Kantiku ta' Marija - Canticle of Mary --- Luke 1:46-55 --- Magnificat anima mea Dominum --- My soul magnifies the Lord --- Ruħi Tfaħħar il-Kobor tal-Mulej --- Magnificat, Ta' Pinu

Luke 1:39-56 -- Mary Visits Elizabeth - Iż-żjara ta' Marija lil Eliżabetta 


Iż-żjara ta' Marija lil Eliżabetta

[Lq:1:39] F'dawk il-ġranet Marija qamet u marret tħaffef lejn l-għoljiet, f'belt tal-Lhudija. [Lq:1:40] Daħlet għand Żakkarija u sellmet lil Eliżabetta. [Lq:1:41] Malli Eliżabetta semgħet lil Marija ssellmilha, it-tarbija qabżet fil-ġuf tagħha u Eliżabetta mtliet bl-Ispirtu s-Santu; [Lq:1:42] u nfexxet f'għajta kbira u qalet: "Mbierka inti fost  in-nisa, u mbierek il-frott tal-ġuf tiegħek! [Lq:1:43] U minn fejn ġieni dan li omm il-Mulej tiegħi tiġi għandi? [Lq:1:44] Għax ara, malli smajt f'widnejja leħen it-tislima tiegħek, it-tarbija li għandi fil-ġuf qabżet bil-ferħ. [Lq:1:45] Iva, hienja dik li emmnet li jseħħ kull ma bagħat jgħidilha l-Mulej!"

Innu ta' tifħir lil Alla minn Marija

[Lq:1:46] Mbagħad qalet Marija: Ruħi tfaħħar il-kobor tal-Mulej,  
[Lq:1:47] u l-ispirtu tiegħi jifraħ f'Alla s-Salvatur tiegħi, 
[Lq:1:48] għax hu xeħet għajnejh fuq iċ-ċokon tal-qaddejja tiegħu.
Iva, minn issa 'l quddiem kull nisel isejjaħli hienja, 
[Lq:1:49] għax is-setgħani għamel miegħi ħwejjeġ kbar; 
qaddis hu l-isem tiegħu.
[Lq:1:50] Il-ħniena tiegħu tinfirex f'kull żmien fuq dawk li jibżgħu minnu.
[Lq:1:51] Hu wera l-qawwa ta' driegħu, 
xerred lil dawk li huma mkabbra f'qalbhom. 
[Lq:1:52] Niżżel is-setgħana minn fuq it-tron tagħhom, 
u għolla ċ-ċkejknin. 
[Lq:1:53] Mela b'kull ġid lil min hu bil-ġuħ, 
u l-għonja bagħathom 'il barra b'xejn. 
[Lq:1:54] Ħa ħsieb Iżrael qaddej tiegħu, 
għax ftakar fil-ħniena tiegħu, 
[Lq:1:55] bħalma wiegħed lil missirijietna, 
b'riżq Abraham u nislu għal dejjem."

[Lq:1:56] Marija baqgħet ma' Eliżabetta għal tliet xhur u mbagħad reġgħet lura lejn darha.

><>   ><>   ><>

><>   ><>   ><>   JESUS LIVING IN MARY: HANDBOOK OF THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT - MAGNIFICAT         http://www.ewtn.com/library/Montfort/Handbook/Magnifi.htm ><>   ><>   ><>   https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/magnificat.htm Luke 1:46-55 - Magnificat - Latin & English   

Magnificat anima mea Dominum;	My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
Et exultavit spiritus meus: in Deo salutari meo,	my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
Quia respexit humilitatem ancíllae suae;	for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.	From this day all generations will call me blessed:
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen ejus.	the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.	He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo; dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.	He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.	He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
Esurientes implevit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes.	He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
Sucepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae,	He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy,
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini ejus in saecula.	the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.

 

><>   ><>   ><>

.

No Matter What (Journey through Faith) - Boyzone

No matter what they tell us
No matter what they do
No matter what they teach us
What we believe is true

No matter what they call us
However they attack
No matter where they take us
We'll find our own way back

I can't deny what I believe
I can't be what I'm not
I know I'll love forever
I know, no matter what

If only tears were laughter
If only night was day
If only prayers were answered
Then we would hear God say

No matter what they tell you
No matter what they do
No matter what they teach you
What you believe is true

And I will keep you safe and strong
And sheltered from the storm
No matter where it's barren
A dream is being born

No matter who they follow
No matter where they lead
No matter how they judge us
I'll be everyone you need

No matter if the sun don't shine
Or if the skies are blue
No matter what the end is
My life began with you

I can't deny what I believe
I can't be what I'm not
I know, I know
I know this love's forever
That's all that matters now
No matter what




.

DIVINE SIGN OF CONTRADICTION (Lk 2, 35) - Archbishop of Malta, Mons. Paul Cremona

Archbishop of Malta, Mons. Paul Cremona

It was Our Lady, along with St Joseph, who first heard the words uttered by Simeon the prophet when they went to present the child Jesus at the Temple. Simeon told them that the child Jesus was “destined to be a sign of contradiction” (Lk 2, 35).

This is already an indication of the burden that the child Jesus had to carry. With him, Our Lady and St Joseph had to carry the suffering of this burden. Simeon also told them that “a sword will pierce your soul too.”

This prophecy of Simeon was a statement of fact. Our Lord came to bring to our knowledge the eternal decrees of the Creator. He was opposed by the cultures of that time, the Jewish and the Roman, who had strayed from the eternal decrees of God. This resulted in His crucifixion. It was the prophecy come true.

This is the challenge that Jesus faced. This is the challenge that the Church faces at all times. It does not choose to enter into any conflict. But to flee conflict means that it is relinquishing to be a sign (Mt 5,13: “You are the salt of the earth… You are light for the world”).

It would become absorbed in the prevalent culture, going along with it as it paves the way to a new culture. This is a cross that the Church has to carry. Many reason that the Church must adapt itself to the prevalent culture. However, faced with the eternal decrees of God’s wisdom, it cannot do so.

The Roman culture very much resembled today’s culture in its licentiousness, its disregard for marriage and family, its disregard for life. If Our Lord Jesus Christ wished the Church to accept these attitudes, why did He not tell us this 2,000 years ago?

It would have spared the lives of so many thousands of Christian martyrs!

Some accuse the Church of either being after numbers or of risking losing numbers of the faithful if it does not change with the times. The Church is not interested in numbers in themselves. It is interested mainly in being a sign of the eternal teachings of Our Lord.

Numbers at the cost of losing its identity according to Christ’s teachings is surely not what the Lord wishes from the Church. It strives to be a sign and opens its arms to all who want to join it on this mission.

The Church has no interest in building a theocratic state. History has taught that this distorts its mission.

Its only interest is to propose and, possibly, influence secular society with its values centred around love: around the dignity of every person and of passing this through the mediation of love – lived and acquired within the context of a stable family.

All this has to be conveyed by the Church in the same way as Christ did, through universal love and humility, reminding itself continually of its own limitations and the sinfulness of its members.

I leave it up to the readers to interpret in all calm and justice the role of the Church in this light, even in the run-up to the referendum.

I hope that all those who will be voting in the referendum in favour of the stability of marriage and, hence, against the introduction of divorce on the basis of their Catholic faith, will be motivated by these sentiments.

Published on The Times of Malta of 26th May 2011.

Ittra Pastorali - Ghazla Favur Zwieg Dejjiemi. Mejju 2011

GĦAŻLA FAVUR ŻWIEĠ DEJJIEMI

Għeżież,
F’dan il-Ħames Ħadd tal-Għid, il-Mulej irregalalna Kelma tiegħu li trid iddawwalna fl-għażla tagħna għal Sidna Ġesù Kristu, fi ħdan il-Knisja Kattolika: “Jiena hu t-Triq, il-Verità u l-Ħajja. Ħadd ma jmur għand il-Missier, jekk mhux permezz tiegħi” (Ġw 14, 6).
Il-Mulej qiegħed jgħidilna li dak li lkoll nixtiequ – li mmorru għand Alla l-Missier – irridu norbtuh ma’ Persuna, li hu Sidna Ġesù Kristu. Għal min hu Kristjan, m’hemmx triq oħra li twasslu għand il-Missier. Kull wieħed u waħda minna rridu nagħżlu lil Ġesù bħala l-Verità: dak li jgħid hu huwa l-veru valur tal-affarijiet li hemm madwarna. Irridu narawhom mill¬-għajnejn tiegħu. Irridu nagħżlu lil Ġesù’ bħala t-Triq biex naslu għal din il-Verità. Toroq oħra ma jwasslux! Meta nagħmlu dawn l-għażliet, imbagħad, nindunaw u nduqu l-Ħajja vera għalina l-bnedmin.
Aħna nixtiequ li anki f’dan ir-Referendum dwar id-divorzju, u għalhekk dwar iż-żwieġ, aħna lkoll niġu mmexxijin minn dan il-kliem ta’ Ġesù.
Huwa f’dan id-dawl li aħna qegħdin ngħaddulkom din l-Ittra Pastorali qabel ir-Referendum.
Permezz tar-Referendum li ser isir ftit ġranet oħra, qed niġu msejħa biex bħala ċittadini, permezz tal-vot, nesprimu l-konvinzjoni tagħna dwar iż-żwieġ.
Mhux sew li dan l-appell jaqa’ f’widnejn torox. Ma nistgħux nibqgħu indifferenti. Ma jurix sinjal ta’ maturita ċivika u kristjana min jagħzel li ma jiħux sehem f’dan ir-Referendum li jittratta suġġett daqshekk importanti.
Iż-żwieġ u l-familja huma esperjenza għal qalbna ħafna u hawn qbil fis-soċjetà li hemm bżonn ninvestu aktar għat-tisħiħ tagħhom. Iż-żwieġ u l-familja huma l-qafas naturali meħtieg, kemm biex persuna tgħix u tikber f’ambjent ta’ mħabba ġenwina, kif ukoll għal binja ta’ soċjetà b’saħħitha. L-esperjenza tgħallimna li dan huwa sewwasew li titlob id-dinjità tal-bniedem.
Hu għalhekk, għax taqbel mad-dinjità tal-bniedem, li Ġesù jgħallimna li ż-żwieġ, min-natura tiegħu, għandu rabta dejjiema.
Meta din l-esperjenza tal-imħabba fiż-żwieġ u l-familja tmur ħażin, fil-qlub jinfetħu ġerħat li ma jagħlqux malajr. Ilkoll nafu persuni mweġġgħa għax iż-żwieġ tagħhom ma rnexxiex. Nassigurawkom li l-karba tagħhom inħossuha f’qalbna, ir-Rgħajja Spiritwali tagħkom, bħalma hija fil-qalb ta’ Alla. Fl-istess waqt, wieħed japprezza li ħafna minn dawn il-persuni separati, meta jitkellmu dwar iż-żwieġ tagħhom, jistqarru li jiddispjaċihom ħafna li ż-żwieġ tagħhom falla. Dan ifisser li min hu mġarrab, għalkemm batut, ħafna drabi jikkonferma kemm iż-żwieġ veru għandu jkun l-għożża tagħna bħala nazzjon. B’imħabba lejn dawk li qegħdin ibatu, u lejn il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri, irridu naraw flimkien kif nibnu kundizzjonijiet aħjar għaż-żwieġ u l-familja li jistgħu jnaqqsu dawn il-weġgħat.
Il-mistoqsija li qed jagħmel ir-Referendum, dwar jekk irridux li d-divorzju jsir parti mil-liġijiet ta’ pajjiżna, hija mistoqsija li se jkollha effett fuq iż-żwieġ fih innifsu u tolqot l-imġiba tagħna ċ-ċittadini u l-ġid komuni ta’ pajjiżna. Iċ-ċittadin għandu jagħti tweġiba mdawla mir-raġuni.
Iżda, fil-qafas ta’ dak li qed ngħidu, iċ-ċittadin kattoliku għandu kontribut speċjali x’joffri. It-tagħlim ta’ Ġesù Kristu, kif espress u mwassal mil-liġi morali mxandra mill-Knisja, ma jħallilniex dubju li d-divorzju huwa soluzzjoni ħażina li fuqha ma tistax tibni soċjetà stabbli. Soċjetà bi żwieġ stabbli tfisser tnaqqis fin-numru ta’ dawk li jbatu fis-soċjetà tagħna tal-ġejjieni; hija sinjal ta’ mħabba lejn il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri. Hekk it-twemmin nisrani jixħet aktar dawl fuq il-verità dwar in-natura taż-żwieġ.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan kollu, għalhekk, huwa dmir tagħna bħala Rgħajja Spiritwali li nfakkru lill-poplu ta’ Alla u lil dawk kollha ta’ rieda tajba li kull meta fil-pajjiż issir sejħa biex iċ-ċittadini juru l-fehma tagħhom permezz tal-vot, bħal fil-kaz ta’ dan ir-Referendum, huwa dmir morali li wieħed jitfa’ l-vot liberu tiegħu. Aktar ma d-deċiżjoni tkun dwar valuri li qatt ma nistgħu inpartuhom, bħalma huwa fil-każ ta’ żwieġ dejjiemi, aktar tikber il-gravità morali ta’ dan id-dmir.
L-għażla tagħna f’dan ir-Referendum titlob ħafna ħsieb għax iġġorr magħha responsabbiltà kbira. Hija deċiżjoni li ser ikollha effetti mhux biss fuq il-preżent, imma wkoll fil-futur. Permezz tal-vot tiegħu, iċ-ċittadin ser jibni jew iħott. Għażla favur żwieġ dejjiemi hija att ta’ fiduċja fil-familja mibnija fuq rabta ta’ mħabba li ma tinħallx bir-rieda tal-bniedem; filwaqt li għażla favur id-divorzju twassal lejn aktar tifrik taż-żwieġ u l-familja, u allura anki tal-valur u l-kwalità tal-ħajja. Ilkoll se nġorru l-konsegwenzi tad-deċiżjoni tagħna.
Quddiem dan ir-Referendum, in-nisrani ma jistax ma jagħmilx il-mistoqsijiet fundamentali li kull nisrani jrid jagħmel fl-għażliet importanti li jieħu, dejjem b’referenza lejn Sidna Ġesù Kristu. Bil-Magħmudija, in-Nisrani sar ta’ Ġesù u għażel li jimxi warajh. Għalhekk:
• l-għemejjel tan-nisrani dejjem isiru quddiem Sidna Gesù Kristu u f’konfront mat¬tagħlim tiegħu. Anki d-deċiżjoni fuq il-vot tar-Referendum trid issir f’dan id-dawl: li jien quddiem Ġesù se jkolli nagħti kont għall-għażla tiegħi;
• l-għemejjel tan-nisrani dejjem isiru fid-dawl tal-missjoni li hu laqa’, flimkien mal-insara kollha, mingħand il-Mulej Ġesù: “Morru fid-dinja kollha, xandru l-Bxara t-Tajba”. Għan-¬nisrani kull għemil huwa okkażjoni biex jagħti s-sehem tiegħu ħalli t-tagħlim ta’ Ġesù jitwettaq fis-soċjetà tal-bnedmin li l-Missier tant iħobb. Anki l-vot fir-Referendum, għan-nisrani huwa okkażjoni biex iwettaq dan. Għalhekk, kull wieħed u waħda minna l-insara, aħna msejħin biex fil-vot nagħrfu okkażjoni biex nieħdu sehem fil-missjoni tal-Mulej Ġesù dwar iż-żwieġ u l-familja. M’għandniex nitilfu din l-okkażjoni minħabba nuqqas ta’ interess jew nuqqas ta’ ħeġġa.
Nirrikmandaw li kull nisrani jitlob l-għajnuna tas-Sema, bl-interċessjoni tal-Madonna, Sultana tal-familji, biex f’din is-siegħa hekk importanti, fid-direzzjoni li ser nagħtu liż-żwieġ u lill-familja f’pajjiżna, aħna nagħmlu għażla skont ir-rieda ta’ Alla.
Insejħu fuqkom il-barka ta’ Alla.
+ PAWLU CREMONA O.P. - Arċisqof ta’ Malta
+ MARIO GRECH - Isqof ta’ Għawdex
+ ANNETTO DEPASQUALE - Isqof Titulari ta’ Aradi