer ħażin. Li nwieġeb hu : “Alli vamos
apriendiendo” jiġifieri: “Nitgħallmu ħabib, dejjem nitgħallmu”. B’hekk nifhem ngħid li bħalma swewli
tnejn u għoxrien sena ta’ taħriġ kontinwu, stajt qdejt mhux ħażin il-missjoni ta’ kappillan f’ parroċċa
relativament żgħira. Issa neħtieġ id-doppju biex nagħmel dan bħala isqof fi djoċesi enormi. Barra minn
hekk, għad-drabi li nizloq fin-niexef, forsi ikun jistħoqqli il-mogħdrija ta’ xi hadd li jgħid: “ Hallih
miskin, dak għadu jitgħallem”. Naħseb li kieku mhux hekk, wisq probabbli li tiġġenen.
F’ Jannar 2011, ġarrejt minn La Libertad (il-parroċċa) għal Olancho (id-djoċesi). F’ dar żgħira biswit il-
katidral, id-dar tal-isqof. Hu kunvent żgħir mibni madwar 70 sena ilu għal 3 patrijiet. Mingħajr ma sar l-
ebda tibdil jew żieda ta’ bini. It-tlett isqfijiet ta’ qabli għexu mal-patrijiet, sakemm dawn ħallew id-
djoċesi fis-snin sebgħajn. Invażat mill-ħamiem u nies deħlin u ħerġin. Konna b’kollox 4. l-isqof Mawro,
franġiskan Amerikan, P. Bertu Gauci, Malti bħali u iżjed minni, u P. Nicholas. Dan tal-aħħar kien gizwita
xiħ, għaref fl-Iskrittura u espert ma nafx f’kemm il-lingwa. F’żogħżitu ħalla kollox u lil kulħadd u ġie
hawn il-missjoni. Wara 40 sena sena fil-qalba tal-ġungla, issa kwazi trux u għama (għalkemm mhux
dejjem) inġabar mal-isqof, għax l-Amerika, pajjiżu, ma ridtx imur. Miskin kwiet u ma jagħti fastidju lil
hadd. Kull darba li niltaqgħu, it-tnejn li aħna u fl-istess ħin, konna npoġġu subgħajna fuq xofftejna
b’sinjal ta’ skiet. Ma konna ngħidu xejn, imma kemm konna nifteħmu! Magħhom inġbart jien, li ma nafx
kif u għaliex, issa l-eċċelenza tiegħu, l-isqof koadjutur (bi dritt tas-suċċessjoni) u naturalment l-awżiljarju
(qabli, għal xi 26 sena kien P. Bertu). Inħaltu u naqsmu.
Għalija kienet bidla radikali. Filli dak il-ġiri kollu, attivita’ u taħbit u f’daqqa waħda magħluq bejn erba’
ħitan, nara kif ser jgħaddi l-ħin. In-nies tarhom biss mit-tieqa. ma naf lil hadd u hadd ma jafni. Talb, qari
u nistenna bil-ħniena li x-xemx tbagħtti, halli noħroġ nimxi. L-ambjent tal-belt hu differenti minn dak li
kont għext fih qabel. Irranġajt ma’ P. Bertu biex nibda nakkumpanjah fiż-żjajjar fl-adeas (irħula tal-
parroċċa). Almenu noqgħod inqarar. Hekk tiltaqa’ man-nies. Biex tgħaqqad kien żmien ikrah ħafna.
Infern. Joqtlu kuljum. Sparar qiesu musketterija tal-festa. Ġew mumenti fejn għedt bejni u bejn ruħi: “Ara
fejn ġabuni ukoll!”.
L-ikrah bħas-sabiħ jgħaddi wkoll jew aħjar jindara. Ħadt deċizjoni. Jien ma ġejtx biex ningħalaq fil-
kamra. Qatt ma kien l-istil tiegħi. Qatt ma xtaqtu jew ħlomtu. Għalhekk bdejt inżur il-parroċċi, bil-ħsieb li
napprofitta miż-żmien ta’ qabel ma jafdawli t-tmexxija. Nara, napprezza u naħseb x’ wieħed jista’
jagħmel, meta jasal il-waqt. Żort il-komunitajiet tar-reliġjużi nisa, is-sorijiet, is-seminaristi u l-proġetti
kbar u żgħar li għandha d-djoċesi.
F’Awissu ħadt sehem fil-kors li jagħmlu l-isqfijiet l-ġodda f’ Ruma. L-isqof awżiljarju, Mons. Charles
Scicluna, kien wieħed mill-aħjar kelliema. Kienet esperjenza sabiħa. Ġimgħa wara, ġewwa Assisi,
iltqajna madwar 120 isqof franġiskani. F’ Novembru ġejt mistieden, fi Brooklyn, mill-franġiskani biex
namministra s-sagrament tal-Ġriżma. Ħadt l-okkażjoni biex inżur id-djoċesi ta’ Forth Worth f’ Texas,
biex insir naf lill-isqof, lis-saċerdoti u lill-lajċi. Sa’ minn meta tħarbatna mill-Urgan Mitch, bejn iż-żewġ
djoċesijiet teżisti rabta t’ aħwa u kooperazzjoni, anke f’dak li huwa spiritwali u soċjali.
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 5
Fi Frar ta’ sena ta’ wara jiġifieri fil-festa tal-Kandlora
(2012) ġiet ippublikata l-aċċettazzjoni tar-riżenja tal-
isqof Mawro, u 20 jum wara, dan halla d-djoċesi. Illum
qiegħed jgħex f’ kunvent f’boston. Kien ilu isqof
f’olancho 28 sena. Storja twila ta’ preżenza, xhieda,
dedikazzjoni u hidma.
Billi lili tawni s-suċċessjoni, ippreferjet li din isir
mingħajr ħafna storbju. U hekk kien! Inkomplu x’
nagħmlu għandna ħafna, li ma għandhiex żmien
x’nitilfu! Tlett affarijiet. Tlett prijoritajiet. Waħda : dar
tal-isqof suriet in-nies. Tnejn : pastorali vokazzjonali u
attenzjoni lis-seminaristi. Tlieta: żjajjar fil-parroċċi u attenzjoni u ħin għas-saċerdoti. U hekk kien!
Irranġajna dar, li kienet għall-użu tal-parroċċa. Kienet ġiet mixtrija fl-1970 bil-għan li xi darba tkun il-
kurja tal-isqof. Ma saritx. L-isqof kellu jaħrab, għax kien żmien ikrah ħafna. Kellhom jgħaddu 40 sena.
Dar spazjuża u fuq kollox ftit imbegħda mill-istorbju taċ-ċentru. Għalija ma tistax tkun aħjar.
Djoċesi immensa - territorju ta’ 86 darba ikbar minn Malta. Ħawn iktar minn biżżejjed fejn wieħed
jippassiġġa, jiġri u anke jekk ma toqgħodx attent, fejn tintilef. Ħawn nies jiġu minn kull rokna tal-pajjiż.
Il-biċċa l-kbira biex jiskansaw il-liġi jew jitbegħdu minn xi periklu. Olancho jilqa’ lil kulħadd. Siegħat ta’
sewqan fejn ma tarx ruħ. Xi kultant tara l-baqar. Bis-saħħa tal-baqar tista’ tara xi ruħ. Xmajjar ħawn
kemm trid. Pontijiet fis-sajf biss jidhru. Meta tibda x-xitwa jew aħjar iż-żmien tax-xita, iżarmawhom.
Jekk le, jitilfuhom għax l-ilma tax-xita kollox iġorr.
Xortija tajba. Ġejt milqgħuh tajjeb. Aktar milli ħsibt. P. Bertu ippreparli t-triq u milli nara irnexxielu.
Grazzja kbira. Kieku x’ tagħmel? Is-saċerdoti nofshom djoċesani u nofshom reliġjużi, kollha franġiskani.
23 b’kollox! Żagħażagħ u ħaddiema. Issir tafhom bil-mod. Tiflihom.... ftit diffiċli. Il-biċċa l-kbira jgħexu
weħidhom. Rajt li l-aktar li għandhom bżonn hu li tkun qribhom, taċċetthom, tirrispetthom u tħobbhom.
Aħna niltaqgħu darba kull xahrejn. S’issa dejjem f’ambjent ta’ festa. Hekk għandu jkun, almenu qed
nippruvaw.
Is-seminarju hu inter-djoċesan, jiġifieri seminarju wieħed li jiġbor u jifforma s-saċerdoti mid-djoċesijiet
kollha tal-Honduras, barra dik ta’ Comayagua, immexxija minn Mons. Roberto Camilleri O.F.M. Biċċa
xogħol oħra din! Jien ħdimt għal ftit snin fil-formazzjoni matul l-ewwel snin tas-saċerdozju f’ Malta.
Illum huwa differenti. U ħawn iżjed! Mentalita’, trobbija, kultura eċċ. Minn ħafna forsi jibqgħu ftit u bil-
ftit trid taħdem. Investiment kbir. Il-providenza trid tkun u din s’issa qatt ma naqset. Jiena u erba’
saċerdoti oħra nċekċku xi ħaġa bl-ingliż. Kull sena nmorru nżuru xi parroċċi fl-Amerika biex indabru xi
ħaġa (mission appeals). Għandna benefatturi wkoll minn Malta. Kull qatra tgħen!
Sibt ħafna affarijiet tajbin. Nippruvaw intejbuhom. Proġetti fil-qasam tas-saħħa, edukazzjoni u
formazzjoni. Nemmen li t-tajjeb trid tapprezzah u ssaħħu.
Xortija tajba! Ħawn erġajt saħħaht il-vokazzjoni tiegħi ta’ saċerdot u franġiskan. Id-djoċesi twieldet u
kibret franġiskana. L-isqfijiet , jien ir-raba’ wieħed, kollha kienu franġiskani. It-tislima ta’ Paz y Bien
tidwi kullimkien. Is-saċerdoti djoċesani trabbew mal-franġiskani. Erba’ mit-tnax il-parroċċa huma
immexxija mill-franġiskani. Il-biċċa kbira tas-sorijiet huma franġiskani. Grazzja kbira li għandna ukoll il-
preżenza tas-sorijiet Klarissi—monasteru tal-klawsura.
Il-ħajja mhiex wisq kumplikata. Ukoll bħala isqof. Jiena nirraguna li fil-ħajja hemm affarijiet essenzjali,
oħrajn importanti u ‘il bqija. Fuq ċerti affarijiet mhux il-lant, li la tkisser rasek u wisq anqas ras l-oħrajn.
Il Papa Franġisku, li hu minn din il-parti tal-globu, qed jgħen lid-dinja u lil knisja tipprova tifhem dan.
Nippruvaw ngħenu – dejjem. Imma qabel nifhmu u nagħdru. Imbgħad wieħed jagħmel li jista’, kif jista’
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 6
u kemm jista’. Wara kollox hu Alla li jagħmel kollox. Aħna l’bqija. Fejn ma jirnexxilniex .... Paċenzja.
Ħawn il-paċenzja hija l-akbar virtu. Jekk ma jkollokx, trid trawwimha. Jekk le .........
Tlett snin. Żmien biżżejjed biex tara, tisma’, tgħix u tifforma ġudizzju. Hu l-Mulej li jaf il-bidu, kif ukoll
it-tmiem. Aħna niskopru l’ bqija. Żgur li qatt ma ser jħallina weħedna. Paċi u Ġid.
====================================================
P. Joseph Ciappara jakkwista liċenzjat fl-Iskrittura
Nhar it-Tnejn 3 ta' Frar 2014, fl-10 am, fl-Aula "Padre Bellarmino Bagatti" tal-
iStudium Biblicum Franciscanum ta' Ġerusalemm, P. Joseph Ciappara għamel l-eżami
finali tal-istudji tiegħu biex jakkwista l-Licenzja (Licentia Docendi) fis-Sagra Skrittura
fil-Fakultà tax-Xjenzi Biblici u Arkeoloġija li l-Franġiskani tal-Kustodja tal-Art
Imqaddsa jmexxu f'Ġerusalemm.
P. Joseph iddiskuta t-teżi bit-titlu: "Il Sistema Verbale del Fenicio: Analisi di Iscrizioni
Scelte". Kellu bħala Moderatur tat-teżi lil P. Gregor Geiger, professur tal-Ebrajk
Bibliku, u bħala korrelatur lil Fra Rosario Pierri, professur tal-Grieg Bibliku, fl-istess
Fakultà. Għad-difiża tat-teżi kien preżenti P. Massimo Pazzini, Dekan tal-fakultà,
flimkien ma' diversi studenti u professuri tal-istess istituzzjoni akkademika. Kienu preżenti wkoll numru
sabiħ ta' reliġjużi nisa Maltin, flimkien ma' P. Noel Muscat, li ġew biex jifirħu lil P. Joseph f' dan il-jum
importanti għalih.
L-għażla tas-suġġett kienet tassew waħda oriġinali. P. Joseph sab kuraġġ biex jaffronta suġġett diffiċli
mill-professur li segwih, P. Gregor Geiger. Il-Feniċju hi lingwa reġjonali Kangħanija, li kienet mitkellma
f' Tir, Sidon, Biblos, fuq il-kosta tal-Libanu, u li infirxet mal-Mediterran, l-aktar f' Kartaġni u wkoll fil-
gżira tagħna ta' Malta, li kienet kolonja Feniċja, fejn kienet magħrufa bħala Puniku. F' Malta hemm
skrizzjoni importanti li minnha ġie deċifrat il-Feniċju. Id-diffikultà li kellu quddiemu P. Joseph kienet dik
li jagħmel interpretazzjoni tas-sistema verbali tal-Feniċju, u jqabbilha mal-Ebrajk Bibliku, meta l-Feniċju
hu misjub biss fuq skrizzjonijiet, li ħafna minnhom huma lakunużi.
Nawguraw kull suċċess lil P. Joseph, li ġie mfaħħar mill-professuri li
segwewh għas-serjetà akkademika tar-riċerka xjentifika tiegħu fuq
suġġett diffiċli u talli ipproduca teżi li hi diġà bidu ta' riċerka
dottorali. L-awtoritajiet akkademici tal-iStudium Biblicum awguraw
lil P. Joseph li jkompli l-analiżi tiegħu bl-iskop li jaffronta issa teżi
dottorali, li biha jkun awtorità fil-qasam tal-istudju tal-Feniċju u r-
rabta tiegħu mal-Ebrajk.
P. Joseph irringrazzja lill-awtoritajiet akkademiċi u wkoll lill-
Provincja Franġiskana Maltija tal-appoġġ li dejjem tatu biex ikun jista' jasal għall-konklużjoni ta' din l-
ewwel fażi tal-istudji tiegħu ta' speċjalizzazzjoni biblika. Nawguraw futur mimli success lil P. Joseph u
nagħtuh kuraġġ biex ikompli jistudja għas-servizz tal-Ordni Franġiskan u tal-istituzzjonijiet akkademici
tiegħu.
——————————————————-
“Inħobb ħafna ngħin lill-bnedmin l-oħra; huwa fil-proxxmu tiegħi li
nara lil Alla u Alla, min-naħa tiegħu, jgħini ħafna f’ ħajti”. B. Papa
Ġwanni XXIII
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 7
Humility as truth and service in St. Francis of Assisi (1)
P. Raniero Cantalamessa O.F.M. Cap.
1. Objective and Subjective Humility
Last time we saw that Francis of Assisi is a living demonstration that the most useful reform of the Church
is that of the way of holiness, which always consists in a courageous return to the Gospel and which must
begin from oneself. In this second meditation I would like to reflect further on an aspect of the return to
the Gospel, a virtue of Francis. According to Dante Alighieri, all the glory of Francis depends on his
“having made himself little,”[1] namely, on his humility. However, in what did Saint Francis’ proverbial
humility consist?
In all the languages the Bible has gone through to reach us, namely Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English, the
word “humility” has two fundamental meanings: one objective, which indicates in fact lowliness, littleness
or poverty and one subjective, which indicates the feelingand recognition that one has of one’s own little-
ness. The latter is what we understand by the virtue of humility.
When Mary says in the Magnificat: “He has regarded the humility (tapeinosis) of his handmaid,” she
means humility in the objective sense, not the subjective! Because of this, very appropriately the term is
translated in many languages as “littleness”, not as humility. Moreover, how can one think that Mary ex-
alts her humility and attributes God’s choice to it without by that fact alone destroying Mary’s humility?
And yet at times it has been written rashly that Mary does not recognize in herself any virtue other than
that of humility, as if, in this way, she did herself a great honor, and not instead a great wrong to this vir-
tue.
The virtue of humility has an altogether special statute: it is possessed by those who think they do
not have it, and it is not possessed by those who think they have it. Jesus alone can declare himself “lowly
of heart” and truly be so; this, we will see, is the unique and unrepeatable characteristic of the humility of
the Man-God. Did Mary, therefore, not have thevirtue of humility? She certainly did have it, and to the
highest degree, but only God knew this, she did not. Precisely this, in fact, constitutes the unequaled merit,
of true humility: that its perfume is received only by God, not by the one who emanates it. Saint Bernard
wrote: “The true humble person wants to be regarded as vile, not proclaimed humble.”[2]
Francis’ humility is in this line. In this regard, The Little Flowers refer to a significant episode and, in its
core, certainly historical.
“Once when Saint Francis was returning from the forest and from prayer, being on the way out of the for-
est, the one called Friar Masseo wanted to test how humble he was, and encountering him he said almost
provocatively: “Why to you, why to you, why to you?” Saint Francis answered: “What is it that you want
to say?” Friar Masseo said: “I say why does the whole world follow you, and every person seems to want
to see you, to hear you, and to obey you? You are not a good looking man in body, you are not of great
learning, you are not noble, why then does everyone want to follow you?” Hearing this, Saint Francis, al-
together overjoyed in spirit […] turned to Friar Masseo and said: “Do you want to know why me? Do you
want to know why me? Do you want to know why the whole world follows me? This I learned that the
most holy eyes of God did not see among sinners any one more vile, more insufficient, or a greater sinner
than me.”[3]
2. Humility as Truth
Francis’ humility has two sources of illumination, one of a theological nature and one of a Christological
nature. Let us reflect on the first. We find in the Bible acts of humility that do not come from man, from
the consideration of his misery or his own sin, but which have as their sole reason God and his holiness.
Such is Isaiah’s exclamation, “I am a man of unclean lips,” in face of the sudden manifestation of the
glory and holiness of God in the Temple (Isaiah 6:5 f); such, also is Peter’s cry to Jesus after the miracu-
lous catch: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 8
We are before essential humility, that of the creature who becomes conscious of himself in the presence
of God. As long as a person measures himself with himself, with others or with society, he will never
have the exact idea of what he is; he is lacking the measure. “What an infinite accent,” wrote Kierke-
gaard, “falls on the I the moment it obtains God as measure!”[4] Francis had this humility in an eminent
way. A saying that he repeated often was: “What a man is before God, that he is, and nothing more.”[5]
The Little Flowers recount that one night Friar Leo wanted to watch from afar what Francis was doing
during his night prayer in the forest of La Verna and from a distance he heard him murmur some words
for a long time. The next day the Saint called him and, after having reproved him courteously for having
contravened his order, revealed to him the content of his prayer:
“You know, friar sheep of Jesus Christ, that when I was saying those words that you heard, my soul was
shown two lights, one of information and knowledge of myself, the other of information and knowledge
of the Creator. When I said: Who are you, O most sweet God of mine? Then I was in a light of contem-
plation, in which I saw the abyss of the infinite goodness and wisdom and power of God; and when I
said: Who am I? I was in the light of contemplation, in which I saw the sad depth of my vileness and
misery?”[6]
It was what Saint Augustine asked God and which he considered the height of all wisdom:“Noverim me,
noverim te. Let me know myself and let me know You; let me know myself to humble myself and let me
know You to love You.”[7]
Friar Leo’s episode is certainly embellished, as always in The Little Flowers, but the content corresponds
perfectly with the idea that Francis had of himself and of God. Proof of it is the beginning of the Canticle
of creatures with the infinite distance that he puts between God, “Most High, Omnipotent, Good Lord,”
to whom is owed praise, glory, honor and blessing, and the miserable mortal who is not even worthy of
“mentioning,” that is of pronouncing his name.
In this light, which I have called theological, humility appears to us essentially as truth. “I asked myself
one day,” wrote Saint Teresa of Avila, “why the Lord so loves humility and suddenly there came to my
mind, without any reflection on my part, that it must be because he is total Truth, and humility is
truth.”[8]
It is a light that does not humiliate but, on the contrary, gives immense joy and exalts. To be humble in
fact does not mean to be unhappy with oneself or to recognize one’s own misery, or even one’s littleness.
It is to look at God before oneself and to measure the abyss that separates the finite from the infinite. The
more one realizes this, the more one becomes humble. Then one begins to enjoy one’s own nothingness,
because it is thanks to it that a face can be offered to God whose littleness and misery has fascinated the
heart of the Trinity from eternity.
Angela of Foligno, a great disciple of the Poverello, whom Pope Francis has recently proclaimed Saint,
exclaimed when close to death: “O nothingness unknown, O nothingness unknown. The soul cannot have
a better vision in this world than to contemplate its nothingness and dwell in it as in a prison cell.”[9]
There is a secret in this counsel, a truth that is experienced by testing it. One then discovers that this cell
really exists and that one can really enter it every time one wishes. It consists in the quiet and tranquil
sentiment of being nothing before God, but a nothing loved by Him!
When one is inside the cell of this luminous prison, one no longer sees one’s neighbor’s defects, or they
are seen in another light. One understands that it is possible, with grace and exercise, to realize what the
Apostle says, which at first glance seems excessive, namely, to “consider all others better than one-
self” (cf. Philippians 2:3), or at least one understands how this was possible for the saints.
To be locked in that prison is, therefore, altogether different from being locked in oneself; instead, it is to
open oneself to others, to being, to the objectivity of things, the opposite of what the enemies of Christian
humility have always thought. It is to close oneself to egoism, not in egoism. It is the victory over one of
the evils that modern psychology also judges ruinous for the human person: narcissism. In that cell,
moreover, the enemy does not come in. One day Anthony the Great had a vision : he saw in an instant
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 9
all the infinite snares of the enemy spread out over the earth and, moaning, he said: “Who then will be
able to avoid all these snares?” And he heard a voice answer him: “Anthony, humility!”[10]. “Nothing,
writes the author of the Imitation of Christ, will succeed in puffing up one who is firmly fixed in
God.”[11]
3. Humility as Service of Love
We have talked about humility as the truth of the creature before God. Paradoxically, however, what
most fills Francis’ soul with wonder is not God’s greatness but his humility. In the Praises of God Most
High, which are handwritten by him and kept in Assisi, among God’s perfections– “You are Holy, You
are Strong. You are Triune and One. You are Love, Charity. You are Wisdom …” — at a certain point
Francis inserts an unheard of: “You are humility!” It is not a title put there by mistake. Francis grasped a
most profound truth about God which should also fill us with wonder.
God is humility because He is love. In face of human creatures, God finds himself lacking in every ca-
pacity not only constrictive but also defensive. If human beings choose, as they have done, to reject his
love, He cannot intervene with authority to impose Himself on them. He can do nothing other than re-
spect the free choice of men. One can reject Him, eliminate Him: He will not defend Himself, He will let
them do it. Or better, his way of defending himself and of defending men against their very annihilation,
will be that of loving again and always, eternally. By its nature love creates dependence and dependence
creates humility. So it is, also, mysteriously, in God.
Love furnishes, therefore, the key to understand God’s humility: one needs little power to show off, in-
stead one needs a lot to put oneself aside, to cancel oneself. God is this unlimited power of concealment
of himself and as such He reveals himself in the Incarnation. One has the visible manifestation of God’s
humility by contemplating Christ who kneels before his disciples to wash their feet – and they were, we
can imagine it, dirty feet — and even more so, when, reduced to the most radical impotence on the cross,
He continues to love, without ever condemning.
Francis grasped this very close connection between God’s humility and the Incarnation. Here are some of
his fiery words:
“Look, he humbles himself every day, as when from the royal seat he descended into the womb of the
Virgin; every day He himself comes to us in humble appearance; every day He descends from the bosom
of the Father on the altar in the hands of the priest.”[12] “O sublime humility! O humble sublimity, that
the Lord of the universe, God and Son of God, so humiliates himself as to hide himself for our salvation,
under the little appearance of bread! Look, brothers, at the humility of God and open your hearts before
Him.”[13]
Thus we have discovered the second reason for Francis’ humility: the example of Christ. It is the same
reason that Paul indicated to the Philippians when he recommended that they have the same sentiments
of Christ Jesus who “humbled himself and became obedient unto death” (Philippians 2:5.8). Before Paul,
it was Jesus himself who invited the disciples to imitate his humility: “Learn from me, who am gentle
and humble in heart!” (Matthew 11:29).
In what thing, we could ask ourselves, does Jesus tell us to imitate his humility? In what was Jesus hum-
ble? Running through the Gospels we do not find even the most minimal admission of fault on Jesus’
lips, not when he converses with men, or when he converses with the Father. This – said incidentally —
in one of the most hidden but also most convincing proofs, of the divinity of Christ and of the absolute
unicity of his conscience. In no saint, in no great one in history and in no founder of religion, does one
find such an innocent conscience
ikompli fil-ħarġa li jmiss
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 10
AĦBARIJIET MILL-PROVINĊJA TAGĦNA Nhar it-Tnejn 3 ta' Frar fl-Aula "Padre Bellarmino Bagatti" tal-iStudium Biblicum Franciscanum ta'
Ġerusalemm, ħuna P. Joseph Ciappara ha l-Licenzja (Licentia Docendi) fis-Sagra Skrittura fil-Fakultà tax-
Xjenzi Biblici u Arkeoloġija, li l-Franġiskani tal-Kustodja tal-Art Imqaddsa jmexxu f'Ġerusalemm. Minn
din il-paġna, bħala provinċja nitoobu għalih u nawgurawlu. Ara aktar f’ paġna 7.
Bejn it-3 u s-6 ta’ Frar il-Provinċjal, flimkien ma’ P. Alex, kompla il-viżta kanonika fi Tripli, il-Libja.
Nhar il-5 tax-xahar ħadu sehem fil-konċelebrazzjoni li saret fl-4.30 pm ad unur tal-Isqof Giovanni
Martinelli O.F.M., Vigarju Appostoliku, fl-okkażjoni tal-birthday tiegħu. L-isqof stieden lill-Provinċjal
biex jgħamel l-omelija. Bħalissa P. Marcello Ghirlando qiegħed jagħmel parti minn din il-fraternita’.
Imbgħad bejn il-25 u s-27 tax-xahar marru Benghazi, fejn ġew milqugħa mill-Isqof Silvestru Magro
O.F.M. Hemm ukoll iltaqgħu mal-patrijiet, sorijiet u lajċi. Tajjeb li nkomplu nitolbu għalihom!
Fuq inizjattiva ta’ P. Marcello, il-Vigarjati ta’ Tripli u Benghazi għandhom website ġdida. Għal aktar
tagħrif żur il-website tal-Provinċja tagħna. Huwa ġie mgħejjun minn P. Joseph Magro.
Nhar l-10 ta’ Frar ġewwa Ruma fil-knisja ta’ S. Giorgio al Velabro ġiet ċċelebrata l-festa ta’ S. Pawl fuq
inizjattiva tal-ambaxxata Maltija. Fost l-oħrajn kien hemm preżenti P. George, P. Joseph, P. Walter, Fra
Clive u Fra Ramon. Il-patrijiet tagħna ta’ Londra ċċelebrawha nhar id-9 tax-xahar fil-knisja ta’ Our Lady
of the Rosary.
Nhar it-13 waslu Malta l-Viżitatur Ġenerali, P. Salvatore Ferro, flimkien mas-segretarju tiegħu, Fra
Antonio Iacona. Huma marru direttament ir-Rabat, fejn bdew il-viżta kanonika. Wara komplew jżuru l-
fraternitajiet tal-Belt, Tas-Sliema, Għawdex, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Ħamrun, Ħal-Far u Marsacala. Barra li l-
Viżitatur kellem lil kull patri, kellu ċ-ċans ukoll li jiltaqa’ mal-isqfijiet u man-nies, li jattendu l-knejjes
tagħna.
Nhar it-22 il-Papa Franġisku ħatar lil Mons. Peter Baldacchino, bħala awżiljarju ta’ Miami, U.S.A. Mons.
Peter tgħammed fil-knisja parrokkjali tagħna ta’ Tas-Sliema nhar il-5 ta’ Diċembru 1960 minn P. Karm
Frendo(+), għax għamel żmien joqgħod fil-parroċċa tagħna. Nitolbu għalih u nifirħulu !!!
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 11
FESTI APRIL 2014 BIRTHDAYS
19. P. Walter Vassallo 1. P. Dionysius Mintoff
23. P. Gorg Bugeja 2. Fra Loreto Zerafa
25. P. Mark Enriquez 3. P. Twanny Chircop
P. Mark Ciantar 4. Mons. Jose Bonello
7. Fra Guzepp Debono
12. P. Marcello Ghirlando
23. P. Guzepp Camilleri
24. Mons. Robert Camilleri
26. Fra Ramon Farrugia
Xewqat qaddisa !!!!!
OFM – LINK MARZU 2014 ——————————— 12
WERREJ
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S. Franġisk u Papa Pawlu VI 3 - 4
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Humility 8 - 10
Intervista 10
Aħbarijiet mill-Provinċja 11
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