“Jien emozzjonat ħafna bil-ġenerożità u s-solidarjetà tal-Maltin u Għawdxin li minkejja kollox taw rigal mill-isbaħ ta’ €2,531,540 lid-Dar tal-Providenza.” Dan qalu Fr Martin Micallef, Direttur tad-Dar, mill-uffiċċju tiegħu fis-Siġġiewi minn fejn kien qed isegwi l-maratona u jwieġeb it-telefonati. Huwa żied jgħid li minkejja l-mard u l-inċertezzi li ġabet magħha l-pandemija Covid-19, il-poplu Malti reġa’ għamel ħwejjeġ kbar mad-Dar tal-Providenza li f’dawn l-aħħar xhur rat tnaqqis kbir fid-dħul tagħha l-aktar billi kellha tħassar attivitajiet ta’ ġbir ta’ flus bħall-maratona tal-volleyball… Kompli aqra »

Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God, was celebrated on the morning of New Year’s Day by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, standing in for Pope Francis, who is suffering a painful attack of sciatica.

In his homily, which was read by Cardinal Parolin, Pope Francis focused on three words from the day’s readings: to bless, to be born, and to find, which he said “find their fulfillment in the Mother of God.”

To bless

Beginning with the first Reading, where God commands Moses to bless the people, Pope Francis writes, “This is no pious exhortation: it is a specific request.” We need to be blessed, the Pope said; and at Christmas, we receive “not only the words of blessing, but the blessing itself: Jesus is Himself the blessing of the Father.”

Whereas Jesus is the blessing, Mary is blessed through grace, and “in this way, brings us God’s blessing… Kompli aqra »

1. Issa li ninsabu fuq l-għatba tas-sena l-ġdida, nixtieq insellem b’rispett lill-Kapijiet tal-Istat u tal-Gvernijiet, lir-responsabbli tal-Organizzazzjonijiet internazzjonali, lill-mexxejja spiritwali u lill-fidili ta’ kull reliġjon, kif ukoll lill-irġiel u n-nisa ta’ rieda tajba. Lilkom ilkoll nagħti l-isbaħ xewqat, sabiex din is-sena tkun tista’ tmexxi ’l quddiem l-umanità fit-triq tal-fraternità, tal-ġustizzja u tal-paċi fost il-bnedmin, il-komunitajiet, il-popli u l-Istati.

L-2020 baqgħet immarkata bil-ġerħa tal-kriżi sanitarja kbira tal-Covid-19, li saret fenomenu multisettorjali u globali, u ċerti kriżijiet, li bejniethom ftit kellhom x’jaqsmu, għamluha iktar gravi, bħalma huma l-kriżi klimatika, dik alimentari, dik ekonomika u dik migratorja, u kkawżat weġgħat u sofferenzi kbar… Kompli aqra »

Pope Francis, suffering from an attack of sciatica, was absent from the celebration of Vespers and the recitation of the Te Deum – the Church’s solemn chant of Thanksgiving for the past year – but nonetheless offered a reflection on how we can give thanks for the year that is drawing to a close.

The liturgy was presided over by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who pronounced the homily prepared by Pope Francis for the occasion… Kompli aqra »