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February 2015 vol 2 -Issue 6 saviour.gatt@gmail.com

RAS IR-RANDAN -18 ta’ Frar

From the writings of St John Baptist de La Salle for Lent and

Holy Week “The purpose of the Church in putting ashes on your head today is to make you realize that today you ought to be filled with the true spirit of penance.” “The results of Christian fasting are mortification of the senses and of selfish inclinations and detachment from creatures.”

“We will die, and we will die only once.” “No one can understand how great the sufferings of Jesus Christ were in his Passion. Such was the state to which our sins reduced the Person of Christ who deserves every kind of esteem, honour, and respect.”

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F’dan il-Jum iddedikat lill-Ħajja Kkonsagrata,

u f’din is-sena ddedikata lill-Ħajja

Kkonsagrata, jiġini f’qalbi sens kbir ta’

gratitudni. Grazzi Mulej ta’ dan id-don sabiħ

li f’kull żmien u f’kull epoka tagħti lill-Knisja

tiegħek. Id-don tal-Ispirtu Qaddis tal-Mulej

li qanqal lill-fundaturi tagħkom biex mhux

biss jidħlu f’avventura personali ta’ mħabba

mal-Mulej, imma wkoll iħallu lill-Mulej

jużahom u jinqeda bihom biex lill-Knisja

jagħtuha rigal ta’ kariżma ġdida. Wara

kollox, il-kelma kariżma tfisser don. U

għalhekk, l-ispirazzjoni li ngħtat lill-

fundaturi tagħkom hija rigal ta’ Alla, tal-

Ispirtu Qaddis li l-għarusa tiegħu hi l-Knisja.

✝ Charles Jude Scicluna

Amministratur Appostoliku ta’ Malta

Ċelebrazzjoni fl-okkażjoni ta’ Jum il-Ħajja Kkonsagrata – 2 ta' Frar

Nhar it-Tnejn 2 ta' Frar 2015, l-Isqof Charles J. Scicluna, Amministratur Appostoliku, mexxa ċelebrazzjoni fil-Knisja ta' Santa Tereża, Birkirkara, għar-reliġjużi rġiel u nisa, fl-okkażjoni ta' Jum il-Ħajja Kkonsagrata.

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Il-Madonna dehret lil Bernardetta Soubirous, xebba żgħażugħha, sempliċi u marradija, iżda innoċenti twajba. Il-Madonna għażlitha bħala strument għall-pjan tagħha biex ixxerred id-devozzjoni li kisbet illum. Il-Madonna dehret f’nofs dawl qawwi bilwieqfa fil-daħla ta’ grotta – sinjura ta’ sbuħija kbira u maestuża. Kellha libsa twila bajda, marbuta ma’ qaddha faxxa lewn is-sema b’għoqda quddiem u nieżla rduppjata sa rkopptejha. Rasha kienet mgħottija b’velu abjad, jinżel sa l-art u fuq kull riġel kienet tiddi ward tad-deheb. F’idha kellha kuruna sabiħa tar-rużarju.Idejha kienu mgħaqqdin quddiem sidirha u għajneha fissi lejn is-sema, bħal waħda qiegħeda titlob. Il-Madonna dehret lil Bernardetta erbgħatax il-darba. Fil-25 ta’ Marzu il-Madonna wieġbet lil-Bernardetta,: “Jien l-Kunċizzjni Immakulata”.

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Pope Francis says we need to pray to God every day for the grace to understand His will, to follow it and to carry it out fully. One of the cornerstones of our faith: obedience to God’s will. This is the path to holiness for each Christian, namely that we carry out God’s will.

Pope Francis, stressed, however, that following God’s will is not easy. Even for Jesus it wasn’t easy when he faced temptations in the wilderness or in the Gardens of Olives. And, continued the Pope, it wasn’t easy either for his disciples and neither is it easy for us, when each day we are faced with a tray of so many different options and that’s why we need the gift of God’s grace.

Il-Papa Franġisku: "Għandna nsaqsu lil Alla għax-xewqa li

nagħmlu r-rieda tiegħu"

“Do I pray that the Lord gives me

the desire to do his will?”

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Survival Skills for Mass with Kids CHRISTY ISINGER

Taking your kids to Mass can sometimes feel like an endurance test. Maybe it’s a game of survival of the fittest? I really only have experience with my own children and our own parish situation. So please take my following tips for whatever grain of salt you wish. We have always attended a very, very small parish which offers Mass at 5:00 pm Saturday evening.

Preparation – Think early enough so that all are ready to arrive in good time in

Church (consider the time you may need to find an adequate parking space!

Attitude - You should go to Mass happy to be bringing your children to Christ!

You’ve brought them into the world, had them baptized, they are full-fledged members of the Church who deserve and need Christ at the Mass. Every Mass you bring them to exposes them to Christ’s presence and his love for them. You’re also giving them the experience needed to begin to understand the mysteries of the

Mass. Another thing about attitude: don’t expect perfection — but don’t let that get you down!

Little Celebrations - We always get a pizza and bring it home for dinner after Mass on Saturdays and it’s turned into the one night a week we eat out so it has become special and something to look forward to for the kids (and me, I love not cooking on Saturday!).

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From: David Mitzi <davidmizzibr@yahoo.co.uk> Sent: 21 January 2015 14:19 To: Gatt Saviour Bro Subject: Info Lasallian Another excellent edition. As always beautifully illustrated and carefully flavoured to meet as wide a spectrum of tastes as possible. The new look, booklet style, should prove quite popular. Can religion teachers be challenged to use it for their short prayer/reflection at the start of their lesson? Will there be enough boys who would volunteer to distribute it among their peers for as little as 25 cents per copy? Could this paper and its contents be discussed in the course of pastoral/youth Ministry Meetings and concrete suggestions outlined for its dissemination? These suggestions , among others, could be possible test cases to assess its validity. Renewed thanks. Br David Director, Stella Maris College

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A big Brother to his pupils! (This is Brother Alessandro from Mexico) “Be warm-hearted to everyone, speaking to others in a gentle and respectful way.”

(Letter 105—St. La Salle)

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Malaysia – Young Lasallians Young Lasallians all over Asia and the Pacific convened at the La Salle Centre in Ipoh, Malaysia last 14 – 19 December 2014 for the 10th Asia Pacific Lasallian Youth Congress. The theme, “Revive the Spirit, Refresh the World” is call to personal reflection on what is instinctively good within all of us and to stand up to the daunting task of a rebuilding a broken world.

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Brother Emmanuel Sciberras F.S.C. b.1929

Teacher, Vocations Team member, Archbishop’s Delegate for Education,

Provincial, House Master and Director of the Institute Mother House in Rome

prolific reader, Gregorian Chant enthusiast.

Member of the Stella Maris Community

and spends week days at the Clergy Home in B’Kara.