April 2014 Issue 4 saviour.gatt@gmail.com IL-KUR~IFISS BIL-JEANS Fil-bit]a tal-kulle[[ De La Salle hemm ra[el bil-jeans nofsu g]arwien, b dirg]ajh miftu]a bera] b saqajh imrikkbin fuq xulxin. Dan huwa {esu! Il-Missier re[a bag]tu - did-darba bi lbies kontemporanju. Imma l-kotra xorta m g]arfitux: ne\\ag]tu mill-[ie] u mill-ilbies ]allietu liebes biss il-jeans. U g]al darb o]ra Kristu re[a fostna u b]al g]arib jiena u inti u a]na qisnieh g]ax m g]arafniehx, m a``ettajniehx. Imma Kristu g]adu hemm mislub fil-bit]a tal-kulle[[ De La Salle Tletin sena ilu fil-25 ta Marzu, 1984, Mons. Ġużeppi Mercieca, bierek il- Kurċifiss tal-jeans u ċċelebra l-ewkaristija fil-bitħa tal-junior School fil- Kulleġġ De La Salle għat-tfal tal-primarja, l-għalliema u bosta ġenituri tagħhom. Il-ħsieb ta Kurċifiss bil-jeans kien sabiex it-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ isibuha faċli jidenttifkaw ma Kristu l-feddej. Il-Kurċifiss kien imtellgħa mal-ħajt ta l- iskola bħala turija li Kristu Hu tagħna u magħna l-ħin kollu. Gwarniċ ta l- injam kien jinkwadra il-ġisem Ġesu biex aħna nifakkru li aħna wkoll irridu inġorru is-salib tagħna ta kuljum. Jekk irridu nimxu wara Kristu irridu inkunu nafu l-ħajja tiegħu bil-qari tal -vanġelju. Ġesu hu t-triq, il-verita u l-ħajja. O ĠESU, NADURAWK U MBERKUK, GĦAX B'SALIBEK BIL-MEWT TIEGĦEK INTI FDEJTNA! jistenna jistenna ]erqan li llum, g]ada nag]rfuh ma jimpurtahx meta u kemm se jdum mislub. Im]abbtu lejna l-fara[ tieg]u daqskemm ru]na x-xbieha Tieg]u. MARIO ATTARD Il-}amis, 23 ta Frar 2011 1
The LORD said to Moses I am the LORD. The blood [of the Passover lamb] will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. (Exodus 12:13) The first Passover in Moses day, the blood was a sign, not for God, but for the people. Now think for a minute about what this sign means for you today. While the Passover account explicitly said that the Sign was for the people, not for God, it was established by the Lord He was the author of it. So like with any sign, what did He want our minds to think of? With the remarkable timing of lambs being sacrificed on the same day as Jesus, and given his title Lamb of God, it must be a pointer to the sacrifice of Jesus. THE PASSOVER PASCHAL MEAL Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for generations to come. When you enter the land observe this ceremony It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD (Exodus 12:27) [Photos: De La Salle College - Senior Section - Archives] 2
RELEM is now 6 years old the age to begin school! RELEM came into being in January 2008, following the meeting of Visitors in Lliria, Valencia, Spain. RELEM (Lasallian Region of Europe and the Mediterranean) is now 6 years old and its existence was the result of the 2007 General Chapter decision. Now we are at threshold of the next General Chapter (April 2014) and so we have to look at its institutional significance, the correctness of its creation and take stock of its contributions. There have been 6 years of meetings, of mutual discovery of our weaknesses and strengths, potential (400 schools), and the wealth of human, educational, pastoral values that encourage lay teachers and Brothers. The mutual need to work together is now clear as is the necessary support received as well as the mutual benefits we all received. To build the future together raises new challenges and new opportunities for discovery. A picture of RELEM in 2014 is as follows: The 24 countries that make up RELEM are: Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Holland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, France, Greece, Switzerland, Great Britain, Malta, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, and Sudan. 10 Districts - 402 schools - 286,415 students - 1,970 Brothers - 84,800 lay teachers 3
A LIFE OF WITNESS AND FAITH A series of eleven programmes on the life and spirituality of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. This is an initiative of the Lasallian Family in Malta. The programmes are broadcast on RADJU MARIJA Every Tuesday at 4.30p.m. Beginning on Tuesday, 8 th April, 2014 4
Talb u meditazzjoni ma Ġesu Imsallab FTAKAR GĦAL MUMENT FIL-PREŻENZA T ALLA Itlob lil Ispirtu t Alla biex jitlob fik, dal-mument... Għamel ftit mumenti fil-kumpanija ta Ġesu waqt li jkun miexi fuq it-triq lejn il- Kalvarju. Hu jaf sewwa li l-vjaġġ tiegħu aħħari għandu għan wieħed. Il-mewt fuq is- Salib! Aħseb ftit u poġġi lilek innifsek maġemb Ġesu... ħoss dak ir-riħ sħun,...dik it-toma tat-trab ma wiċċek,... miss il-ġilda nixfa ta subhajk,... il-ħsejjes ta sandlijiet waqt dik il-mixja,... id-dehra ta Ġesu u atmosfera li Hu iġiblek. (Ieqaf ftit u aħseb) Missier etern, noffrilek it-tliet sigħat ta' l-agunija ta' Ibnek Ġesu Kristu fuq is-salib, biex nirripara l- offiżi li jiena għamiltlek bit-telf taż-żmien tiegħi. Ammen. Missier etern, noffrilek l-għatx ta' Ibnek Ġesu Kristu fuq is-salib, biex nirripara l-offiżi li jiena għamiltlek bix-xewqat ħżiena tiegħi. Ammen. Missier etern, noffrilek l-ilsien imbierek ta' Ibnek Ġesu Kristu, biex nirripara l-offiżi li jiena għamiltlek bil-ksur tas-silenzju tiegħi. Ammen. Missier etern, noffrilek il-kruċifissjoni ta' Ibnek Ġesu Kristu, biex nirripara l-offiżi li jiena għamiltlek bin-nuqqas tat-tgħakkis tiegħi. Amemn. Missier etern, noffrilek is-salib ta' Ibnek Ġesu Kristu, biex nirripara kull nuqqas ta' rassenjazzjoni tiegħi mal-volonta mqaddsa tiegħek. Ammen. Missier etern, noffrilek il-qalb ta' Ibnek Ġesu Kristu, biex nirripara l-ingratitudni ta' qalbi lejk. Ammen. Talba ta San Ġorġ Preca 5
Good Friday, 7 th April 1719 The Founder, afflicted by asthma and chronic rheumatism, reached the end of his earthly journey in the early morning hours of Good Friday. On that morning, he lied in his bed, attended by the Brothers. His wealth had long ago before been given away, and the privileges that were his by birth had long since been surrendered and cast aside. His journey had been down paths he could not have imagined forty years earlier. And the final results of his life's work? A small community of some hundred Brothers of the Christian Schools. De La Salle must have really wondered what would happen to the relatively small group of followers. But as De La Salle continued to breathe his last in his 68th year of his life, the power of his faith and spirit were still evident and strong. De La Salle s last utterance were: J'adore en toutes choses la conduite de Dieu à mon égard." ("I adore God guiding me in all the events of my life.") 6
Christ Our Lord and Saviour is Risen Today, Allelulia! Lord Jesus, you are risen from the dead, and the locked doors behind the fearful disciples could not keep you out. I ask you to unlock the door of my heart as I set out to pray. I remember that you said that you call me your friend and you invite me to make my home in you. Be with me as my friend and remind me that you are always with me. Wishing all our readers, a Joyful Easter as we celebrate the Risen Lord and Saviour. 7