PAUL MIZZI

“Tkunux idolatri, bħal xi wħud minnhom; bħalma hu miktub: ‘In-nies poġġew jieklu u jixorbu, u qamu jilagħbu.’ M’għandniex niffornikaw, bħalma xi wħud minnhom iffornikaw, u mietu tlieta u għoxrin elf f’jum wieħed. M’għandniex inġarrbu lis-Sid, bħalma xi wħud minnhom ġarrbuh, u kienu meqrudin mis-serpenti; lanqas tgemgmu, kif xi wħud minnhom gemgmu, u kienu meqrudin mill-anġlu qerried. Issa dawn il-ħwejjeġ ġraw lil dawk in-nies bħala eżempji, u nkitbu bħala ammoniment għalina, li fuqna wasal it-twettiq taż-żminijiet. Għalhekk min jidhirlu li jinsab wieqaf fis-sod għandu joqgħod attent li ma jaqax! Ebda tiġrib ma qabadkom ħlief dak li hu komuni għall-umanità. Però Alla hu fidil, u mhux se jħallikom tkunu mġarrbin lil hinn milli kapaċi tifilħu, iżda mat-tiġrib jipprovdi l-ħruġ ukoll, ħalli tkunu tistgħu tissaportuh” (1 Korintin 10:6-13). It-tiġrib jippreżenta ruħu attraenti; iwiegħed il-kuntentizza, almenu kuntentizza temporanja. Imma qatt ma jiġi b’idejh vojta – joffrili s-sodisfa...

“Kollox għandu żmienu, u kull ħaġa għandha waqtha taħt is-sema: waqt biex titwieled u waqt biex tmut; waqt li tħawwel u waqt li taqla’ l-imħawwel; waqt li toqtol u waqt li tfejjaq; waqt li tibki u waqt li tidħaq; waqt li tagħmel il-vistu u waqt li tiżfen; waqt li tarmi l-ġebel u waqt li tgeddes il-ġebel; waqt li titgħannaq u waqt li titbiegħed mit-tgħanniq; waqt li tfittex u waqt li titlef; waqt li terfa’ u waqt li tarmi; waqt li tqatta’ u waqt li tħit; waqt li tiskot u waqt li titkellem; waqt li tħobb u waqt li tobgħod; waqt ta’ gwerra u waqt ta’ sliem” (Ekkleżjażti 3:1-8). Is-solitudni, bħal-lupi bir-ragħwa f’ħalqu, tissajja fid-dellijiet tal-avversità, lesta biex taqbeż fuqi. Jgħidu fjakkola mkebbsa tgerrex lil-lupu u ma jersaqx lejk. Jheddek, imma jibqa’ distakkat. Il-fjakkola hi biss il-komunjoni li nista’ mmantni kostantement, bla interruzzjoni, mal-Missier. Imma rrid inżommha f’idi, mhux nitlaqa’ quddiem l-għarix. U nieħu ħsiebha, mhux nittraskuraha.  Inġerragħ is...

“Dan ikun il-kastig tal-Eġittu u l-kastig tal-ġnus kollha li ma jitilgħux biex jiċċelebraw il-Festa tal-Għerejjex. F’dak il-jum ikun hemm miktub fuq il-ġlieġel taż-żwiemel: ‘Qaddis lill-Mulej.’ U l-borom f’dar il-Mulej ikunu bħall-bwieqi quddiem l-artal. U kull borma f’Ġerusalemm u f’Ġuda tkun ikkonsagrata lill-Mulej tal-eżerċti, u dawk kollha li joffru s-sagrifiċċji jiġu biex jieħdu minnhom, u jsajru fihom, u ma jkunx hemm iżjed Kagħnanin f’dak il-jum f’dar il-Mulej tal-eżerċti” (Żakkarija 14:19-21). Daqskemm il-profeti bassru l-ġudizzju ċert t’Alla, daqshekk ieħor semmgħu nota ta’ ġublew u hena. Ipenġulna stampa ta’ barka inesprimibbli li tnixxi mis-salib ta’ Kristu. X’jum ta’ ferħ meta l-ħwejjeġ kollha jkunu kkonsagrati, u saħansitra l-ġolġol m’għonq iż-żiemel isemma’ l-qdusija lill-Mulej!  Dak il-jum wasal għalina. Aħna, imweldin mill-ġdid u mogħtijin qalb li tagħraf lill-Mulej, diġà nagħmlu l-ħwejjeġ qaddisa lil Alla. L-ilbies li nxiddu filgħodu jfakkruna fil-qdusij...

Jingħad li darba waħda ġuvnott mar għand Sokrate, il-filosfu Grieg, biex jgħallmu l-oratorja. Introduċewh miegħu, u baqa’ jredden u jreċpel strappata sħiħa. Sokrate talbu miżata doppja.  “Għaliex se tiċċarġjani żżejjed?” staqsieh mibluh.  It-tutur qallu, “Għax se jkolli ngħallmek żewġ sengħat: waħda kif tagħmel ilsienek bejn snienek, u l-oħra kif tħollu meta meħtieġ.” Żenone, qabel Sokrate, kien diġà għamel l-osservazzjoni li għandna par widnejn u fomm wieħed, biex inkunu konvinti li jmissna nisimgħu d-doppju ta’ kemm nitkellmu. Għalhekk, qatt mhu għaqli nagħtu libertà ġeneruża lil ilsienna stess, li ma jmurx jaqbadna priġunieri tiegħu. Kelma mhix imlissna għadha tiegħek, bħax-xabla f’għantha; jekk tħalliha titberraħ, sejfek issa qiegħed f’idejn ħaddieħor. Jekk nixtiequ li nkunu magħdudin għorrief, kun għaref biżżejjed hekk li trażżan ilsienek.  Talba: “Ma rridx niżloq f’diskorsi, Mgħallem tiegħi; għinni nżomm għassa ma’ lsieni. Agħmilni konxju ma’ min...

The Lord proclaims his grace abroad! Behold, I change your hearts of stone; Each shall renounce his idol god, And serve, henceforth, the Lord alone. My grace, a flowing stream, proceeds To wash your filthiness away; Ye shall abhor your former deeds, And learn my statutes to obey. My truth the great design insures, I give myself away to you; You shall be mine, I will be yours, Your God unalterably true. Yet not unsought, or unimplored, The plenteous grace shall I confer; No—your whole hearts shall seek the Lord, I’ll put a praying spirit there. From the first breath of life divine, Down to the last expiring hour; The gracious work shall all be mine, Begun and ended in my pow’r.         - William Cowper.

Zaccheus climbed the tree, And thought himself unknown; But how surprised was he When JESUS called him down! The LORD beheld him, though concealed, And by a word his pow’r revealed. Wonder and joy at once Were painted in his face; Does he my name pronounce? And does he know my case? Will Jesus deign with me to dine? Lord, I, with all I have, am thine! Thus where the gospel’s preached, And sinners come to hear; The hearts of some are reached Before they are aware: The word directly speaks to them, And seems to point them out by name. ’Tis curiosity Oft brings them in the way, Only the man to see, And hear what he can say; But how the sinner starts to find The preacher knows his inmost mind. His long forgotten faults Are brought again in view, And all his secret thoughts Revealed in public too: Though compassed with a crowd about, The searching word has found him out. While thus distressing pain And sorrow fills his heart, He hears a voice again, That b...

Jesus, to what didst thou submit To save thy dear–bought flock from hell! Like a pour trav’ller see him sit, Athirst, and weary, by the well. The woman who for water came, (What great events on small depend) Then learnt the glory of his name, The Well of life, the sinner’s Friend! Taught from her birth to hate the Jews, And filled with party–pride; at first Her zeal induced her to refuse Water, to quench the Savior’s thirst. But soon she knew the gift of GOD, And JESUS, whom she scorned before, Unasked, that drink on her bestowed, Which whoso tastes shall thirst no more. His words her prejudice removed, Her sin she felt, relief she found; She saw and heard, believed and loved, And ran to tell her neighbors round. O come, this wondrous man behold! The promised Savior! this is he, Whom ancient prophecies foretold, Born, from our guilt to set us free. Like her, in ignorance content, I worshipped long I knew not what; Like her, on other things intent, I found h...