CIS NEWSLETTER  No. 52 - March 2008 Already and not yet: Spirituality of Integration We are well way into the season of Lent and soon we will be called to contemplate in more depth and celebrate the Paschal Mystery. This is the foundation of our faith: that Christ suffered and died, but on the third day He rose again – for us, for our salvation. It is so easy that, in the daily humdrum, we miss out what this foundational truth really means for us personally. We are saved, and yet we continue to struggle with our sin, with our weaknesses, which we usually project on others, seeing their sins as more grave, their weaknesses as intolerable. I was yet struck again by this, when halfway through Lent, we are given the story of the Pharisee and the publican in the Liturgy. During Lent we are called for a spirituality of integration. It is true that Christ saved us, but we are ‘works in progress’ – we are called first to accept that which is not so pleasing within us: maybe character traits that we wish are not there, sins that we have been struggling with, weaknesses that vex us each time we fall. To be whole does not mean that everything within us is perfect, but to accept both the positive and the negative, the pains and the joy, the grace and sin that dwell within us. This requires humility, and the act of accepting and owning what is not so loveable within us is a grace in itself. In owning my sin, I can truly ask for forgiveness; on accepting my weakness, I can experience grace. In embracing my suffering, I can be healed. In learning through His unconditional love to accept myself as I am, I find compassion in accepting others in their weaknesses and sin. This is not to wallow in complacency but it is a humble exercise in letting go and letting God. Many times we struggle within ourselves and we do so in vain; for what is really needed is to let go and allow God to continue His work in us. And thus, in the Easter Vigil, as we chant, ‘Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!” it is good to remind ourselves that yes, we are all on our way; His work in us is not over yet; we are already saved but not yet fully there! And as “works in progress” there is always the dynamic of struggles and acceptance, of our small deaths and resurrections. What is important is that we are allowing His work to go on in us and through us. This requires spiritual courage, in the sense that we are not afraid to face the chaos that God’s work in us may cause, in order to bring us to further growth. Facing what brings us pain, guilt or fear within us, is not easy but necessary, if it is our desire to be led deeper into the Paschal Mystery. ‘It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through It and finding meaning through union with Christ who suffered with infinite love.’ – Spe Salvi, 37, Benedict XVI. . Reflection and Prayer Are there any ‘unloveable’ parts right now that I need grace to accept? What does it really mean to me that I am saved by Christ? Did I ever consider myself as a “work in progress”? how? Louise Laferla   Book Review Moment of Christ, the Path of Meditation John Main, OSB London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2007 ISBN 81-7109-804-5 John Main, OSB, who died in 1982, was a Benedictine. He wanted to teach people how to meditate, and the book consists of 34 short talks that he gave before meditation sessions. His conviction was that meditation is for all Christians. Each Christian is called to forget self and let Christ be. As St. Paul would have it, ‘It is not Paul who lives, but Christ lives in him. Fr. Main’s way is simple: “Sit down and sit still and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert, silently, interiorly begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer-phrase ‘Maranatha’. Recite it as four syllables of equal length. Listen to it as you say it, gently but continuously. Do not think or imagine anything – spiritual or otherwise. If thoughts and images come, these are distractions at the time of meditation, so keep returning to simply saying the word. Meditate each morning and evening for between twenty to thirty minutes.” In his talks Fr. Main talks about love, peace, simplicity, meaning, silence, light, freedom, faith, wholeness. The effects of repeating prayerfully ‘Marantha’, or some other word, or phrase, that is religiously meaningful, is pervasive. Life becomes less scattered, more clearly purposeful, more in line with God’s desires for us. Indirectly Fr. Main answers difficulties that people encounter on this way. His use of Scripture verses in his talks, points to their deeper meanings. As Fr. Main writes in his Forward to the book, there is only one prayer, the prayer of Christ, the love between Jesus and his Father, which is the Holy Spirit. We are invited to open ourselves to this prayer and enter into it. Through silence and discipline a space is created that allows us to be caught in the prayer of Jesus. So there would no longer be ‘my prayer’, ‘my praise’, but the prayer and praise of Jesus. No longer am I the centre, but Jesus is the centre. He is the one who is, I am the one who am not, as Catherine of Siena would put it. This will happen to each of us over the years as we repeat prayerfully, ‘Maranatha’.   Victor Degabriele SJ.   A PRAYER FOR THE GIFT OF WISDOM Great is the wisdom of the Lord! God Almighty, Your Wisdom includes An understanding of what is fair, What is logical, what is true, What is right and what is lasting. It mirrors Your pure intellect! I entreat You to grant me such Wisdom, That my labours may reflect Your insight. Your Wisdom expands in Your creations, Displaying complexity and multiplicity. Your Wisdom is an eternity ahead of man. May Your wisdom flourish forever! From the CIS Programme MARZU Il-Verità Fuqna Nfusna teħlisna F’dan is-Seminar ser nirriflettu fuq kif nistgħu nkunu dak li tassew aħna. Nistaqsu: “Kif nistgħu nkunu konsistenti magħna nfusna, biex f’dak li naħsbu, irridu, u nagħmlu jkun hemm qbil u ma jkunx hemm konflitti jew kontradizzjonijiet ma’ dak li tassew aħna minn ġewwa u fina nfusna ?” Dan narawh fid-dawl tal-kliem u t-tagħlim ta’ Gesù fid-Diskors tal-Muntanja fejn jgħallimna u jwissina : “Mela, ħa jkun id-diskors tagħkom ‘Iva, iva, lè, lè ‘, għax kull ma hu iżjed minn hekk ġej mill-Ħażin.” Data:     L-Erbgħa 12 ta’ Marzu mis-6.00pm sat-8.00pm Imexxi : Fr Arthur G. Vella, s.j Post:     Mount St Joseph retreat House, Mosta Irtir għall-Professjonisti bit-Taljan: Din hija stedina għall-Professjonisti individwali rġiel biex jieħdu sehem f’irtir ta’ ħamest ijiem. Dan l-irtir li għandu tradizzjoni twila u ilu jsir regolarment għal ħafna snin huwa mument eċċellenti ta’ preparazzjoni għall-festa ta’ l-Għid il-Kbir. Fl-aħħar ġurnata ta’ dan l-irtir isir pellegrinaġġ għas-Santwarju tal-Madonna ta’ Pinu fejn l-irtir jispiċċa biċ-ċelebrazzjoni ta’ l-Ewkaristija. Data :     Mill-Ġimgħa, 14 ta’ Marzu, 2008, fis-7.00 ta’ filgħaxija sat-Tlieta, 18 ta’ Marzu wara l-pranzu. Imexxi : Padre Vittorio Liberti, S.J. (Rettur tal-Pontificio Seminario di Campania, Napoli) Post : Dar Manresa, Victoria, Għawdex. Marriage Encounter. Dan l-irtir ta’ weekend hu indirizzat għall-koppji miżżewġin. Matul dawn il-jumejn il-koppji jkollhom l-okkażjoni li jitolbu flimkien u jirriflettu aktar fil-fond dwar ir-relazzjoni taghħom ta’ mħabba li hi mwaqqfa fuq l-imħabba infinita li Alla għandu lejna. Kull sharing personali jsir biss bejn il-koppja. Data :     Mis-Sibt, 29 ta’ Marzu, 2008, fid-9.00 ta’ filgħodu sal-Ħadd, 30 ta’ Marzu, fl-4.00 ta’ wara nofs in-nhar. Imexxu : Fr. Joe Mizzi, Direttur tal-Moviment ta’ Kana f’Malta, flimkien mall- koppja Tony u Miriam Sammut, President tal-Gruppi Familji Nsara. Partecipanti: Mhux aktar minn 12-il koppja. Post: Dar Manresa, Victoria, Għawdex.   APRIL Irtir/Workshop fuq ir-Rabja Fil-ħajja tagħna jistgħu jiġru ħafna affarijiet li jweġġgħuna, jirrabjawna u jimlewna b’ħafna sens ta’ ħtija li jħawduna u joħdulna l-paċi minn qalbna. Din is-sitwazzjoni tant diffiċli tista’ tgħinna nikbru! Dan il-weekend joffri spazju u ambjent ta’ aċċettazzjoni u tolleranza biex naqsmu l-esperjenza tagħna filwaqt li nħallu ‘l Alla jgħinna nsibu l-paċi u s-sens ta’ din it-tbatija nterjuri f’ħajjitna. Data:     Mill-Ġimgħa 18 ta’ April fis-6.00pm sal-Ħadd 20, fil-5.00pm Imexxu: Fr. Vince Magri S.J. flimkien ma’ Ms Mary Cassar  u Ms Polly Schembri Post:     Mount St Joseph Retreat House,Mosta ‘Lectio Divina’ Il-‘Lectio Divina’ hi metodu qadim u dejjem ġdid ta’ qari spiritwali tal-Kotba Mqaddsa, ta’ talb bil-Bibbja. Il-‘Lectio Divina’ fiha erba’ stadji : 1. Il-‘Lectio’ (il-qari), 2. Il-‘Meditatio’, (il-meditazzjoni), 3. L-‘Oratio’, (it-talb), 4. Il-‘Contemplatio’, (il-kontemplazzjoni). Dan hu bħal sellum, magħmul minn erba’ skaluni, li bih nitilgħu mill-art lejn is-sema. Saqajh iserrħu fuq l-art, imma l-quċċata tiegħu tinfed is-sħab u tgħarrex is-sigrieti tas-sema. (Guigo c-Certosin). Dan se jkun irtir fis-silenzju li fih nitgħallem nitlob bil-‘Lectio Divina’. Data:      Mill-Ġimgħa, 25 ta’ April, 2008 fis-7.00 ta’ filgħaxija sal-Ħadd, 27 ta’April wara l-pranzu. Imexxi:   Fr. Alex Refalo Post:      Dar Manresa, Victoria, Għawdex. Irtir ta’ Weekend għall-Miżżewġin Dan il-Weekend huwa okkażjoni għall-dawk il-koppji miżżewġa li jixtiequ jġeddu u jiċċelebraw il-wegħediet taż-żwieġ tagħhom. Din hija esperjenza spiritwali b’differenza. Il-Weekend huwa mfassal li jkun kreattiv fejn il-partners jirriflettu u jitolbu flimkien. Ikun hemm ħin ta’ sharing fi grupp magħmul minn 8 koppji. Dan il-Weekend joffri opportunità lill-koppji parteċipanti sabiex jiskopru dejjem aktar l-imħabba li Alla għandu għall-miżżewġin u l-familji tagħhom. Data:          Mill-Ġimgħa 25 ta’ April, fis-6.00pm sal-Ħadd 27, fil-5.00pm Jiffaċillitaw:  Il-Koppja Carmen u Karm Conti u Fr. Vince Magri S.J. Post:          Mount St. Joseph Retreat House – Mosta