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

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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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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.

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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

200 sena ilu 2

S. Franġisk u Papa Pawlu VI 3 - 4

Tlett snin wara 5 - 7

Humility 8 - 10

Intervista 10

Aħbarijiet mill-Provinċja 11

OFM - LINK

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