Għeżież qarrejja,

Dalgħodu qed nikteb wara li ħassejtni ferm kuntent il-Ġimgħa li għadda bl-organizzazzjoni eċċezzjonali illi saret fil-Bar-B-Q.  Kien Bar-B-Q b'differenza!!! Ħalla differenza kbira f'ħajjet diversi klijenti tad-Dar l-Arka.

Xi pjaċir kien hemm!!!  X'emozzjoni hassejt!!! 

Inġbarna fil-ġnien tad-Dar l-Arka, ġnien grandjuż u sabiħ.  Morna aħna l-leġjunarji żgħażagħ mimlijin ħeġġa u enerġija.  Morna biex nieħdu pjaċir.  Imma mhux biss.  Morna biex nagħtu pjaċir lil ħaddieħor.  Għalhekk dan kien Bar-B-Q b'differenza. 

L-ewwel bdejna b'quddiesa li kienet ikkonċelebrata minn Fr. Geoffrey G. Attard.  Ta' min jgħid issa la qegħdin insemmuh.  Nista' nħabbar minn issa li għandna Direttur Spiritwali fil-Kumitat taż-Żgħażagħ li huwa l-istess Fr. Geoffrey.  Fr. Geoffrey huwa bniedem enerġetiku, b'mentalita' żagħżugħa u qiegħed fil-qlub taż-żgħażagħ.  Naf fiċ-ċert li f'din il-kariga, Fr. Geoffrey se jagħti kontribut qawwi u ħa jkun effettiv ħafna.  Apparti minnhekk huwa jaf ikun bniedem li kif ngħidu bl-Ingliż with a sense of humour.  Insomma, nawguralek minn qiegħ qalbna, Fr. Geoffrey, filwaqt li nitolbuk titlob għalina. 

Il-quddiesa kienet waħda speċjali.  Kienet ċelebrazzjoni bejn familja kbira.  Proprjament hija familja maqsuma fit-tnejn.  Familja tal-Arka u familja tal-Leġjun li dawn ingħaqqdu flimkien bħala familja biex jagħmlu ċelebrazzjoni sabiħa akkumpanjata b'mużika bellezza minn band magħmula minn pjanista u percussions, tliet kitarristi, vjolinista u diversi kantanti. Fil-quddiesa, kien hemm diversi nies li taw is-sehem tagħhom u dan għamel il-quddiesa speċjali - quddiesa b'differenza wkoll. 

Wara l-quddiesa, għamilna l-Bar-B-Q, fejn kellna ikel tajjeb ħafna - naħtaf l-opportunita' nirringrazzja lil kull min għen biex għamel l-ikel.  Kellna wkoll entertainment minn Denise, Martha, Marisa, Tabita, Marvic u anke mbagħad kelli niddeffes jiena biex inkanta xi żewġ kanzunetti wkoll!!!

Insomma, għeżież Leġjunarji, tajna spettaklu sabiħ, tajna ħafna pjaċir lil nies oħra li forsi t-tbissima tagħhom ma tantx tkun fuq fommhom.  Tajna pjaċir lil nies li forsi okkażżjonijiet bħal dawn f'ħajjithom huma rari ħafna. 

Dan huwa l-ispirtu Leġjunarju.  Ejjew nibqgħu naħdmu biex il-Leġjun jikber u jissaħħaħ iktar b'dan il-mod.  Nixtieq illi l-Leġjun ta' Marija jkun wieħed effettiv u jkun anki f'qalb kull persuna fid-dinja.  Ninsab ċert li jiena u inti li qed taqra dan il-blog kapaċi nbiddlu d-dinja.

Għal-lum nagħlaq din ir-riflessjoni hawnhekk.  Aħsbu fuq dan li ktibt u araw x'taħsbu.  Grazzi o Marija talli tajtna x-xorti li nferrħu lil ħaddieħor. 

Tislijiet,

David

''Ghajb ghalija jekk ma nxandarx lil Kristu u lil Dan imsallab'', qalilna San Pawl, wiehed mill-patruni tal-Legjun ta' Marija.

 Kos! dak li provajna naghmlu fil-parocca ta' Ognisanti, f'Ruma( tefgha ta' gebla 'l boghod min San Giovanni Laterano) mill-20 sas-27 ta' Gunju 2009. Gejna imbaghad ippremjati ghal dan l-isforz ta' evangelizzazzjoni billi l-ghada fit-28 u l-pitghada fid-29 ta' Gunju kellna x-xorti niehdu sehem ukoll b'seats  ibbukjati minn qabel, ghac-celebrazzjonijiet solenni t'gheluq is-Sena Pawlina.

Sew il-kappillan kemm il-legjunarji lokali  laqghuna hafna u ghenuna wkoll. Dlonk middejna ghonqna ghax-xoghol, nimitaw lil San Pawl, inxandru lil Kristu u lil Dan imsallab. Saru fuq mitejn kuntatt. Il-persuni ikkuntattjati kollha kellhom l-istorja umana taghhom x'jirrakkuntaw.99% taghhom huma mghammdin fi Kristu izda qeghdin jimxu wara Dan Kristu Msallab? Bil-mod kif qed jghixu donnhom jridu jghidu lil Gesu, ''hallina mill-ispirtu ta' cahda, hallina minn salibek, jien  il-mara telqitni, ghax m'ghandix insib ohra, fil-fatt ghandi siehba u qed niprova ngib id-divorzju;   jien le, m'ghammidthiex lil binti, issa ghandha 12-il sena, tara hi u taghzel hi jekk tridx titghammed jew le;   jien m'ghandix hin ghall-quddiesa tal-Hadd, nahdem il-gimgha kollha u l-Hadd irrid nistrieh, nibqa ' rieqed;   le m'ghadnix nemmen, ma nara ebda differenza bejn hajja ta' sigra u dik ta' bniedem;   jien mghammed imma ma nipprattikax il-fidi u ghalija m'hemmx aghar mid-demokrazija, l'ideal tieghi kien ir-regim Tedesk u dik ta' l-olokawst tal-Lhud hi kollha invenzjoni ta' l-Insara;   m'ghandix fidi fis-sacerdoti, dawk ifittxu li jkunu tajjeb huma , ma tarax tidhol fil- kunvent taghhom  ghandhom salotti sbieh ecc;   is-sacerdoti      -    ghalfejn ic-celibat, dawk ghandhom kollha jizzewgu;   jien  kelli nhalli pajjizi ghax zewgi kien juza vjolenza fuqi u tlaqt u gejt l-Italja nahdem u gibt it-tfal mieghi, inhossni ahjar li hlist mis-swat ma tantx immur knisja xi darba immur nitlob imma nitlob lil Alla biss meta nkun irrid xi haga minn ghandu l-aktar biex ifieq it-tifel ghax marradi;   jien issa qtajt qalbi, ghaddejt minn kemm il-trauma u nhossni ddestinat ghall-infern''. Dawn kienu xi ftit espressjonijiet mill-hafna li smajna u juruna il-fragilita taghna u fl-istess hin rridu nghixu kif ifettlilna mentri Gesu qalilna'',Erfa' salibek u imxi warajja'' '' Ejjew ghandi intom li intom imtaqqlin u jien inserrahhkom.'' Biex timxi fi triq tal-Kmandamenti u it-taghlim tal-Knisja hafna drabi hu difficli imma ghandna kull ghajnuna biex nistghu naghmlu dan; immbaghad'' induqu u naraw kemm hu tajjeb il-Mulej''.Quddiem dawn is-sitwazzjonijiet u ohrajn jixbhuhom li elenkajt  izjed 'lquddiem, mhux ta' min jaqta' qalbu. Fil-fatt il-magguranza qghadu jisimghu l-messagg taghna u l-medalja mirakuluza kollha accettawha fil-pront u bil-qalb. Marija hi t-tama taghna ; hi l-iktar triq qasira u sgura li twassalna ghand Gesu.

Ma rridx ma nsemmix li ltqajna ma dawk il-ftit  li huma Kattolci awtentici jew ahjar qaddisin, ghaliex le! Omm minn Sqallija giet ma' binha zaghzugh ifittex xoghol f'Ruma u stqarriet maghna li ghandha fiducja shiha f'Gesu u f'Marija u li qatt ma thalli l-quddiesa ta' kuljum. Kienet ghada kif temmet pellegrinagg m'ohrajn u semmiet li mxiet min-nofs il-lejl sas-6.30 ta' fil-ghodu lejn is-Santwarju tal -Madonna Del Divin Amore. Ezempju iehor ta' tfajla universitarja li qed tghix il-hajja Kattolka b'mod edifikantiNies bhal dawn kienu ta' kuragg ghalina u ahna ghalihom. 

Zorna wkoll numru kbir ta' anzjani bejn 80 u 90 sena u sahansitra wahda ta' 104 li baqghalha mohhha lucidu hafna. Dawn sibnihom jew fil-Home li hemm fil-parocca mmexxija mis-sorijiet jew inkella fid-djarhom . Lil dawn ta' l-ahhar titwasslilhom l-Ewkaristija b'mod regulari; ilkoll jidhru maqghudin mal-Mulej fit-talb ubs-sofferenza.

Dawn is-sebat ijiem ta' PPC kienu granet ta talb intensiv, kuntatti t'evangelizzizzjoni, ta' hajja kommunitarja fejn dehret hafna l-imhabba fraterna, ta' gheja wkoll izda ta' sodisfazzjon kbir.

Kif ghidt fil-bidu il-jumejn ta' wara l-PPC hadna sehem fl-Ghasar solenni ippresedut mill-Papa Benedittu XVl f'San Paolo Fuor le Mura fit -28 ta' Gunju maqghudin m'eluf ta'pellegrini mid-dinja kollha. Imbaghad fid-29 ta' Gunju, festa ta' San pietru u San Pawl , patruni ta' Ruma hadna sehem fil-quddiesa tal-Papa fil-Bazilka ta' San Pietru fil-Vatikan. Kellna xorti tassew kbira li hadna sehem f'dawn ic-celebrazzjonijiet Pawlini kif ukoll obdejna Kmand Gesu biex immorru inxerrdu l-kelma tieghu;, David Maril-ahhar gurnata ghaddejniha kulhadd kif xtaq hu jew inzuru postijiet interessanti jew fix-xiri jew fit-tnejn.

ad jesum per mariam.

josephine Formosa.

Għeżież qarrejja,

Illum nixtieq naqsam magħkom ftit minn dawn is-seba' snin ta' esperjenza mill-isbaħ fil-Leġjun ta' Marija. Lanqas irrid nemmen illi għadda daqshekk żmien.

Jiena bdejt niġi wara li kelli ħabib tiegħi li kien ilu jokrobli biex immur miegħu l-laqgħa tal-praesidium tiegħu. U jien ma kontx interessat li mmur. Kelli idea daqsxejn negattiva fuq il-legion. Pero' jiena tip ta' bniedem illi m'inhix kapaċi ngħid 'le' u dakinhar mort il-laqgħa biex ma niddiżappuntahx. Malli dħalt fil-Legion Office (inkun sinċier wasalt xi 10 minuti tard), insibhom hemm miġburin żgħażagħ tal-Intermediates b'dik iċ-ċertu devozzjoni jgħidu r-rużarju. Sibt il-President tal-praesidium Marija Mtellgħa s-Sema, li laqgħani b'ċertu entużjażmu.

Ħadt pjaċir. U erġajt mort darboħra, darboħra, darboħra,... u bqajt immur. U issa ilni seba' snin.

F'dawn is-seba' snin illi ilni 'mrobbi' fil-Leġjun, sibt lil dan il-president bħala l-pedament li bnejt fuqu. Il-paċenzja, il-ħlewwa, il-mogħdrija....u anke mbagħad l-imħabba li għandu lejn il-Madonna vera mmeraviljatni. Ispirani. U bil-mod il-mod, jiena sirt parti mil-Leġjun. Fhimt l-iskop tal-Leġjun.

Wara sentejn, ma bqajtx iktar Intermediates imma imbagħad tlajt mal-kbar - is-Seniors. Sibt nies iktar maturi. Kollha fuq l-għoxrin u mbagħad kien hemm jien u erba oħra li kellna tmintax-il sena. Erġajt sibt lill-istess president. Kont kuntent ħafna. Wara sena li kont hemm jien, hu spiċċalu t-term tiegħu ta' president għax kien ilu sitt snin.

Is-suċċessur tiegħu kont jiena. Ħassejt din il-kariga bħala waħda li toffri sfida kbira. Kien żmien fejn il-praesidium kien għaddej minn ċertu bidla minħabba li xi membri telqu minħabba impenji fuq ix-xogħol u/jew studji universitarju. Il-bidu kien mument ta' stress fejn kellna bżonn ifittxu membri li jidħlu fil-grupp tagħna. Bil-mod il-mod sibna żgħażagħ li issa ilhom magħna tliet snin. Kienu u għadhom konsistenti magħna. Fiż-żmien illi jiena ilni president, dejjem kellna Direttur Spiritwali għax dejjem ħassejt illi l-preżenza tiegħu fil-laqgħa hija vitali ħafna bħalma jgħidilna il-Manwal. Kellna lil Patri Ġorġ Bezzina, is-seminalista Michael Curmi (illum saċerdot), is-seminalista ħuh Joseph Curmi (illum saċerdot ukoll), Fr. Joseph Farrugia u llum il-ġurnata għandna lil Fr. Geoffrey G. Attard. Fil-perjodi li aħna konna nkunu mingħajr Direttur Spiritwali, dejjem kellna lil Dun Rużar Borg biex jagħtina s-servizz tiegħu (illi minn hawnhekk nieħu l-opportunita' biex nirringrazzjah).

F'dawn is-seba' snin, kelli mumenti verament sbieħ u partikulari u x'ħin niftakar verament nitbissem. Id-December Functions li nagħmlu lis-Seniors ta' kull sena. Din nieħdu ħsiebha jiena u xi erba' żgħażagħ oħra. Vera nkunu nistennewha. Mument ta' daħk, ferħ u pjaċir. Iż-żjara tal-President tal-Concilium kienet xi ħaġa meraviljuża wkoll. Din saret fis-sajf 2005. Bqajt niftakarha. Mumenti oħra sbieħ kienu dawk li l-praesidium tagħna ta' kull sena, weekend qabel il-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa konna mmorru nagħmlu l-Via Sagra fuq l-Għolja t'Għammar. Konna nitolbu flimkien hemmhekk u mbagħad kien ikollna xi ftit mumenti fejn niċċajtaw u nieħdu pjaċir flimkien.

Il-qofol ta' dawn l-avvenimenti sbieħ hija riċenti ħafna - il-PPC. Il-PPC kienet esperjenza mill-isbaħ. Morna għamilna xogħol siwi f'Oxford. Kienet esperjenza li mmaturatni ħafna. Ħassejt kuntentizza kbira. Verament hija esperjenza illi diffiċli niddiskriviha bil-kliem. Hemm song li fiha din il-frazi: What do you say when words are not enough??? U f'din is-sitwazzjoni, jiena nsaqsi dil-mistoqsija.

Ħa nagħlaq hawn jiena llum. Għaliex se noħdilkom raskom. Nispera li għoġbitkom din l-esperjenza tiegħi fil-Leġjun. Nixtieq l-ewwelnett nirringrazzja lil dawk kollha li għenuni nissaħħaħ fil-Leġjun - post fejn anki jiena sibt il-wens. U nixtieq nirringrazzja lil Alfred Grech li kien dejjem hemm miegħi biex jagħtini pariri siewja. Inħobb ngħidha jiena din. Alfred huwa ħabib kbir u d-dell tiegħi. Grazzi Fred. Nirringrazzja wkoll lil Fr. Geoffrey, illi qed ikun ta' influwenza kbira fil-Leġjun. Fr. Geoffrey, ninkorraġġik tkompli tagħmel dan ix-xogħol ta' siwi u fejda fil-Leġjun.

Nappella biex dawk li għadhom indeċiżi dwar jekk għandhomx jidħlu fil-Leġjun jew le, jiena ngħidilhom biex jittantaw xortihom. Din hija xorti kbira li tatni l-Madonna lili. Nies, agħmlu bħali - ittantaw xortikom!!!!!!

Tislijiet,

David

Since I was little and frequenting the Sultana tal-Angli Praesidium at the Good Shepherd Pastoral Centre in Victoria, I had become aware of the PPC or Pelegrinatio Pro Christo experience which the Legion of Mary organizes as part of its evangelization projects. My first opportunity to participate in such a project was in July 2009. We were scheduled to leave Malta on Saturday the 11th and return on Saturday the 18th and our destination was St Aloysius? Parish in the city of Oxford, UK.

There were ten of us in the project; I was the only priest and there were six of us from the isladn of Gozo and the remaining ones were from Malta. Though we came from different backgrounds and were of different ages, the group was really fun. It seemed as if we had know each other for a long time. We arrived at Gatwick airport on Saturday morning but it was about three in the afternoon when we arrived in the parish. St Aloysius in Oxford used to be run by the Jesuits but since 1993 it has been administered by the Oratorians, a congregation established by Saint Philip Neri in Rome in the sixteenth century. The most famous British Oratorian was definitely the English Cardinal John Henry Newman, renowned as on the greatest theologians of the ninteenth century. St Aloysius has a community of about seven priests and one novice whom we had the chance to meet at different moments during our visit. We were warmly welcomed by the parish priest Fr. Daniel Seward who recognized me from his visit to Gozo two years ago when he was on the island during the festivities of St George in July 2007. He invited to us for Benediction at 4.30 pm; as we entered the church we heard the melody of a familiar hymn, the Georgius Natus Est whose lyrics and compostion were written by Can. Joe Mejlak and Mr. Joseph Vella respectively. Those of us who hailed from Gozo were took by surprise; little did we know that the organist was Fr. Dominic Jacob who had also visited Gozo two years ago for the feast of St George and had fallen in love with the melody of the hymn himself. In the evening the members of the Legion of Mary praesidium at St Aloysius welcomed us and brought food over into the parish centre; we all had a good time.

Sunday was a special day for the parish; on the previous Saturday (the 3rd) Pope Benedict XVI had declared that the process leading to the beatification of Cardinal Newman had come to its end and therefore Newman was to be beatified sometime during 2010. The Oratorians were all obviously thrilled; on Sunday the 12th the Solemn Mass at 11. 00 am was to be a special Mass. The preacher was Fr. Paul Chavasse, the postulator for the cause of the beatification of J. H. Newman who had travelled from the Birmingham Oratory for the occasion. We could also notice a knight of Malta in his robes sitting in the sanctuary along with the concelebrating priests and the assisting members of the clergy.

Our week began on Sunday afternoon; our group leader who turned out to be the head of the Pathology Department at the University of Malta divided us into pairs and we were all assigned divers streets in the heart of Oxford where we could go to to our work. For those who are not so familiar with how the PPC works, it actually consists in legionaries going in pairs and knocking on each and every door of a particular street or road and inviting the residents to pray and practice their own faith and trying to bring back to church any lapsed Catholics. The process was repeated throughout the whole week; twice a day we went out ? once in the morning and once in the late afternoon ? knocking on people's doors and bringing them the good news! It was hard work indeed! As to myself I can say that it was not easy; we came across people from all walks of life! Some people were not interested at all! Others told us straight away that they were atheists! ?We don't do God!? was an expression we were told more than once. A legionary from Victoria who was with me on one of the days said to me that this particular expression was uttered by Alistair Campbell, secretratry to ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair when he was once interviewed about the Prim Minister's faith. We also came across many Anglicans some of whom practice their faith regulary and others do so at random. We came across a couple of Buddhists and Muslims too! One particular resident was very good ? he actually spoke from behind his door informing us that he was suffering from the Swine Flu! It was also interesting to come across a couple of Oxford dons who lecture at the University; thought some of them were self-proclaimed atheists they still found our work interesting!

During our week we also had the chance to visit places of interest! The place we agreed upon was the glorious Blenheim Palace ? the official residence of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of British statesman Winston Churchill. The palace is a must for those who happen to be in Oxfordshire and the old town of Woodstock is a ?historical town?.

All in all, a Pelegrinatio Pro Christo is a very challenging experience! I wouldn't suggest it to the faint-hearted! However it is an experience I will not easily forget, an experience which I would encourage others to do since it forms part of what real and practical evangelization is all about! God wills it!