L-għotja kbira ta’ ħniena u mħabba aħna se nilqugħa? – L-Arċisqof f’Ħadd il-Palm

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna

Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann, il-Belt Valletta
25 ta’ Marzu 2018

Ir-rakkont tal-passjoni skont San Mark li għadna kemm smajna, jirrepeti diversi drabi l-idea, il-kunċett u l-verb tal-konsenja: Ġuda jipprova jsib il-ħin propizju biex jagħti lil Ġesù f’idejn il-qassisin il-kbar; Pilatu, biex jogħġob lin-nies, jagħtihom lil Ġesù biex isalbuh; il-Mulej stess jikkonsenja, jerħi ruħu f’idejn il-Missier; u Ġużeppi ta’ Arimatija jitlob lil Pilatu biex jagħtih il-ġisem mejjet ta’ Ġesù u jroddu lill-art.

F’dan kollox, f’dawn il-mumenti naraw il-konsenji li jridu n-nies: Ġuda, Pilatu, il-poplu, il-qassisin il-kbar, imma warajhom hemm ukoll il-volontà tal-Missier li jagħti lill-Ibnu. Ġesù jsejjaħ din il-volonta ta’ Missieru ‘il-kalċi’, il-kalċi li inti tridni li nixrob, u jitolbu lill-Missier biex, jekk jista’ jkun, ibiegħed minnu dan il-kalċi: “mhux li rrid jien, imma li trid int” (Mk 14, 36).

F’dan il-misteru kbir ta’ għotja, hemm misteru kbir ta’ ħniena u mħabba. Din l-għotja, aħna se nilqugħa? Il-Mulej qed jagħti lilu nnifsu għalina, lesti nilqgħu dan id-don kbir u tremend?

The passion narrative according to Mark, mentions a number of times the verb and the idea of handing over: Judas tries to hand over Jesus to the chief priests; Pilate hands over Jesus to the people so that he is crucified; the Lord himself hands over his spirit to the Father as he dies; and Joseph of Arimathaea asks Pilate to hand over the body of Jesus for burial.

But behind all these human agents there is the will of the Father to hand over Jesus as an offering ìn sacrifice for our sins and for our salvation. Are we going to accept this offering? Are we going to accept the will of the Father who hands over his Son that we may be saved? May the Lord, through his blessed passion, renew us and give us salvation.

✠ Charles J. Scicluna
    Arċisqof ta’ Malta 

Ir-ritratti kollha huma aċċessibbli fuq il-websajt tar-Ritratti Uffiċjali tal-Knisja f’Malta.

Ritratti: Uffiċċju Komunikazzjoni Kurja – Ian Noel Pace