Hajja Salesjana SETTEMBRU - OTTUBRU 2013il-231 Óar©a

When you’re Smiling

Il-Madonna tal-Midaja MirakuluΩaThe Beatitudes for Today

Ni©i Minnha - Storja

The Logo of the Salesians of Don Bosco is made up of two superimposed images: in the background a stylised “S” (Salesians) in white marked to the right and left by two cuttings between the hills (a road). The second image is in the centre of the globe: an arrow pointing upwards resting on three perpendicular legs on top of which are three closed circles making a stylised image of three people: the first of these in the midde and taller (the Salesian) appears as if embracing the side figures (the young). The three stylised figures can also be viewed as an arrow pointing upwards (education / formation) or simply as a dwelling (Salesian house) with three pillars holding it up (reason, religion, loving kindness).

The coat of arms of the Salesian Congregation shows the shining star, the large anchor, the heart on fire symbolizing faith, hope and charity; the figure of St. Francis de Sales recalling the Patron of the Society; the small wood in the lower part reminds us of the Founder (Bosco) the high mountains signify the heights of perfection towards which members strive; the interwoven palm and laurel that enfold the shield either side are emblematic of the prize reserved for a sacrificial and virtuous life. The motto Da mihi animas, caetera tolle (give me souls, take the rest) expresses every Salesian’s ideal.

Óajja Salesjana St. Patrick’s School, Triq San Ìwann Bosco, Sliema SLM 1925 – MALTA Tel. (+356) 2133 0238 / (+00356) 9986 1586 e-mail: hajjasal@salesiansmalta.org

Il-Bulettin Salesjan, imsejja˙ b’diversi ismijiet, ji©i stampat f’56 edizzjoni u f’ 29 ilsien madwar id-dinja u huwa mxerred fi 131 nazzjon

Responsible: Fr. Paul Formosa SDBDirector/ Editor: Fr. Joseph Cini SDBEditorial Board : Margaret Buhagiar, Andre Camilleri, Josie Grech.Office: Censina Vella, Joyce Scicluna.Design & Printing: Salesian Press, Sliema.

Tista taqra ˙ajja Salesjana fuq il-kompjuter: http://www.salesiansmalta.org

Fuqiex se naqraw

Front Cover: Voluntiera Maltin lura minn pajjiΩi tal-missjoni

Il-Madonna tal-Midalja MirakuluΩa 7The Beatitudes 9Don Bosco Around the World 10St. John Bosco to Parents and Teachers 14Maltin li kellmu jew kitbu lil Dun Bosco 16Talba g˙al kull Saba’ 17L-ewwel darba li ltqajt ma Dun Bosco 20Past Pupils - Australia 22Ni©i Minnha - Storja 26When you’re Smiling 28My cup has overflowed 29Information Please! - Story 32

Editorjal / Pedago©ija / Calendar of events / Something to think about

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tal-Mulej. Sabiex jag˙mel dan, kellu jirba˙ ˙afna xkiel kemm fi triqtu lejn is-saçerdozju, kemm biex feta˙ l-Oratorji jew skejjel u mbag˙ad meta firex is-Soçjeta` Salesjana fl-artijiet tal-missjoni. L-esperjenza li kiseb flimkien mal-g˙ajnuna mis-Sema, g˙enuh jifformula stil ta’ edukazzjoni mag˙ruf b˙ala “Sistema Preventiva.” Fil-klassi, fil-bit˙a, fil-kappella tifel irid i˙ossu ma˙bub u jag˙raf li hu ma˙bub b˙ala membru mill-familja ta’ Alla. Dan jobbliga lill-edukatur jirrispetta lil dawk fdati fil-kura tieg˙u, li jmexxuhom f’mog˙dijiet li j˙arr©uhom sabiex jg˙ixu ta’ nsara tajbin u çittadini onesti. U dan irid isir fi klima ta’ fer˙, inkora©©iment, bΩulija u rispett lejn xulxin min- na˙a tal-edukaturi u tat-tfal.

Hekkhu, mela, kif dalwaqt sejrin nibdew sena skolastika o˙ra! U kif sejrin ng˙ixuh dan it-tag˙lim ta’ Dun Bosco? Billi nadottaw g˙alina stess dak li tg˙allem Ìwanninu mill-˙olma li kellu fl-eta` ta disa’snin: In˙allu lil Marija tiggwidana billi ng˙oΩΩu t-talba tar-RuΩarju (ix-xahar ta’ Ottubru); u mbag˙ad nitqawwew sikwit bis-sagrament tal-Qrar u tal-Ewkaristija.

Fr Lawrence Essery SDB

EDITORJAL

Di©a` bdew jidhru ˙afna reklami ta’ dak kollu li g˙andu x’jaqsam mal-iskola meta la s-Sajf u l-anqas il-vaganzi g˙adhom ma spiççaw! Pinen u lapsijiet, pitazzi u kotba, ©lekkijiet u ngravati, qomos u dbielet: kollha lesti g˙all-bejg˙ mid-diversi ˙wienet. Qisu l-biera˙ li bdew il-vaganzi, imma l-istudenti kollha jridu jaççettaw il-fatt li tlitt jew erba’ ©img˙at o˙ra ser jer©g˙u jid˙lu l-iskola, wisq probabbli fi klassijiet ©odda u ma’ g˙alliema ©odda. Ma tantx huma ˙sibijiet sbie˙, dawn, g˙all-istudenti u g˙all-g˙alliema!

Dun Bosco kien jixtieq li t-tfal tal-Oratorju tieg˙u u dawk tal-iskejjel Salesjani jibqg˙u s˙a˙ fir-ru˙ u l-©isem matul il-vaganzi. G˙alhekk kien iwissihom fuq il-perikli li setg˙u jiltaqg˙u mag˙om waqt iΩ-Ωmien li jg˙addu mal-familjari tag˙om, ’il bog˙od mill-kura ‘preventiva’ li kien hemm fl-Oratorju u l-iskejjel tieg˙u. Niftakru li sa minn tfulitu, San Ìwann Bosco kien ifittex il-©id tar-ru˙ kif ukoll dak li kien itejjeb liΩ-Ωag˙Ωug˙ fiΩikament u spiritwalment. Aktar milli g˙alliem, kien edukatur: wie˙ed li kapaçi jo˙ro© it-tajjeb mill-o˙rajn.

‘Is-Sinjura’ li dehritlu fl-˙olma meta kellu disa’ snin, kif ukoll Binha, qalulu jkun qawwi u kura©©uΩ. Il-missjoni tieg˙u f’˙ajtu kienet se tkun li jbiddel annimali fi ˙rief tal-mer˙la

Lura lejn l-Iskola

EDITORJAL

"...SAN ÌWANN BOSCO KIEN IFITTEX IL-ÌID

TAR-RUÓ KIF UKOLL DAK LI KIEN ITEJJEB LIÛ-

ÛAGÓÛUGÓ FIÛIKAMENT U SPIRITWALMENT"

4 Hajja Salesjana

EDITORIAL

BACK TO SCHOOL advertisements assail parents and family when the summer term has hardly come to an end. Pens and pencils, exercise books and textbooks, blazers and ties, shirts and skirts all displayed in our stationers, supermarkets and clothing outlets. The holidays have just begun and already our children have to face the reality that in September/October they will be back in the classrooms, different rooms perhaps, and different teachers. Such reminders are hardly fair on pupils or educators! What then of Don Bosco’s advice to his boys even before they left the Oratory or one of his schools for visits to their families about the ‘dangers’ they might encounter during their absence from the ‘Preventive’ care of the Salesian environment.

From his earliest youth Saint John Bosco had the good of souls, their spiritual and physical wellbeing, as his first priority as an educator. The Lady of his dream when he was only nine years old and Her Son exhorted the youngster to make himself strong and to have great courage. His mission in life would be to change ‘wild animals’ into lambs for the flock of the Lord. For this he had to overcome enormous difficulties on his way to the priesthood, face opposition from all quarters to set up his ‘Festive Oratories’ and establish schools for the poor youth

of Turin and Piedmont, and later in the wider world of the missions. Experience and supernatural guidance led him to formulate his philosophy of education, universally known as ‘The Preventive System’.

In class, in recreation, in church, the child must be loved and know that he/she is loved as God’s favourite part of the human family. The demand on the educator is to respect those committed to their care, to lead (‘educare’) them along paths that will equip them to face life as good Christians and honest citizens in an atmosphere of cheerful calm, healthy ambition, honest competitiveness and mutual respect between educators and pupils.

And now we are going back to school for another year. How will we measure up to Don Bosco’s spiritual and physical ideals, as educators or pupils? No easy task! But the same advice that young Johnny Bosco received as a nine year old, we can adopt; and allow ourselves to be guided by the same Shepherdess. The new school year coincides with the month of the Holy Rosary: take courage from the reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and hold on tight to the hand of Mary through the chain of our Rosary beads.

Fr Lawrence Essery SDB

"..SAINT JOHN BOSCO HAD THE GOOD OF SOULS,

THEIR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING, AS

HIS FIRST PRIORITY AS AN EDUCATOR"

Back to School

Dun Bosco jirrakkontaFilg˙axija tat-12 ta’ Mejju 1886 wasalt fi

Grenoble, g˙ajjien u miflu©, lura minn vja©© twil li kien ˙adni Franza u Spanja. Kelli nag˙mel dal-vja©© min˙abba li ma kienx baqa’aktar flus g˙all-bini tal-knisja tal-Qalb ta’ Ìesu` ©ewwa Ruma.

Ir-Rettur tas-Seminarju laqag˙ni bil-qalb, imma meta rani hekk fjakk u batut, qalli, “Reverendu Dun Bosco, ˙add aktar minnek ma jaf kemm tqaddisna t-tbatija.” Óassejt li kelli nikkore©ieh u g˙edtlu, “Dak li jqaddes mhijiex it-tbatija, imma s-sabar. ”Din kienet eΩattament ˙ajti, b’˙afna xkiel u tbatija: kelli 71 sena li kont wisq in˙osshom fuq spallejja u li issa kont sirt

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PEDAGOÌIJASalesjanaMinn Pascual Chávez Villanueva – Trad. Joe Cini

Dun Bosco Edukatur 4

“bniedem maqtul bil-g˙ejja”, kif kien qalli t-tabib Combal ftit jiem qabel, f’Marsilja, f’Marzu 1884.

Ta˙dita mal-˙bieb Salesjani.Darba kont kellimt lis-Salesjani tieg˙i u

fissirtilhom xi tfisser il-kelma “Sabar”(pazienza) billi rreferejt g˙all-verb latin li jfisser ukoll “li ssofri, tissaporti, tkun qawwi.” U komplejt ng˙idilhom, “Jekk ma jkunx hemm dawn, ma jkunx hemm is-sabar. Ne˙tie©u ˙afna sabar, jew a˙jar ng˙idu, ˙afna m˙abba flimkien mal-kwalitajiet ta’ San Fran©isk ta’ Sales: ˙lewwa u tjubija.”

Dak li jqaddisna mhijiex it-tbatija, iΩda s-sabar

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Mill-esperjenza li kelli stajt infisser dan kollu minn ˙ajti stess. G˙alhekk g˙edtilhom, “Naf kemm trid tbati xi kultant sabiex iΩΩomm is-sabar. Ara ta˙sbu li jien nie˙u gost noqg˙od l-g˙odwa kollha msakkar fil-kamra tieg˙i nisma’ lin-nies, jew l-g˙axija kollha mka˙˙al mal-iskrivanija. NiΩgurakom li bosta drabi nkun nixtieq no˙ro© ’il barra biex nie˙u nifs frisk… U ara ta˙sbu li ma n˙ossx ˙afna meta nitlob lil xi ˙add jie˙u ˙sieb xi biçça xog˙ol jew jag˙milli xi qadja importanti, u mbag˙ad insib li ma sar xejn jew li sar ˙aΩin. NiΩgurakom li demmi jbaqbaq… Imma x’nag˙mel? Nitlef is-sabar? Biçça xog˙ol mhix mag˙mula mhix ser tissewwa bir-rabja!” Imbag˙ad spiççajt bi kliem g˙aΩiΩ g˙alija, “Dik li ssa˙˙a˙na hija t-tama. Din iΩΩommna s˙a˙ meta jonqos is-sabar.”

Naf li xi drabi ma kontx mifhum, u li ©ejt ikkore©ut bil-goff rigward il-mod kif kont qieg˙ed nifforma s-Salesjani Ωg˙aΩag˙ tieg˙i. Imma ˙afna snin wara, wara riflessjoni u stennijja, stajt ng˙id li g˙alkemm mhux kollox kien sejjer sew, ma stajtx insewwi kollox f’daqqa, g˙ax inkella kien ikolli nag˙laq l-Oratorju. Rajt li mhux l-istudenti Salesjani kollha riedu joqog˙du g˙ar-regoli stretti tal-˙ajja fl-Oratorju. Mhux ftit minnhom, matul is-snin, telqu…imma jiena bqajt nistenna bis-sabar, g˙ax kieku ridt li kollox ikun perfett mill-bidu, kont nibqa’ bi grupp Ωg˙ir wisq. Kelli nistabar.

L-arti ta’ kif wie˙ed jistennaTa’ iben il-bdiewa li kont, tg˙allimt nipprattika

s-sabar. Niftakar lil ommi tg˙id ˙afna drabi, “Jekk timxi ma’ ©enb il-˙mar tnaqqaslu t-tag˙bija.” Il-˙mar kien il-mezz ta’ trasport l-aktar ekonomiku u ©wejjed. It-tag˙bija kienet tkun imdendla maΩ-Ωew© na˙at ta’ dahru u kienet, xi drabi, tmil lejn na˙a jew o˙ra matul il-vja©©. Sid il-˙mar, g˙alhekk, jg˙in billi jer©a’ jibbilançja Ω-Ωew© na˙at. Hekk jien, flok nimponi u nesi©i, kont nistenna u nakkumpanja liΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ ajjutanti tieg˙i. Meta niffaççja xi diffikulta` nipprova nirba˙ha; jekk ma nistax, indur

mag˙ha u nistenna Ωmien a˙jar…g˙ax iΩ-Ωmien isajjar il-bajtar, in-nies tinbidel u x-xkiel biΩ-Ωmien, jin˙all.

Lejn tmiem ˙ajti, meta n-numru tas-Salesjani kien kiber, kien sarli ferm tqil li nikteb xi Ωew© rigi lil kull wie˙ed. Allura bdejt nibg˙at çirkulari lis-Salesjani kollha sabiex nixtieqilhom sena mbierka mill-Mulej. Fl-1884 (6 ta’Jannar), kont ktibt, “Ma nistg˙ux immorru l-©enna bil-kaless! A˙na sirna reli©juΩi mhux biex ingawdu, imma sabiex, permezz ta’ sagrifiççji, nirb˙u merti g˙all-©enna…Dan ser jiswilna sforz, ser ikun hemm tbatija, imma jekk il-©miel tal-premju jssa˙˙arna, ma g˙andniex nibΩg˙u mis-sofferenzi me˙tie©a sabiex nirb˙uh.”

Ìewwa Valdocco bosta drabi konna nitkellmu fuq il-mewt. Kull xahar, kemm tfal u kemm Salesjani, konna nag˙mlu “l-EΩerçizzju tal-Mewta t-Tajba”, mag˙ruf sew fil-knejjes. Kien ifakkarna sew fl-eternita`. Jiena, edukatur fil-fer˙ u l-allegrija, ©ieli ˙abbart il-mewt ta’ xi Ωag˙Ωug˙: mhux sabiex imbeΩΩa’ imma sabiex ng˙allimhom i˙obbu dak il-mod ta’ ˙ajja li jwassalhom il-©enna; u din kienet dejjem l-a˙˙ar kelma tieg˙i, il-©enna. Niftakar sew dawk il-kliem li sikwit kont ng˙id: “Biçça mill-©enna t˙allasna g˙al kull ma sofrejna.” B’hekk, it-tifkira tal-mewt, saret sej˙a g˙at-tjubija, u ©ibda lejn Alla li ja˙fer u li jilqa’ liΩ-Ωg˙ar u jifra˙ mag˙hom.

Jien ma kontx in˙obb forom ta’ sagrifiççji esa©erati. Kont Ωammejt lit-tfajjel Duminku Savio mill-mod kif hu kien iwe©©a’ lilu nnifsu. Kont g˙edtlu li sabiex ikun qaddis, kellu jissaporti bis-sabar it-tg˙ajjir tal-o˙rajn, is-s˙ana, il-bard, ir-ri˙, ix-xita, l-g˙eja u x-xkiel kollu ta’ sa˙˙a li Alla jippermetti. U dan kont ng˙idu lill-o˙rajn ukoll: li jie˙du fuqhom it-tbatija ta’ Kristu billi jaççettaw il-ksie˙, is-s˙ana, il-mard, lill-o˙rajn, dak li ji©ri madwarhom. B’hekk wie˙ed jg˙ix fl-umilta`. U kont ni©bor dawn il-pariri kollha fil-kliem: Mhux biΩΩejjed li tbus il-kurçifiss, trid anke ©©orru!

"Dik li ssa˙˙a˙na hija t-tama. Din iΩΩomna s˙a˙..."

Santa Katerina Labouré, kienet twieldet fit-2 ta’ Mejju 1806 f’Fain-les-Moutiers, Cote d’Or, il-Burgandija, Franza. Sa minn eta’ Ωg˙ira Ûoe ̇ asset sej˙a g˙al ˙ajja reli©juΩa. Qatt ma tg˙allmet taqra u tikteb. Ta’ 8 snin kellha tibqa’ d-dar ddur bil-familja tag˙ha wara l-mewt ta’ ommha. Kienet tag˙mel xi xog˙ol ukoll fil-˙anut tal-kafe’ li kellu zijuha f’Pari©i. Aktar tard da˙let ta˙dem fl-isptar li kien jitmexxa mis-Sorijiet tal-Karita’ u hemmhekk kellha viΩjoni minn San Vincent de Paul li qalilha li l-Mulej riedha ta˙dem qalb il-morda. Aktar tard issie˙bet mas-sorijiet u ˙adet l-isem ta’ Katerina.

Matul il-lejl tat-18 ta’ Lulju 1830, Katerina stenb˙et meta semg˙et le˙en ta’ tfajjel isej˙ilha lejn il-kappella tas-sorijiet. Hemmhekk dehret il-Ver©ni Marija lil Swor Katerina b˙ala mara mill-isba˙, bilwieqfa, imlibbsa l-abjad u b’velu abjad li minn rasha kien jinΩel sa saqajha. Marija qaltilha, “Il-Mulej jixtieq jag˙tik missjoni. Ser ikun hemm min jopponik, imma tibΩax g˙aliex ikollok il-grazzja li tag˙mel dak li hemm bΩonn. Ifta˙ qalbek mal-konfessur tieg˙ek…”

Nhar it-30 ta’ Novembru, Marija re©g˙et dehret g˙at-tieni darba, u talbet lil Katerina sabiex ixxerred man-nies ix-xbieha tag˙ha, dik mag˙rufa b˙ala il-Midalja MirakuluΩa. Hija fissritilha kif xtaqet li tkun did-domna: fuq na˙a kellha tidher il-Madonna u kellu jkun hemm il-kliem: O Marija, imnissla ming˙ajr dnub, itlob g˙alina li nirrikorru lejk. Fuq in-na˙a l-o˙ra kellu jkun hemm ix-xbieha taΩ-Ωew©t iqlub ta’ Ìesu’ u Marija. Marija kompliet tg˙idilha, “Kull min jilbes did-domna

jirçievi grazzji kbar; g˙andhom jilbsuha madwar g˙onqhom. Grazzji abbundanti jinΩlu fuq min jilbisha b’devozzjoni.”

Hawn, Marija qalet lil Katerina sabiex tmur titkellem fuq dan kollu mal-konfessur tag˙ha u titolbu sabiex ji©u mag˙mula domni b’dawk ix-xbihat. Il-konfessur tag˙ha, Dun Jean Marie Aladel, dam sentejn jinvestiga u josserva l-im©iba ta’ kuljum ta’ Swor Katerina qabel ma g˙amel rapport s˙i˙ lill-Arçisqof tieg˙u ming˙ajr ma jsemmi isem Katerina. Din ix-xewqa ta’ Marija ©iet approvata mill-Kurja u l-ar©entier Adrien Vachette ©ie mitlub inaqqax id-domna (1832). Dawn id-domni bdew jitqassmu ma’ Pari©i kollha, u mill-ewwel, il-barkiet imweg˙din minn Marija, bdew jin˙assu minn ˙afna li libsu d-domna tag˙ha. Id-devozzjoni malajr xterdet: g˙e©ubijiet ta’ grazzji ta’ fejqan, sa˙˙a, paçi u ©id bdew ise˙˙u ma’ kullimkien. Ma tantx g˙adda Ωmien lin-nies bdew isej˙u did-domna “il-midalja mirakuluΩa”. Min dak iΩ-Ωmien ’l hawn n˙admu miljuni ta’ domni li mbag˙ad ©ew mxerrda mad-dinja kollha.

Dawn id-dehriet lil Santa Katerina Labouré kienu ©ew investigati mill-Arçisqof ta’ Pari©i u ddikjarati b˙ala sopranaturali fl-1836. Katerina Labouré mietet fil-31 ta’ Diçembru 1876 f’Enghien-Reuilly, Franza. Il-katavru qaddis tag˙ha baqa’ intatt u jinsab midfun fil-kappella tal-kunvent fejn kienet tg˙ix meta mietet. Ìiet ibbeatifikata mill-Papa Piju Ódax fl-1933 u ddikjarata qaddisa mill-Papa Piju Tnax fis-27 ta’ Lulju 1947.

Il-Madonna tal-Midalja Mirakuluża

Il-Ver©ni Marija dehret lil Katerina Labouré, novizza mas-Sorijiet tal-Karita`,

fil-kappella tal-kunvent tag˙hom f’Rue du Bac, Pari©i.

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8 Hajja Salesjana8 Hajja SalesjanaHajja Salesjana

FEASTS & EVENTSCALENDAR OF SALESIAN2013

SEPTEM

BEROCT

OBER

NOVEM

BER

Wed 4 Salesian Cooperators – Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m

Fri 6 First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s at 6.15 p.m.

Sun 8 Car Wash by the Past Pupils in St. Patrick’s yard.

Tue 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions

Sun 22 Blessed Spanish Martyrs (killed by Communists during Spanish Civil War)

Mon 23 Start of the new Scholastic Year.

Tue 24 Commemoration of Mary Help of Christians at St. Patrick’s– 6.30 p.m. & at Sliema

Oratory at 7.30 p.m.

27 & 28 Youth Live-Music Show at Salesian Oratory, Sliema

Wed 2 Salesian Cooperators – Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.

Fri 4 First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s, at 6.15 p.m.

Sat 5 Blessed Alberto Marvelli (Lay member of the Salesian Family).

Sun 6 Past Pupils of St. Patrick’s Committee meeting.

Thu 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions

Sun 13 Blessed Alessandrina M da Costa (Salesian Cooperator)

19 & 20 Atturi Salesjani – Kummiedja. At Salesian Theatre, Sliema

Tue 22 Blessed John Paul II

Thu 24 Blessed Luigi Guanella (Worked with Don Bosco and was a Salesian for 3 years)

Commemoration of Mary Help of Christians at St. Patrick’s– 6.30 p.m.

Tue 29 Blessed Michael Rua (First Successor of Don Bosco)

Fri 1 All Saints Day. First Friday Devotions at St. Patrick’s, at 6.15 p.m.

Sun 3 Visit to Addolorata Cemetery – Organised by Federation of Past Pupils

1 - 2 Mid-Term school holidays

Wed 6 Salesian Cooperators – Sliema – monthly meeting at 6.00 p.m.

Sun 10 Prayer Day for Salesian Missions. Past Pupils of St. Patrick’s Committee meeting

For any other info about the Salesians: www.sdb.org

Daughters of Mary Help of Christians: www.cgfmanet.org

Salesians in Malta : www.salesiansmalta.org

Hajja Salesjana On Line : www.salesiansmalta.org/hajjasalesjana

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The Beatitudes are the Gospel's commentary on "attitude"

- Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves; they will always have entertainment. - Blessed are those who can distinguish between a mountain

and a molehill; they will save themselves a lot of trouble. - Blessed are those who can rest and sleep without looking for

excuses; they will become wise. - Blessed are those who are intelligent enough not to take

themselves too seriously; they will be appreciated. - Blessed are you if you can look seriously at small things and

peacefully at serious things; you will go far in life. - Blessed are you if you can admire a smile and forget a scowl;

your path will be sunlit. - Blessed are you if you can always interpret the attitudes

of others with good will, even when appearances are to the contrary; you may seem naive, but that is the price of charity.

- Blessed are those who think before acting and who laugh before thinking; they will avoid foolish mistakes.

- Blessed are you if you know how to be silent and smile, even when you are interrupted, contradicted or walked on;

the gospel is beginning to take root in your heart. - Blessed are you especially if you know how to recognize the

Lord in all those you meet; you have found the true light, true wisdom

from "A Canopy of Stars" by Fr. Christopher Gleeson SJ.

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UKRAINE“The visit of Don Bosco’s Casket in the Ukraine has been a glorious event.” Huge numbers have turned up to celebrate wherever Don Bosco’s relic has gone: at Leopoli, where most Catholics in the Ukraine live, Don Bosco was given the warmest of welcomes. It is calculated that over 50,000 of the faithful came over. The “patriarch” of the Salesians in The Ukraine, Bishop Andrés Sapelak, spoke in the name of all of his emotion at this visit of Don Bosco to the country. Then, at the Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians, Pokrova the Metropolitan Archbishop, Igor Vozniak, celebrated Mass. Salesian communities in the city were very happy at the participation of the youth: more than 6 thousand alone came from the State run schools in the city. “Don Bosco is a rainbow for this nation after the winter of Communism.”

CROATIAAfter visiting Zagreb and Salesian communities nearby, the Relic went to Fiume, where the Salesians have three parishes. Local participation by the people was huge. Also at Zara the people, who are very enthusiastic about Don Bosco, filled the city streets, and the parish church of Our Lady of Loreto. Then on to Spalato and Dubrovnik, where there was a solemn procession from the seashore to the cathedral. At Zepče, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, on 19 March, Salesians, lay people and around 600 young people were engaged in a full program of youthful spirituality. The concluding ceremony was held on 23 March in Zagreb once again. The archbishop, Cardinal Josip Bozanić celebrated Mass. This visit by the Don Bosco’s Casket, certainly won over many people and drew the attention of the Croatian media: radio, newspapers, TV programs, web pages, lay and religious news agencies.

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SLOVAKIARepresentatives of the Slovak Salesian Family welcomed the relic in Vysne Nemecke. Many media – even secular ones - reported positively about the arrival of the relic of Don Bosco. Before

the arrival in Humenné, a Police car stopped after recognizing the car of the relic of Don Bosco: they said they wanted to see Don Bosco, too. Faithful from parishes around the town came with their parish priests, by buses to pray at the relic. The third stop of the relic was in Prešov, where more than five thousand people came to pray. In Košice then, on 14th April, the archbishop Mons. Bernard Bober celebrated the Mass. During the Mass, one young girl presented the Bishop her request to become a consecrated virgin and to dedicate her life to the Romany. In Bardejov, people came to pray even from the near Polish border area. On Thursday, April 18, the relic made a symbolic stop in Podolínec, where the Communist regime in 1950 imprisoned hundreds of Slovak religious: among them more than one hundred Salesians. Don Bosco brought significant graces to Banská Bystrica where the young people sang the Italian song “Salve Don Bosco, santo”. On Friday 19 April, the relic of Don Bosco was brought to the young prisoners in Sučany. The visit caused a great deal of enthusiasm among the young prisoners as well as among the staff. In the small

town of Námestovo, the relic was welcomed by two special groups: a team of cyclists and the traditional fire brigade. In Žilina, which has the biggest Salesian center in Slovakia, there was a solemn Eucharist on Saturday 20 April.

POLAND - WARSAW PROVINCEAttendance everywhere has been beyond expectations. The official start of the pilgrimage was celebrated in Warsaw on 27 May in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in which the four Salesian Provincials of Poland participated. The relic then began its pilgrimage to the Salesian communities, drawing large crowds everywhere. Local authorities took part in the events that were organized, together with teachers and members of the educative community, young people from other educational settings, the general faithful and supporters of Salesian work. Forty motor-cyclists escorted the urn from Elk to Rozanystok, a journey of about 100 km. On 2 June, Mass was celebrated at Tolkmicko and broadcast on Polish Television. At Suwałki, near the border, the relic was venerated also by the communities from Lithuania. The pilgrimage of the relic of Don Bosco to the Warsaw Province ended on Saturday, 8 June.

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Port-au-Prince: The Combined Salesian Youth Ministry Commission of Haiti (formed jointly by the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians) organized the third Bosco-Culture Exhibition from 17 to 19 May. More than300 young people took part from the various works of the Salesians and FMA in the country.

Bosco-Culture is an exhibition of cultural activities for young people, with competitions in poetry, song and dance. The aim of the initiative is not only to promote Haitian culture through various forms of artistic expression, but also to develop a sense of belonging, team-spirit and creativity among the young people, to widen their knowledge of culture and help them to know and understand Gospel values and criteria, and the Gospel way of life.

The theme for this third exhibition was “Young people, in faith and joy, like Don Bosco, working for a better Haiti”. Starting with this motto, Fr Sylvain Ducange, Superior of the Blessed Philip Rinaldi Vice-Province of Haiti, invited the young people to prepare for the “Great Bosco-Culture Exhibition” which will be held in 2015 for the Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco.

It is worth mentioning that the Combined Salesian Youth Ministry Commission of Haiti is an organ of reflection and animation for the accompaniment of youth associations and the young people of the Salesian Youth Movement to help in their human and Christian development. In alternate years, the commission organizes sports competitions under the name “National Don Bosco Games”, and cultural activities under the name “Bosco-Culture”.

Third “Bosco-Culture” Exhibition

12

Haiti

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Morocco

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75 years of Salesian work at Kenitra

Kenitra: The Salesian work at Kenitra is celebrating these days its 75 years in existence. The first Salesians led by Fr Leon Beissiere, arrived in the city in 1937. Kenitra is about 30 km north of Rabat. Then it was just a small town. Now it has 800,000 inhabitants.

Many activities were organized throughout the whole of the scholastic year as part of the celebration of 75 years. In the course of the past 75 years, about 180 teachers, foreigners and Moroccans, taught in the school while about 50 Salesians were engaged in animation of the various sectors – the parish, the elementary school, the Higher Institute, the “JUK-Spel” Technical School and the JUK (oratory) association.

The work has survived difficult times and situations, such as the Second World War, the Independence of the country and the nationalization of the property. In all these circumstances, the Salesian Centre stood out for its courage, loyalty and initiative, sticking always to its task of serving the young, without distinction, and with the openness that is part of the Preventive System of Don Bosco.

Still today the work continues to grow, through various renewal processes. Teachers and parents pay particular attention to putting into practice, handing on and strengthening the spirit of Don Bosco.

To mark the 75th anniversary, a book has been published entitled “I love my school. I admire its history – 75 years of the work of Don Bosco”. It includes memories of teachers and students who remember their time there with joy and of parents who entrusted their children to the Salesian method of education.

At present the work is run by three Salesians with the help of lay collaborators. They take care of about 1,200 Muslim pupils in the elementary school, the Higher Institute and the Technical School. They also minister to 120 Catholics mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa who frequent the parish. These Salesians are responsible also for a great number of other initiatives including cultural and sporting activities.

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St. John Bosco To Parentsand Teachers

6. POTENTIAL - to create opportunities to

discover the inherent gifts and talents afforded

to youth.

The Preventive System enables the continual

discovery of talent and helps to cultivate it. This

dynamic was a constant effort on the part of Don

Bosco that he revealed to a French newspaper

reporter in 1884. The gentleman asked the famous

educator for the secret of his great success in the

educational field. Don Bosco simply said: “Let the

young have full liberty to do the things that are

pleasing to them. The secret is to discover their

potential, their abilities. Then seek to develop

them. Each one does with pleasure only what he

knows he can accomplish. I follow this principle.

My students work not only energetically but with

love.” It is suggested that parents, educators,

and all involved in youth care, encourage teens

to strive to realistically discover their gifts and

talents and to develop their individual potential

not one imposed by a cultural myth.

7. SECURE NURTURING EXPERIENCES –

consistently provide diverse activities that will

enhance God, self and others.

Personal interest and constant dedication must

go beyond professional obligations if we are

to fulfill the basic needs of youth through love,

acceptance, recognition and affirmation. Among

the cries of youth we also hear the following:

“We need things to do, places to visit, people to

be with. Give us healthy experiences so that we

will stay away from drugs, sex and violence.” Don

Bosco would repeat, “An idle mind is the devil’s

workshop.” In addition the youth need to be

afforded activities that move beyond self-centred

entertainment. It is the work of youth ministers

to identify areas in the believing community

where youth may effectively serve others. In

partnership with parents, teens will develop

healthy self-esteem while being provided various

opportunities to volunteer, build community,

explore their faith, learn and share their stories.

Part 4

Fr. Paul Avallone SDB, Phyllis M. Hakeem, M.A.

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8. ENVIRONMENT - the surroundings that are

perceived by the senses, the intellect and the

heart.

The Friend of Youth, Don Bosco, exemplified the

meaning of his Preventive System especially

through the environment

he created and he urged

his followers to maintain

not a cold and rigid

appearance, but a warm

and inviting one.

Experienced youth

leaders and teachers

know the value of such an

environment. Not enough

can be said about this vital factor which fosters

education as if by osmosis: values and virtues,

ideals and ideas, maxims and good morals. One

educator challenged her students by saying,

“Remember the room teaches you.” Another

recognized the value of the natural environment

and regularly invited the youth to learn from a

tree, a body of water, a garden, a mountain, and

a sunrise! Human beings are moved by signs

and symbols and these movements are often

imperceptible but none the less real, transforming

and lasting. G.K. Chesterton put it very well.

“Every education teaches a philosophy, if not

by dogma, then by suggestion, by implication by

atmosphere. Every part of that education has a

connection with every other part. If it all does not

combine to convey some general view of life, it is

not education at all.” (The Common Man).

9. JOY/ CHEERFULNESS – beyond happiness that

so depends on circumstances this is profound joy

despite circumstances.

A basic element in the Salesian Way of education

in the growth process of the young consists in a

great emphasis on cultivating

a sense of happiness and joy

in whatever one is doing. This

attitude is for both the young

and those who counsel them.

One of the first students of Don

Bosco’s school kept reminding

himself and his friends: “Here

at the Oratory we make

holiness consist of always

being joyful and cheerful.” What is being advised

here is not delusional bliss. It is hope amidst a

backdrop of ambiguity, especially considering

the living conditions of the early Oratory (the

first foundation): cold in winter, stifling heat in

summer, poor diet, and uncomfortable facilities.

The catalyst may well have been the welcoming

smile and perennial kindness of Don Bosco and

his enthusiastic followers who, like him, repeated

constantly the expression in the Psalms: “SERVE

THE LORD IN GLADNESS.” The co-foundress of the

Salesian Sisters, St. Mary Mazzarello (1847 – 1881)

kept repeating to her followers and students:

“Laugh and play and dash about as much as you

like, only be careful not to say or do anything that

would be displeasing to God.”

(To continue)

Kif rajna mill-a˙˙ar tlitt artikli, Mikielan© Marija Mizzi, Annibale Preca, u Dun Sidor Formosa kienu fost l-ewwel Maltin li g˙amlu kuntatt ma’ Dun Bosco. Imma hemm ie˙or li kien negozjant u li kien imur spiss lejn Ìenova u Marsilja fejn Dun Bosco kien di©a` feta˙ ˙afna djar u kien mag˙ruf mhux ftit f’dawk l-in˙awi. Dan in-negozjant kien imur hemm bil-vapur Avellino li kien jitlaq minn dawn il-portijiet u jispiçça fil-Port il-Kbir ta’ Malta u jer©a’ lura. Nafu li Dun Bosco ©ieli vvja©©a fuq dan il-vapur biex imur Ruma (1).

Jista’ jkun li dan in-negozjant, li kien seba’ snin biss iΩg˙ar minn Dun Bosco, sar jaf lil Qaddis tag˙na f’dan iΩ-Ωmien u f’dawn l-in˙awi ? Dan in-negozjant kellu negozju tad-drappijiet fil-Belt Valleta u ma kien ˙add ˙lief:

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MALTIN LI KELLMU JEW KITBU LIL DUN BOSCO (4)

Fuq 150 sena ilu, Pietru Pawl Galea bag˙at 40 lira IngliΩa lil Dun Bosco. 40 lira ngliΩa llum i©ibu somma ©mielha. F’dan l-istess Ωmien Pietru Pawl u ˙atnu ÌuΩe’ kienu qeg˙din jippruvaw i©ibu

komunita` ta’ sorijiet biex jag˙mlu karita` f’Malta. Meta g˙alqu d-disa’ u s-seba’ snin, Pietru Pawl bag˙at iΩ-Ωew© uliedu jistudjaw b˙ala “boarders” fis-Seminarju t’G˙awdex. Dan kollu li qeg˙din ng˙idu juri kemm kien nisrani tajjeb dan Pietru Pawl Galea.

Is-Sur Fons Marija Galea jg˙id li l-im˙abba li nibtet u kibret f’qalbu g˙al Dun Bosco ©abha minn dar missieru, fejn kien ikun hemm l-istess missieru, Pietru Pawl Galea, u Annibale Preca li g˙allmu l-iskola f’dar missieru g˙al

sentejn s˙ah qabel ma mar G˙awdex jistudja fis-Seminarju. Wie˙ed hawn bla ma jrid jibda jistaqsi: min kien li da˙˙al l-im˙abba g˙al Dun Bosco f’qalb is-Sur Fons Marija Galea? Missieru stess jew Annibale, jew forsi t-tnejn flimkien?

Dan huwa missier is-Sur Fons Marija Galea, li fl-1903 ©ab is-Salesjani f’Malta. Pietru Pawl kellu lil Annibale Preca impjegat mieg˙u b˙ala skrivan tad-Ditta tieg˙u u b˙ala g˙alliem taΩ-Ωew© uliedu f’daru stess. Pietru Pawl iΩΩewwe© ta’ 36 sena lil Karmela, o˙t ÌuΩe’ Galea li kien sie˙bu fin-negozju fil-Belt Valletta. O˙t Pietru Pawl, Marjanna, miΩΩew©a lil Franceso Mizzi, ma©istrat f’G˙awdex, hija omm l-Avukat Fortunatu Mizzi, fundatur tal-Partit Nazzjonalista u missier il-Prim Ministru Nerik Mizzi li kien ji©i mill-qrib ˙afna minn Mikielan© Marija Mizzi li ltaqa’ personalment g˙al ˙afna drabi ma’ Dun Bosco qabel is-sena 1880.

Pietru Pawl Galea twieled fil-Belt Valletta fl-4 t’April 1822. Kien sinjur kbir jew b’wirt jew b’negozju jew bit-tnejn. Kellu Ωew©t itfal: Fonsu, l-kbir li ˙a n-negozju wara missieru, u Fran©isku, iΩ-Ωg˙ir li sar patri ÌiΩwita. Pietru Pawl miet ta’ 76 sena fl-1898. Li kien isiefer spiss biex jinnegozja d-drappijiet f’Ìenova u Marsilja, fejn seta’ sar jaf b’Dun Bosco, qalituli, lili personalment, bint s-Sur Fons.

PIETRU PAWL GALEA

Biblijografija: 1. CERIA, Mem. Biog. Vol 5, pg. 8122. GRASSO, Alfonsu M. Galea, 1992, pg. 6-83. Ibidem, pg. 6-74. GALEA A. Ulied D.B.f’Malta, pg. 29.

Minn Fr. Francis Zammit SDB

17Hajja Salesjana 17Hajja Salesjana

L-ewwel wie˙ed hu dak l-eqreb tieg˙ek. G˙alhekk g˙andek titlob l-ewwel g˙al dawk li huma eqreb tieg˙ek, u li façilment tiftakar fihom: familja, ˙bieb, eçç. Li titlob g˙alihom huwa “dmir ˙elu”.

Is-saba’ l-ie˙or huwa l-werrej. Itolbu g˙al dawk li jg˙allmu, jedukaw u g˙al dawk li jfejquna jew jg˙inuna. Dawn huma g˙alliema, tobba u saçerdoti. Huma g˙andom bΩonn is-sostenn u l-g˙erf biex iwasslu l-˙addie˙or fi triq it-tajba. Dejjem ftakru fihom fit-talb tag˙kom.

Il-fustani huwa l-itwal saba’. Hu jfakkarna fil-mexxejja tag˙na. Itolbu g˙all-President, g˙all-membri parlamentari, negozjanti u diretturi. Huma n-nies li jmexxu d-destin ta’pajjiΩna u jsawru l-opinjoni pubblika. G˙andhom bΩonn ’l Alla li jmexxihom.

Ir-raba’ huwa s-saba’ taç-çurkett. Hu j˙alli lil ˙afna mistag˙©ba meta jg˙arfu li huwa l-iktar wie˙ed dg˙ajjef b˙al ma jistg˙u jikkonfermaw l-g˙alliema tal-pjanu. G˙alhekk g˙andna niftakru fl-iktar dg˙ajfin, dawk li jridu j˙abbtu wiççhom mal-˙alel tal-˙ajja u g˙all-morda. Huma g˙andom bΩonn it-talb il-˙in kollu. Dan is-saba’ jfakkarna wkoll li g˙andna nitolbu g˙all-koppji miΩΩew©in.

Fl-a˙˙ar hemm is-saba’ Ω-Ωg˙ir, l-iΩg˙ar fost l-o˙rajn, sabiex ifakkarna fiç-çokon tag˙na quddiem Alla u quddiem il-proxxmu tag˙na. B˙al ma tg˙id il-Bibbja “tal-a˙˙ar ji©u l-ewwel u tal-ewwel ji©u l-a˙˙ar.” Is-saba’ Ω-Ωg˙ir jfakkarna biex nitolbu g˙alina nfusna… Wara li nkunu tlabna g˙all-o˙rajn, a˙na nkunu nistg˙u nifhmu l-˙ti©ijiet tag˙na u nkunu nistg˙u narawhom b’mod differenti.

Talba G˙al Kull Saba’ tal-IdJorge Mario Bergoglio - Papa Fran©isk • Trad. Çensina Vella

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Something to think about…

Lord, You know better than myself that I am growing older. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.

Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. You know, Lord, that I need a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains.

A Prayer For GrowingOld Gracefully

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I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility. When my memory seems to clash with the memories of others, teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet, for a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people; and give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so. Amen.

(Author Unknown)

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Fuq Dun Bosco ma kont qatt smajt qabel g˙alaqt is-sitt snin! Ma kontx g˙adni ltqajt mieg˙u! Darba, imma – kien il-Óadd u kont bdejt immur di©a` l-iskola elementari tal-gvern – wara li ˙adna l-kafe`, in-nannu Pawlu g˙ajjatli ˙dejh u qalli ‘Int bravu l-iskola, hux! Illum, nie˙dok mieg˙i s-suq. Inti t˙obb tara l-annimali, hux? Nie˙dok ma’ Toni tag˙kom fejn Savina. Tara ˙afna ti©ie© u ng˙a© u ˙nieΩer u baqar u mog˙oz! Minn kollox ikun hemm, hemm’!

U, pront pront sejja˙ lil ˙ija Toni – kien xi sena ikbar minni – u qallu, ‘Illum nie˙du lil Pawlinu mag˙na. Sewwa? Ne˙odkom it-tnejn mieg˙i’!

Óarisna lejn xulxin; U qallu ‘Imma, qabel irrid immur ng˙id lil ommi li sa ni©u mieg˙ek’! U, ©era g˙ad-dar tag˙na!

Ma konniex noqog˙du ’l bog˙od: faççata tad-dar tieg˙u! Id-dar tag˙na kienet biss terran b’Ωew©t ikmamar – wa˙da tag˙ti g˙all-o˙ra – lo©©a fuq bit˙a, kçina Ωg˙ira u toilet. Minn fejn il-bieb tan-nannu, Toni g˙ajjat lil ommi, qalilha li sa mmorru man-nannu u li konna sa ndumu u bla ma stenna twe©iba re©a’ ©ie lura ji©ri. Toni kellu rasu tajba! Iktar minn tieg˙i!

Ommi, imma, kienet ta’ dixxiplina! Kienet tg˙idilna li g˙all-ebda ra©uni ma kellna nitbieg˙du mid-dar. U Toni ˙aseb li jekk ter©a’ tg˙ajtilna u ma ssibniex naqilg˙uha u li jekk niççaqalqu bla ma ng˙idulha, naqilg˙uha l-istess. Mhux g˙ax ommi kienet issawwatna! Anzi! Qatt, ma niftakar li refg˙et idejha fuqna. Biex tbeΩΩag˙na kienet tg˙idilna li jekk nitbieg˙du ‘ji©i t-Tork g˙alina’.

Sadattant, ersaqt lejn in-nannu, qbadtlu f’idu u qalli ‘Lil missierek ng˙idlu jien. B˙alissa ˙allih! Dak g˙andu x’jag˙mel’! Imbag˙ad, b’ironija, kompla jg˙idli, jg˙ajjat biex jisimg˙u missieri, ‘Lil missierek ma ©ibtux mill-Amerka g˙alhekk! Ìibtu biex jg˙amilli l-frakassija!’ U, re©a’ dar lejna u qalilna ‘ Tg˙idx kemm infittet fiha’! D˙akna!

U, a˙na – Toni u jien – komplejna n˙arsu lejh ’l fuq bil-˙niena. Konna bla sabar nistennewh imidd il-pass ‘l barra mill-bieb tad-dar… NiΩel l-erba’ tar©iet li kellu quddiem id-dar tieg˙u, mar dritt g˙al fuq il-lukkett tas-serratura tal-˙anut, ©ibdu

Tifkiriet ta' Pawlu MizziL-Ewwel Parti

L-Ewwel Darba li Ltqajt ma’ Dun Bosco

D. Pawl Micallef u neputih D. Felic Tabone

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lejh, ra li ma kienx miftu˙ u baqa’sejjer. U ˙dejn il-˙anut tal-Mazz, kif kien g˙addej minn quddiem in-niçça tal-Madonna, radd is-salib. Imbag˙ad iktar ‘l fuq, meta ©ie quddiem il-knisja ta’ Santu Wistin, g˙amel reverenza u staqsiena, ‘Intom, tassew smajtu quddies hux?’

Ma we©ibnihx! Urejnieh li konna smajna bla ma tkellimna. It-tnejn b’rasna, konna g˙iednielu ‘Iva’! U, bqajna sejrin. Imbag˙ad, kif g˙addejna it-Tomba, flok it-triq il-qasira tas-soltu – minn fejn San Ìor© tal-Óa©ar u mill-Mandra©© – ©ibed lejn Triq il-Karita’.

Mexjin b’pass ta’ nemla! G˙ax, daqqa jselllimlu dak u daqqa jieqaf ikellem lill-ie˙or. Ódejn il-Óâra d-Dejqa ne˙˙a l-kappell u bies in-niçça tal-Madonna tal-Karita` li kien hemm fil-kantuniera, g˙al darba darbtejn. U komplejna mexjin kultant jg˙idilna xi çajta! Imbag˙ad, kif konna g˙addejjin minn quddiem ir-remissa ta’ Frenç tal-Patri, qalilna, ‘Haw’ hawn il-barrin. Ûommu g˙ajnejkom miftu˙a! Jekk jo˙ro© xi wie˙ed minnhom, iwe©©ag˙kom!’

A˙na d˙akna! U, qabel g˙addejna, ittawwal ©or-remissa. ‘Le’ qalilna x’˙in ittawwal biex jg˙ajjat lil Frenç. U xengel rasu. ‘Din ©dida,’ kompla jg˙id, ‘hawn tfal hawn mhux barrin.’ Imbag˙ad, kif ma kellux twe©iba, kompla deffes rasu u smajtu jgedwed wa˙du. ‘Hawn’, qal ‘mhux barrin hawn! Haw’ hawn tfal bil-qassisin mag˙hom! Din ©dida g˙alija’

In-nannu kellu le˙nu o˙xon u jwassal. U kif semg˙u Dun ÌuΩepp il-Malti, qallu ‘Mela ilek ma tg˙addi minn dawn in-na˙iet, Pawl’? Dun ÌuΩepp, imbag˙ad, resaq lejn il-bieb ta’ barra u spjega lil Pawlu tal-Manann g˙aliex saret il-bidla mill-barrin g˙at-tfal.

‘Konna ilna nfittxu kamra biex ni©bru t-tfal,’ qallu Dun ÌuΩepp. ‘Xi xahar ilu smajna b’din ir-remissa u kelllimna l-Frenç. Ma kienx g˙adu j©ib barrin u billi r-remissa kienet vojta tahielna g˙at-tfal. Dari, lit-tfal tal-Preçett konna ne˙duhom fil-knisja ta’ Savina. U konna ukoll nag˙mluhom Pa©©i tas-Sagrament. Wara, jien u Dun Pawl tal-Barkuna – dak iΩ-Ωmien il-Papa lil Dun Bosco kien ilu xi sena li g˙amlu qaddis – u billi Dun Bosco kien ji©bor it-tfal, semmejna l-Oratorju g˙alih’.

G˙o©bitu lin-nannu din l-istorja tar-remissa ta’ Frenç tal-Patri u dar lejn Toni u qallu, ‘Tridx in˙allikom haw? Toqg˙odu tilg˙abu mat-tfal. Imbag˙ad wara ng˙addi g˙alikom.’

G˙all-ewwel Toni tfantas u n©ibed lura! Ma riedx jibqa’ ming˙ajr in-nannu. Imma, mbag˙ad Toni ra lit-tfal l-o˙ra s˙abu u jien rajt o˙rajn tal-iskola. U kif rawna, tal-Mer©uli, tas-Siku u Massu ©ew jifirhu bina u staqsewna konniex sa noqog˙du. U qg˙adna!

‘Issa jien indum ftit,’ qalilna n-nannu. ‘Imma, ni©i lura g˙alikom. Intom to˙or©ux minn hawn. Stennewni,’ qalilna n-nannu. U lil Dun ÌuΩepp qallu, ‘Se n˙allihom mieg˙ek. Óudli ˙siebhom’! Qag˙ad jarana nilag˙bu u ftit wara sellem lil Dun ÌuΩepp u telaq. (ikompli fil-˙ar©a li jmiss)D. Pawl Micallef ma' D. Salv Tabone (xellug) u

D. Alwi© Mizzi (lemin)

22 Hajja Salesjana

Lil Fr Joe f’isem ‘Óajja Salesjana’minn Mark Caruana

Çerimonja qasira iΩda importanti saret fil-knisja ta’ St. Patrick’s, f’Tas-Sliema, Malta, proprju qabel il-quddiesa ta’ nhar il-Óadd, 12 ta’Mejju. Fiha, rappresentanti tal-G˙aqda “Maltese Past Pupils of Don Bosco of NSW” ippresentaw donazzjoni lil Fr Joe Cini SDB, l-editur tal-Bullettin Salesjan Malti li jissejja˙ “Óajja Salesjana”.

Fr Joe, regolarment, jibg˙at numru ta’ kopji tal-Bullettin lill-membri tal-PPDB ta’ NSW. Permezz ta’dan il-perjodiku jinΩamm kuntatt bejn dak li jkun qieg˙ed ji©ri fid-dinja Salesjana f’Malta u f’˙afna pajjiΩi o˙ra; iΩda jΩomm ukoll lill-Past

G˙otjiet mill-Past Pupils ta’ NSW-Australja

Pupils u Óbieb ta’ Dun Bosco interessati fl-G˙aqda tag˙hom u f’xulxin.

Fr Joe Cini irringrazzja lill-G˙aqda ta’ NSW g˙al din il-g˙otja li ssir minnhom ta’ kull sena. Qalilhom kemm jie˙u gost ikollu a˙barijiet minn g˙andhom sabiex ikun jista’ jippublikhom u kemm japprezza l-fatt li l-Past Pupils jg˙inu finanzjarjament lil Bullettin Salesjan sabiex ikompli jxerred it-tag˙lim ta’ Dun Bosco.

Prosit lil kull membru attiv ta’ din l-G˙aqda li jfasslu f’azzjoni dak li tg˙allmu min g˙and is-Salesjani fi tfulithom u f’Ωog˙Ωithom.

Mix-xellug g˙al lemin: Julia u Leo Borg, Lewis Sammut, Marlene u Laurie Dimech, Josephine u Joe Galea u Fr Joe Cini SDB, l-editur tal-Hajja Salesjana. ( St Patrick’s – Sliema)

23Hajja Salesjana

U lil Fr Effie f’isem l-Oratorju ta’ Don Bosco f’G˙awdex

minn Lawrence Dimech

L-g˙aqda tal-Past Pupils ta’ Don Bosco (NSW) komplew jg˙inu lill-opri assoçjati meta fl-Oratorju Don Bosco, fi Pjazza Santu Wistin, Victoria G˙awdex, iltaqg˙u ma’ Fr Effie Masini biex jippreΩentawlu g˙otja finanzjarja b˙ala g˙ajnuna lil dan l-Oratorju li tant jag˙mel ©id f’G˙awdex.

Fr Masini rringrazzja lill-membri kollha tal-g˙aqda g˙ax-xog˙ol ˙abrieki tag˙hom biex ji©bru flus g˙all-missjonijiet assoçjati mal-g˙aqdiet tas-Salesjani madwar id-dinja.

Il-Viçi President tal-G˙aqda f’NSW, Joe Galea g˙amel il-preΩentazzjoni u qal kemm hu ta’ sodisfazzjoni g˙alih li ©ie mog˙ti dan l-inkarigu waqt Ωjara tieg˙u f’Malta u G˙awdex. G˙al din il-preΩentazzjoni kien hemm preΩenti wkoll is-segretarja Josephine Galea, il-kaxxier, Lawrence Dimech u martu Marlene

Fr Masini ˙a l-opportunità li jdawwar lill-viΩitaturi ma’ dan l-Oratorju mpressjonanti fil-qalba tal-belt kapitali t’G˙awdex . Fr Effie Masini jircievi d-donazzjoni fl-Oratorju Dun Bosco, Victoria.

24 Hajja Salesjana

Malta SalesjanaMAWRA SA GÓAWDEX Seb˙et ©urnata xemx u friska meta l-Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco tal-Oratorju ta’ Tas-Sliema marru mawra sa G˙awdex. Ma jistax ikun li tkun hemm u ma ΩΩurx is-Santwarju Ta’Pinu. Hemm Fr Joe Forte qaddes g˙all-grupp kollu. Minn hemm g˙al- G˙arb sabiex issir Ωjara interessanti lill- Folklore Museum; u wara dan, fil-belt Victoria, kul˙add inxtered idur ’l hawn u ’l hinn sakemm wasal il-˙in tal-ikel f’Marsalforn. Mistrie˙a u xi ftit g˙ajjenin tlaqna lejn l-Im©arr min na˙a ta’ G˙ajnsielem u l-Qala (veduta mill-isba˙ ta’ Kemmuna) sabiex nirkbu l-vapur lura lejn id-dar.

DINGLI: HBIEB DUMINKU SAVIO HDS tfisser “Óbieb Duminku Savio”, u dan il-grupp g˙at -tfal joffri spazju, g˙al dawk minn Savio College u minn skejjel o˙ra, sabiex jiltaqg˙u barra mill-˙in tal-iskola u mill-ambjent tal-klassi. Il-5 gruppi huma mmexxija minn Salesjani Ωg˙aΩag˙, u flimkien jippruvaw: 1) Jie˙du formazzjoni nisranija b’Duminku Savio b˙ala mudell; 2) jo˙olqu atmosfera ta’ familja u jg˙ixu esperjenza ta’ grupp; 3) jibdew i˙ossu l-˙tie©a li jag˙mlu ˙idma voluntarja fil-komunita` fejn jg˙ixu; 4) jitrawmu sabiex isiru animaturi, ©enituri tajbin, jew Salesjani jekk i˙ossu s-sej˙a.(www.saviocollege.edu.mt)

TARMAC It-tarmac tal-bit˙a tal-Oratorju ta’ Tas-Sliema kien sar 35 sena ilu: in˙asset il-˙tie©a li dan jinbidel . Bil-g˙ajunu ta’ xi benefatturi ix-xog˙ol ©ie ppjanat li jsir f’Ìunju. Ix-xog˙ol ma damx g˙addej aktar minn ©img˙a u l-bit˙a ˙adet bixra o˙ra! Prosit u grazzi lil Leonard Falzon li offra l-˙in prezzjuΩ tieg˙u sabiex ikun mal-˙addiema u jara li x-xog˙ol isir sew. Intag˙aΩel li jer©a jintuΩa t-tarmac u mhux ‘artificial turf’ min˙abba li bosta drabi il-bit˙a tintuΩa g˙all-parke©© tal-karozzi.

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“THE CHALLENGE” Il-‘JA-YE Social Innovation Challenge’ sponsorjata mill-Microsoft intreb˙et minn Savio College. The team li ppreΩenta l-kulle©© kien mag˙mul minn Clayton Fenech, Matthew Muscat, Jason Formosa, Ryan Cachia, Karl Bartolo, Dylan Zammit u Gabriel Tabone. Dawn kienu kkumpanjati minn Mr. Ludwig Micallef. L-isfida saret fl-uffiçini tal- Microsoft fi Skyparks. Xi kliem tal-organizzaturi kienu: “Nifir˙u lit-tim rebbie˙…kemm a˙na kif ukoll li staff ta’ Microsoft bqajna impressjonati ˙afna bil-pro©ett tag˙hom… Nifir˙u wkoll lill-istudenti l-o˙ra kollha li ˙adu sehem.” It-tim ta’ Savio kien mag˙mul minn student tal-Form 4, waqt li l-o˙rajn kollha kienu ©ejjin minn Form 5. Prosit tassew!

ÓIDMA FIL-VOLONTARJATB˙al fis-snin li g˙addew, hekk ukoll matul das-sajf, ˙afna Ωg˙aΩag˙ tal-g˙aqda SPYS (Salesian Pastoral Youth Service) ser ikunu jag˙mlu ˙idma fil-Volontarjat fl-India u fil-Kenya, l-aktar mat-tfal. Sabiex ikollom fondi g˙al din il-˙idma SPYS organizza ‘Pasta Night’ bil-g˙ajnuna ta’ ˙afna membri u ‘sponsors’. Kien hemm mal-270 ru˙ g˙al din l-ikla: veru success! Sar profitt ta’ madwar €3000. Dan kollu g˙at-tfal u Ωg˙aΩag˙ fil-bΩonn. Grazzi Mulej tal-Provvidenza tieg˙ek.

MERÓBA BIK, MONS. L-Arçisqof tag˙na, Mons. Pawlu Cremona, kien il-mistieden speçjali waqt ikla g˙ar-residenti fid-Dar Osanna Pia nhar l-Erbg˙a 12 ta’ Ìunju. Din id-dar fi Triq Rudolfu, Sliema tag˙mel parti mill-Komunita Salesjana, u g˙alhekk ©iet inkluza fil-vista Pastorali li g˙amel l-Arçisqof Cremona fil-Paroçça ta’ San Girgor il-Kbir f’Tas-Sliema. L-Arçisqof Ωar l-‘istudio’ Kellimni fejn dan l-appostolat huwa ççentrat. Il-Mistieden tag˙na mbag˙ad qag˙ad fil-©nien mar-residenti u l-‘istaff’ g˙all-ikla.

26 Hajja Salesjana

Il-pustier newwilli ftit ittri u çirkulari, u bqajt die˙la bihom fil-kçina fejn g˙andi rokna g˙al qalbi. Po©©ejt fuq il-pultruna u bdejt nifrex f’˙o©ri dawk il-karti kollha, nipprova naqta’ minn g˙and min kienu ©ejjin. Wa˙da minnhom laqtitni, kitba b’karattri kbar li g˙alija kienet ©dida g˙al kollox, envelowp fin lewn l-avorju, bolla tal-Italja. Stramba, m’g˙andix min jiktibli minn hemm. Çarratt l-envelowp, minnu ˙ar©et folja Ωg˙ira pari©©u. Óarist lejn min kitibha. Ma stajtx nemmen ’l g˙ajnejja ...Elena! Ma fla˙tx inlissen dak l-isem. Bla kunjom. Qisu mieg˙i st˙at tuΩa’ dak il-kunjom li bih tidher quddiem id-dinja kollha, kunjom misruq ta’ ra©el misruq, u li bil-li©i mhux tag˙ha.

Bdejt naqra waqt li g˙amilt ˙ilti kollha biex inΩomm kalma. “Nixtieq nurik l-apprezzament tieg˙i g˙al kull ma g˙amilt ma’ binti Stefania. Int tabil˙aqq ©entili. Óajr u sliem.” G˙all-ewwel ma stajtx nifhem sew dawk l-erba’ kelmiet sempliçi, kelli naqrahom aktar minn darba biex irre©istraw il-messa©©. Kienu l-˙dax ta’ filg˙odu u t-tisjir mhux lest g˙al kollox. It-tfal jaslu fis-sag˙tejn. Suppost li qomt u bdejt no˙ro© ix-xirja minn ©ol-

basktijiet; minflok bqajt hemm imsammra fuq il-pultruna.

G˙ax ri©lejja kienu bla forza, ©ismi ma˙kum minn rog˙da minn fuq s’isfel. Ma kenitx biss il-˙asda ta’ dawk l-erba’ kelmiet li g˙ejjietni u heΩΩitni, dak ix-xahar kont g˙addejt minn taqtig˙a emozzjonali u spiritwali mill-aktar ˙arxa. Issa din l-ittra kien jonqos, eΩatt meta bdejt nittama li l-˙alel tal-maltemp bdew içedu xi ftit. Mhux talli ma kienx g˙adda, imma dik l-ittra re©g˙et fet˙et feriti ta’ g˙oxrin sena qabel, u li qatt ma rnexxieli nfejjaq u nag˙laq darba g˙al dejjem.

Xahar ilu kont ©ejja lura d-dar minn tie© tard billejl, mill-Imdina. Xita ma taqtax u Ωlieq ma’ kullimkien ...fin-niΩla tar-Rabat nilma˙ karozza tal-kiri mka˙˙la ©o si©ra. Ma kontx naf x’suppost kelli nag˙mel, mara wa˙di f’dak il-˙in. Setg˙et kienet xi nasba; uliedi spiss iwiddbuni biex noqg˙od b’seba’ g˙ajnejn.

Imma jien impulsiva. Reazzjoni naturali ©eg˙litni nwaqqaf ˙esrem il-karozza tieg˙i fil-©enb. Óri©t torça qawwija bil-batterija u mort nittawwal ... tfajla wiççha miksi demm mitluqa g˙al ©enbha ... ri˙a ta’ xorb taqsam ...kultant ting˙i.

Lina Brockdorff

MinnhaNigi

27Hajja Salesjana

Ódejha kien hemm borΩa kannella sabi˙a tal-©ilda. Fta˙tha biex nara jekk kellhiex xi passaport jew karta ta’ identità. Iva, sirt naf min kienet. Lanqas f’˙olma ma jirnexxili nobsor sitwazzjoni b˙al din! X’ser nag˙mel x˙in jaslu l-pulizija? Min ser ng˙id li hi? U kif ti©i minni? Ìieni f’mo˙˙i nne˙˙i mill-borΩa kaxxetta mimlija deheb. Bla ma naf x’kont qed nag˙mel tfajtha fil-karozza tieg˙i biex nerfag˙homlha. Bdew jieqfu n-nies u ˙adt ir-ru˙, g˙allinqas ma bqajtx wa˙di. Çemplu g˙all-ambulanza; qabilhom waslu l-pulizija.

Riedu ˙afna dettalji billi kont l-ewwel wa˙da li wasalt fuq il-post. Issa da˙let kumplikazzjoni o˙ra: setg˙u jissuspettaw li jien kont il-kawΩa tal-inçident, ma kienx hemm xhieda. Iddeçidejt li niddikjara li jien ni©i minnha, mhux affarihom kif u x’fatta.

L-isptar ma kellix wisq problemi biex ninsisti li ridt nibqa’ mag˙ha. Missierha u ommha l-Italja u jien l-istess kunjom, ni©i minnha ... mill-bog˙od. Kienet tin˙tie© xi punti f’wiççha; bΩajt li kien hemm il-periklu li titlef ˙ajjitha, imma mill-ewwel serr˙uli mo˙˙i li ma kienx il-kaΩ. Óarġuha mill-kamra tal-operazzjoni b’wiççha mg˙otti g˙al kollox, kienet g˙adha ta˙t l-effett tal-loppju. Ûammejtilha idha f’idejja. Jien stess skantajt bil-kura©© li ©ieni biex nibqa’ hemm ˙dejha, u ming˙ajr ma ̇ sibtha darbtejn bdejt nitlob g˙aliha.

Bil-mod il-mod bdiet tistejqer, bdiet issejja˙ ’il ommha. Bdejt, b’le˙ni jirtog˙od nirrepeti isimha bil-˙lewwa u nipprova nfehemha fejn hi qieg˙da u x’kien li ©ara. Naturalment, l-ewwel mistoqsija tag˙ha kienet dwar min jien u g˙aliex ninsab hemm ˙dejha. Ippruvajt nitkellem b’konvinzjoni li bilkemm kont Ωgura minnha jien. Veru, jien kont li rajtha l-ewwel wara l-inçident, u li bqajt mag˙ha g˙ax kont ni©i minnha, minn missierha... mill-bog˙od, infatti l-istess kunjom.

Serra˙tilha mo˙˙ha li l-kaxxa fejn kellha ç-çrieket tad-deheb – li bosta minnhom kienu g˙abu mill-kexxun tieg˙u g˙oxrin sena qabel – tinsab g˙andi, flimkien mal-passaport u xi flus. Skantat kif missierha qatt ma kellimha dwari, ratha stramba li qatt ma semg˙et bija. Xtaqet li ssir tafni sew. Kienet l-ewwel darba li ©iet Malta we˙idha.

L-g˙ada, wara nofsinhar tard waslu ommha u missierha. Bg˙att ng˙idilhom jien stess. Jien, naturalment, parpart qabel waslu huma. Ma kelli l-ebda xewqa li n˙abbat wiççi mag˙hom: g˙all- kuntrarju, laqg˙a b˙al dik kienet tkun imbarazzanti g˙alija ...wisq u wisq aktar g˙alihom. Imma qabel tlaqt bist ‘il Stefania u tajtha f’idha l-kaxxa biç-çrieket.

Iva, bist ‘il Stefania bl-ikbar im˙abba. Veru li ma kontx ommha, imma dak il-˙in xtaqtilha ©id u m˙abba daqslikieku kienet binti. Min jaf ...jekk dak l-u©ig˙ tal-qalb ta’ g˙oxrin sena s˙a˙ wellidx fija l-im˙abba g˙al Stefania? Welled fija wkoll il-qawwa tal-ma˙fra. Kont naf li aktarx li qatt kemm indum ˙ajja ma kont ser ner©a’ niltaqa’ mag˙ha, f’dawk il-ftit sig˙at li kont ˙dejha xtaqt ingawdiha u nag˙tiha kemm niflaġ im˙abba. Bl-im˙abba xtaqt in˙assar il-mibeg˙da li g˙al Ωmien twil ivvelenatli ˙ajti. Kemm taf tkun stramba ˙ajjitna! G˙oxrin sena qabel, l-a˙bar tat-twelid tag˙ha qasamli qalbi trietaq, missierha kien Ωew©i! U tista’ tg˙id li kelli nkun jien li salvajtilha ˙ajjitha!

Qomt mill-pultruna biex nibda nsajjar. L-ittra li kelli f’idejja bdiet tiΩΩel©ilha l-kitba. Ma jimpurtax, xorta ser inΩommha g˙ax tfakkarni f’bosta affarijiet sbie˙ ...tfakkarni fil-ma˙fra, tfakkarni fi Stefania. Tg˙id g˙ad xi ˙add jg˙idilha kif tassew kont ni©i minnha?

28 Hajja Salesjana

Did you know that one of the most important actions in this world is a smile? Think of what a gloomy place this old world would be without smiles. We simply could not get along without an occasional smile.

A smile spreads happiness, yet it can spread misery. It all depends upon whether you smile with me, or at me. When you smile with me, we are companions in joy; we go hand in hand to the music of laughter, equals or comrades. When you smile at me, you are above me, on some throne of superiority, and I am beneath you, humiliated. When you smile with me, our gladness is wholesome, cheering as cool waters, tonic as bright blue sky. When you smile at me, you alone have pleasure, a poison-pleasure. You smile at me when you know something I don’t know and you’re cashing in on that knowledge against my ignorance. No game is good when one side always wins.

When you smile at me, you only are tickled; I am stung. It is a bad bargain and a poor game. We smile – at fools, numbskulls, weaklings, animals, people who fall, stumble, or are awkward, or stupid. Why? Because we think we are superior to them… and they are inferior to us and they must know that from our smile. We smile with – clever actors, charming speakers, interesting writers, friends, sweethearts and all those who demand

our respect or whose fellowship we want to enter into. We want acceptance and security, and that is why we smile at the same things others smile at without pausing to reflect whether with that smile-turned-smirk we are condemning someone inadvertently.

The fellows you hang out with, party with, ride the bus or the car with, smile with you. Also, you cannot fail to smile with the girl you’re courting, the office colleague you’re sitting next to and you make sure they are not smiling at you. It’s the simple, common people, the kind you meet in the street who are the ones who smile with you. The snobs and the snoots and all the little nasty know-it-alls are those who smile at you.

When you’re out having fun with friends you make sure they are those you smile ‘with’. When we give a beggar some change (at times) you smile ‘at’. The teacher who smiled at us when we were kids, we hated; the one who smiled with us, will always be adored.

To smile at me is ill-bred, to smile with me is human. To smile at is the most subtle from of insult, to smile with means freedom and friendship, love and acceptance. A smile is a very important thing, but a lot depends upon whether it is ‘with’ or ‘at’. Now, don’t rush to see a dentist, but just ask yourself: when did you last examine your smile?From Don Bosco’s Madonna, May 2013

When you’re Smiling… Smiling…

Fr. Ian Doulton sdb

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I’ve never made a fortune, and it’s probably too late now;

But I don’t worry about that much, I’m happy anyhow

And as I go along life’s way, I’m reaping better than I sowed.

I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven’t got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going’s tough;

But I’ve got loving ones all around me, and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings, and the mercies He’s bestowed.

I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong, my faith wore somewhat thin;

But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe about the tough rows I have hoed.

I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage, when the way grows steep and rough,

I’ll not ask for other blessings, I’m already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy, to help others bear their loads.

Then I’ll keep drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

Written by John Paul Moore and originally sung

and recorded by Michael Combs.

My Cup Has Overflowed

IL-MADONNA QIEG˙DA HAWN, PROPRJU F’NOFSKOM F’Awwissu tal-1885 Dun Bosco kien mar Mathi sabiex je˙les xi ftit mis-s˙ana tal-belt ta’ Turin. Hemmhekk , fil-fatt, ˙assu a˙jar. Waslu hemm xi sorijiet Salesjani sabiex jitolbuh imur g˙andhom sabiex jippriedkalhom l-g˙eluq tal-irtir spiritwali tag˙hom fil-belt ta’ Nizza. Infatti huwa mar hemm, u rnexxielu jippriedkalhom u anke joqg˙od jitkellem mag˙hom wara l-funzjoni. Aççetta wkoll, fuq l-insistenza tag˙hom, li jiltaqa’ mas-Superjuri tas-Sorijiet li kienu g˙all-irtir, u jg˙idilhom xi kelma speçjali.

G˙alhekk, b’Dun Bonetti ma’ ©enbu, da˙al fil-parlatorju fejn kienu qeg˙din jistennewh b’˙erqa kbira s-Sorijiet. U hu qalilhom, “Mela triduni ng˙idilkom xi ˙a©a. Li kieku stajt nitkellem, kemm xorti g˙andi x’ng˙idilkom! Imma jiena xi˙, xi˙ g˙akka, kif tistg˙u taraw; u bilkemm nifla˙ nitkellem. Irrid ng˙idilkom biss li l-Madonna t˙obbkom, t˙obbkom ˙afna. U tafux, hija tinsab hawn, f’nofskom!”

Stejjer Qosra fuq Dun Bosco Qaddis

Me˙udin mill-Ktieb ta’ Claudio Russo: Don Bosco e il soprannaturale.

Il-Kardinal Vives Y Tuto`, li ddefenda l-kawΩa tal-kanonizzazzjoni ta’ Dun Bosco, kien qal: “Matul

˙ajti eΩaminajt bosta kawΩi imma qatt ma ltqajt ma’ wa˙da tant mimlija bis-soprannatural daqs

din.” Il-Mulej kien g˙o©bu jag˙ni r-ru˙ ta’ Dun Bosco b’kariΩmi speçjali, b˙al ma kienu li jkollu

viΩjonijiet u ˙olm, li jara l-©ejjieni , jg˙id profeziji, u jaqra fil-kuxjenza.

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31Hajja Salesjana

Malli Don Bonetti rah hekk kommoss, beda jitkellem hu sakemm Dun Bosco jer©a’ f’tieg˙u. “Iva, hekk hu! Dun Bosco jrid jg˙id li l-Madonna hija ommkom li tg˙oΩΩkom u t˙ariskom.”

“Le, le,” re©a’ Dun Bosco. “Irrid ng˙id li l-Madonna qieg˙da proprju hawn, f’din id-Dar u li tinsab kuntenta bikom, u li jekk tkomplu b’dan l-ispirtu, dak hu li Hija tixtieq…”

Il-qaddis missier ˙assu kommoss aktar minn qabel, u Don Bonetti re©a’ qabad jitkellem, “Iva, hekk hu, hekk hu! Dun Bosco jrid jg˙idilkom li jekk tkunu dejjem twajba, il-Madonna tkun kuntenta bikom.”

“U le, le,” ipprova jispjega Dun Bosco waqt li jag˙mel li jista sabiex jirba˙ il-kommozzjoni li qabditu. “Irrid ng˙id illi l-Madonna hija verament hawn, hawn fostkom! Il-Madonna tippassi©©a ©o did-Dar u twennisha bil-mant tag˙ha.”

U waqt li kien jg˙id hekk, feta˙ dirg˙ajh, g˙olla g˙ajnejh imdemma ’l fuq, u deher b˙al qisu ried

jg˙id lis-sorijiet li kien qieg˙ed jara lill-Madonna miexja ’l hawn u ’l-hinn b˙al qisha f’darha u li d-Dar kollha kienet ta˙t il-˙arsien tag˙ha.

Din ix-xena tist˙oqq tkun impin©ija sabiex, kif baqg˙et mitbug˙a fil-mo˙˙ ta’ dawk preΩenti, tfakkar lil min ji©i wara fil-mod kif il-qaddis Fundatur, b’dawn il-kliem sollenni, sellem g˙all-a˙˙ar darba lil dawk uliedu s-Sorijiet (conf. Memorie Biografiche XVII, 557).

Is-Sorijiet, sabiex ikun hemm tifkira ta’ dal-fatt, pin©ew fuq il-˙ajt tal-kamra dawk il-kliem ta’ Dun Bosco.

32 Hajja Salesjana

When I was a young boy, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighbourhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was “Information Please” and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone’s number and the correct time.

My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbour. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.

I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlour and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver and held it to my ear.

By Paul Villard

“Information, please” I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.

“Information.”“I hurt my finger...” I wailed into the phone,

the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.

“Isn’t your mother home?” came the question.“Nobody’s home but me,” I blubbered.“Are you bleeding?” the voice asked.“No. I hit my finger with the hammer and it

hurts.”“Can you open the icebox?” she asked. I said

I could.“Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to

your finger,” said the voice.After that, I called “Information Please”

for everything… I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts. Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, Information Please, and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, “Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?”

She must have sensed my deep concern, for

Information Please!

33Hajja Salesjana

if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?”

“I wonder,” she said, “if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls.”

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.

“Please do”, she said. “Just ask for Sally.”Three months later I was back in Seattle. A

different voice answered, “Information.”I asked for Sally. “Are you a friend?” she said.“Yes, a very old friend,” I answered.“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” she said.

“Sally had been working part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.”

Before I could hang up, she said, “Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne?”

“Yes.” I answered.“Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote

it down in case you called. Let me read it to you.”The note said, “Tell him there are other worlds

to sing in. He’ll know what I mean.”I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally

meant.

she said quietly, “Wayne, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.”

Somehow I felt better.Another day I was on the telephone,

“Information Please.”“Information,” said in the now familiar voice.

“How do I spell fix?” I asked…All this took place in a small town in the Pacific

Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. “Information Please” belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.

A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle . I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialled my hometown operator and said, Information Please.”

Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well. “Information.”

I hadn’t planned this, but I heard myself saying, “Could you please tell me how to spell fix?”

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, “I guess your finger must have healed by now.”

I laughed, “So it’s really you,” I said. “I wonder

“A good priest is a truly human person who expresses his love for God in prayer and in love for people. These gifts are sanctified and focused through the grace of ordination when he becomes ‘a man for others’.”Cardinal Cormac Murphy – O’Connor

• Do I really want to follow Jesus and show his love to others, especially to the young, as Don Bosco did?

• Is prayer and my own relationship with God at the centre of my life?

• Do I want to be honest and ‘real’ before God and others?

• Do I enjoy the life and company of other people? Am I approachable?

• Am I concerned for the young, the poor and vulnerable?

If you believe you have a calling to be a Salesian priest then contact the voca-tions director, Fr. Louis Grech SDB at:

Tel. 21 454546 / 21 456251 or e-mail: vocations@salesiansmalta.org

for more information www.vocations.salesiansmalta.org

way of life?

Are youbeing calledto the

PRIESTHOOD

And to the

SALESIAN

34 Hajja Salesjana

Testmenti

Il-kontribuzzjonijiet kollha, kemm Ωg˙ar u kemm kbar, huma dejjem apprezzati.

Ibg˙at il-kontribuzzjonijiet tieg˙ek lil:Fr. Eric Cachia SDB - Amministratur tad-DelegazzjoniSavio College, Buskett Road, Dingli DGL2702Tel: 2145 4546

Tista’ tg˙inna fix-xog˙ol li a˙na nag˙mlu mat-tfal u maΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ foqra billi tiftakar fina fit-testment tieg˙ek jew tibg˙at donazzjoni.

Huwa bil-g˙ajnuna ta’ nies b˙alek li x-xog˙lijiet li g˙andna madwar id-dinja jibqg˙u jag˙tu l-frott.

BorΩa ta’ StudjuX’INHI BORÛA TA’ STUDJU?Hija somma ta’ flus li tg˙inna biex in˙allsu parti mill-formazzjoni ta’ Ωag˙Ωug˙ li qed i˙ejji ru˙u biex isir saçerdot Salesjan.

KEMM TRID TAGÓTI BIEX TWAQQAF BORÛA TA’ STUDJU?Kapital ta’ b600

JEÓTIEÌ LI BILFORS TAGÓTI S-SOMMA F’DAQQA?Le. Wie˙ed jista’ jag˙tiha biçça biçça, tant fix-xhar jew tant fis-sena.

JEÓTIEÌ LI BILFORS IS-SOMMA TKUN MOGÓTIJA MINN WIEÓED BISS?Le. Jistg˙u jiftehmu flimkien iktar minn persuna wa˙da u kul˙add jag˙ti sehmu. IΩda min jo˙ro© wa˙du s-somma kollha, ikun fundatur ta’ dik il-BorΩa.

JISTÀ WIEÓED IÓALLI L-BORÛA BÓALA LEGAT WARA MEWTU?Jistà. U min jag˙mel hekk, jistà jikteb fit-testment: “In˙alli b˙ala legatlis-Salesjani ta’ Don Bosco, is-somma ta’ g˙all-formazzjoni ta’Ωag˙Ωug˙ Malti fl-istess Soçjetà.

NEWSPAPER POST ST.PATRICK’S SCHOOL, ST. JOHN BOSCO STREET, SLIEMA 1925NEWSPAPER POST ST.PATRICK’S SCHOOL, ST. JOHN BOSCO STREET, SLIEMA 1925