In a few words, how would you describe World Youth Day?

Filip: During Sunday Mass, in the Creed, we say: I believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. World Youth Day is the perfect event which can show participants what the words: ‘catholic’ and ‘apostolic’ really mean!

First, let’s turn to the word ‘apostolic’. The Church is apostolic because it is built on the Apostle’s faith and tradition. The head of the Apostles, as we know, is Saint Peter. World Youth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to meet the Pope – the Peter of our times. Saint Ignatius of Antioch is famous for the words: Where the bishop is, there is the Church, these words paraphrase the eighth chapter of his letter to the Church at Smyrna, capturing one of the main ideas of World Youth Day.

Secondly, the word ‘catholic’. The word catholic comes from the ancient Greek adjective ‘καθολικός’ (katholikos), which means universal. So what does it mean that the Church is universal?

The Church is sent to all people, to all cultures, to all places. Jesus said to his disciples: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). World Youth Day is a brilliant chance to meet people from all over the world who believe in one God. Participants could also share with each other the different ways of living the faith. It is easily noticeable that Christians have different sensibilities and spiritualities, but all have the common purpose, ‘who’ is Jesus Christ.

Elizabeth: World Youth Day is definitely an event of great joy. It’s what I would call, ‘’a life experience’’. It’s incredible to see how big and alive our Church is! So many young people from all around the world gather all together to celebrate their love for our Lord. At WYD there’s this inexplicable atmosphere of happiness, fraternity, community and joy. What also touches you are the many differences that each person has. We are all different. We all have our story to tell – and we all attend WYD for different reasons and desires. But amid our differences, we have one thing in common. We have a heart that is singing the same song: God – the incredible mystery of WYD.

What are some moments that touched you during your experience and which you think shed light upon the unique character of the Christian Faith?

Filip: I am still amazed by one moment – which I had heard about before visiting Lisbon. It’s traditional that during World Youth Day there is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with the Pope. this is a silent adoration. When I heard 1.5 billion people gathered together falling silent all at once, I knew that something extraordinary was going on. I think nothing, apart from God’s presence, is possible to stop all noises like it happened then.

Elizabeth: Like Filip, the moments that have touched me the most were the Adorations we had. They were most special to me because it was during these moments that I felt God’s presence the most. It was during these times that I would feel Jesus speaking right through my heart pronouncing the words, ‘’Do not be afraid. I am with you’’.

Something that also touched me was the endlessness joy that everyone had during those hot and tiring days. The days we lived were pretty intense but no one would show that! Everyone was always full of energy, singing, dancing, having fun… they always had this big wave of joy and always had smiles on their faces. No matter what hour or place, you could turn around and always find people being happy. And that was such a contagious happiness! That was something that amazed me so much to the point where I was able to finally understand the ‘secret’’ meaning of being a follower of Christ —  praising, being joyful even when things gets too hard to handle, and showing happiness and gratitude even when you’re your worst. These are also some of the main keys of sainthood. Like Pope Francis once said: ‘’A sad saint, it’s not a saint’’. And like Saint Philip Neri also said ‘’A servant of God ought to always be happy’’. Let’s all be saints together!

Can World Youth Day be a space that challenges and perhaps also aids those who do not see themselves as belonging to the Christian Faith/or to any faith at all? If so, how?

Filip: Does God exist? What is He like? Why do we live? – without any doubt, I can say that everyone, at some point, is asking or asked themselves these questions. For nonbelievers or those who are still searching for answers, attending World Youth Days provides a chance to meet the Catholic Church, to compare the answers which they have in their heart with the answers which the Church proclaims.

Nonbelievers might get to know the Church which is rich – not in a financial way, but because of its diversity. Maybe somewhere, those who are searching will find their place. I hope that God will grant them the grace of faith, because as he said: Seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7).

Why should anyone consider attending the next World Youth Day?

Filip: There are many reasons why we should consider attending the next edition of the World Youth Day, but maybe the one I would like to emphasize most is the fact that we can feel the Kingdom of our Father there.

We read in the Bible: For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20). In Lisbon, around 1.5 billion Christians gathered in the name of Christ. I dare say, we all had the feeling that He is there with us. On the streets there were Christians full of joy and real hope. The hope and joy which have, have their source in the Passion and the Resurrection of our Lord.

In the next chapters of the Gospel of Matthew we read: Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:40). During World Youth Days, the families, schools, and institutions that hosted us performed the Corporal Works of Mercy. They fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the homeless. We all were immersed in the Kingdom of God. Go there to experience it. It’s worth it.

And, how do you think that we can bring the WYD spirit to our own little communities in our hometowns?

Filip: I believe that bringing the World Youth Day spirit to our communities is possible by doing all that we were inspired to do during our days in Lisbon: expressing the joy of our faith, performing the Works of Mercy, talking about God with peers and meeting to praise God together. We also might make the Pope present among us by reading and discussing his encyclicals, Apostolic exhortations, and letters. I truly hope that we will keep the spirit in our communities, at least to the next World Youth Day!

Liza: I feel like we should not keep what we experienced in Lisbon to ourselves. Being at WYD felt as if I was given many things and now I feel the need to give what I received, to others. We are the proof that our church is still alive and that God still speaks to the young. We have now the job to show this to those who could not attend, by sharing the message of this incredible experience! All we can do is to share our experience and feelings but mostly important ,we need to share the joy we got for free. Because joy is meant to be shared with others, not to be kept to ourselves! I believe that this is what we can do in order to bring the WYD spirit to our families and communities…the rest God will do!”.

The post World Youth Day – Gone But With Us Still! appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Initially you were all searching – how has forming part of “Christ Our Neighbour Group” helped you with ‘sifting your faith’?

Marylene: The initial group originated from a group of sixth formers, mainly in our late teens and early twenties, it was a phase in our development where existential questions came to the fore.  The teachings instilled in us by our parents came under scrutiny. It is typical at that age to stir away from the past, which tended to seem obsolete or irrelevant. Most of us had the background of the Legion of Mary and good parental grounding. If our ideas differed from that of our family, we would not dare to question it, but we kept it to ourselves. However, the apple does not fall too far from the tree and the group helped us build on what was already there but with a different perspective and outlook.

It was also helpful to realize that our thoughts and ideas were shared by others. The group helped us discuss issues common to all. ‘Sifting the faith’ is a continuous process. A lifelong one that changes or rather is modified as we mature and undergo life’s undulating cycles. Our contacts with the elderly, children in institutes and people with a disability helped, provided exposure to the needs and painful expectations of society, and helped fulfil our ethos stating that we should be hands-on.

In the group-prayer written by Fr Joe Busuttil (i.e., the group’s first spiritual director), the word “sejħa” (i.e., call) is mentioned. How important is it for us to first discern where God is calling us “to be”, rather than merely experimenting without being open to His guidance?

Marylene: The quest to find out more intensive and introspective questions as to our reason for being and our place in this world leads one to question living according to the ‘will of God’. If one does not comply with the will of God, one is not living life to its fulfilment. Discernment could be confusing to an inquiring mind and leads to disquieting thoughts, especially for someone like me who always feels that the grass is greener on the other side of the field, especially when one is still finding one’s place in the world vis a vis work, status vocation, etc.

My acceptance to join the group was not only a call but the need to search for something which was so much bigger than oneself. Retreats, prayer meetings, and discussions guided by the help of Fr. Joe helped in paving the way for discernment. As time went by and maturity set in, you realise that it would be easier to abandon yourself to the will of God by actually giving up your quest and accepting life as it is. A poster hanging in one of the prayer rooms at the Little Flower (nuns) stated: ‘BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED’. This surrender provided the backdrop to listen to ‘God’s voice and be aware of the nudges and inner voices.

In our conversation, you outlined the “revolutionary” approach that you initially had in your earlier years: in what ways, do you think, can youths (in general) and those within the Church be revolutionary today?

Marylene: I distinctly remember having the urge to change things in our society. I might not term them as ‘revolutionary’ but it was an attempt, such as going on the beaches with placards protesting against topless bathing. Our interactions with social groups as mentioned above, and the activities we organized were in themselves an attempt to change the world and the perspective of society towards them. Apart from that it provided cohesion for the group.

Today’s youths have ample opportunities to make themselves heard – starting from our environment to the corruption of society. Youths being able to vote from the age of 16 provides a substantial cohort when elections occur. Who wants to face corruption in society, injustices, and the destruction of our limited green space? At our age, we do not aspire much, but young people and children deserve to live in peace, tranquillity, and an environment that promotes good mental health. You have much to fight about. Your livelihood and well-being are at stake! You can still make it!

During the last two years, I had many opportunities to hear mass in various parishes in Gozo. Mass there had a certain amount of enthusiasm, modern choirs, and the churches were full. It set me thinking.   There was such a stark difference between Churches in Gozo and the majority of Maltese parishes (obviously not all).

While the output from the priest celebrating mass was important and clearly there was a creative element at play, the attitude of the laity was that of enthusiasm. And it was like a light bulb suddenly lighting up. We expect our priests to be creative, do things differently. The ritual of the mass is what it is and can hardly be changed. I often try to put myself in the shoes of the priest celebrating mass facing a handful of lethargic people. The situation is pathetic. I feel that a priest can only work according to the energy generated by an interested and cooperating congregation. Young people today have so many activities to kindle their enthusiasm and expose them to the needs of an ailing world. I envy World Youth Day. What enthusiasm! What an experience!

One activity I clearly remember was the feast of Kristu Re where all religious groups including CONG gathered in Floriana at the foot of the Statue of Christ the King with banners and marched down Kings Way to congregate in front of St. John’s Cathedral.   That event was not simply to acknowledge Christ as King but to unite religious groups with a common goal. It felt good!

Women in the Church.

Marylene: Women’s voices have also been silenced from time immemorial in spite of the fact that in the gospels Mary Magdalenand Mother Mary were given priority, dignity, and importance. It’s a miracle in itself that we have amazing women who, because they heard the voice of God, risked everything and followed their calling. These brave women, saints, and mystics gave up everything to evangelize and make themselves heard in spite of the prevailing culture in a male-dominated world.

Personally, I feel that the Pope’s suggestion to promote women deacons and try to include them within the church is a first step to include more women and have their perspectives noted. But I sincerely hope that it does not stop there. I firmly believe that women have much to contribute and should have a more active role in the running of a parish.

“Vocation is not limited simply to clergy within the Catholic Church but includes every individual. We all have a calling in some way or form to be God’s hands on this earth. Each on his own way to minister to God’s people.”

The group always made it our priority by joining Dar tal-Providenza and the elderly at Little Sisters of the Poor and the Orphans in Żabbar and share in their lives. Hence the name (i.e., Christ Our Neighbour Group).

In light of Fr Joe Inguanez recent passing, the group extends their condolences and prayers to him and all his loved ones. Fr Inguanez was CONG’s chaplain for a number of years.

Read More:

“I Was Raised on the Farm” – 11 Life Lessons From the Field

What Makes Most People Happy

The post Bloom Where You Are Planted! The Experience of growing in a Community of Faith – Marylene Savona Ventura appeared first on Universe of Faith.

In Search of Beauty

I look out the window

to see a restless night.

I close my eyes, so that I might for a while

escape the pain behind me.

There sat he

behind me

news on the telly.

He’d been on the news

some days ago.

Run over by a reckless driver.

Hit and run. Both legs mangled.

Forever injured.

Now the news spoke

of ground shattering war,

lives taken, families scattered.

War, famine,

death, destruction.

Brother deceiving brother.

A world in chaos.

And in this moment of despair,

in a world with no rhyme or reason,

I turn my face upwards towards the stars

and silently scream

“Where is my God?”

And I think to myself,

why do I expect to find God in hell?

What is this place we call our own

if not a man-made hell?

Here in the realm in which we tread,

in which we’ve spread our corruption,

we have silenced Heaven’s bell; for we no longer seek

it’s guiding toll, threw away the Holy Bread.

Our god is born from self-deception.

Greed and power-lust are its holy word.

We are a world of modern-day Mammonites.

The devil calls,

‘Come to me and I’ll reward ye

Wealth, power, all the world’s comforts shall serve ye…..if simply

Ye kneel before ”me.”

Tempted with an easy life,

a life of grazing on coin, engorged with recognition and fame

we’ve thrown our soul onto the pyre,

sold our soul to the devil’s fire.

So I clutch the crucifix hanging from my neck

pleading for a sign that God is listening.

But all I hear, in this darkened night, is the street below, brimming

with the desperate vibrations of a technological world,

a world desperate to make gods from men.

I squeeze my eyes, my mind swirls with thought.

What prayer ought I say?

What words may this mouth of a blasphemer speak?

I try to croak out a plea for help,

but the weight of my sins seems to pull the prayer into deep abyss

leaving in its wake a snake-like silence seemingly solid and unbreakable.

Until to my surprise,

through that deep solid silence,

A voice breaks in song.

It was a simple song

sweetly sung, its sound softly soaring and at times, falling.

Its simplicity seemed to lure me.

I lean back towards the song

and before long,

I can make out the words

constructing a song of praise

to Him who made all.

Slowly my eyes open, I turn round,

and there before me sits the singer,

wheelchair bound.

“How?”, “how can you find the words to sing

of beauty, in a world so sick without

love, a world so drenched in darkness and sin?”

A smile shined from his face and he said

“Finding the words is no hard feat,

when beauty is all around.

You just have to learn to see”.

My father used say;

“how does the sparrow fly so free

despite all that threatens it?

It flies because it knows

that beauty always grows

taller than terror.

It knows it can find shelter

in the trees that tower,

and find peace

among the smallest flowers.

Despite all that hunts it,

the sparrow never gives in.

And so must we never give up

just because of sin.

Just because there’s death

does not mean there’s no life.

There is still love

despite the strife.

The loving parent

who adores the child,

the patient teacher

who nurtures the mind,

The humble worker

to whom most are blind,

who toils and troubles

to serve.

There are many times

when humans sacrifice out of love.

It is this sacrifice

that raises us above

our monstrous desires.

Open your eyes

See past the lies

The world is not in darkness.

It isn’t all night.

Open your eyes and see the light.”

See more –

poetry-myself-divided-by-liam-agius/

ten-educational-spiritual-music-benefits-for-students/

The post In Search of Beauty | A Poem by Jacob Fiott appeared first on Universe of Faith.

When I was an atheist, I believed there was no evidence for God, but that science  was truth. Then science showed me there was no evidence for atheism – Dr Sy Garte, PhD in Biochemistry

Questions featuring the relation between the most recent scientific evidence and the existence of God are ones that are hotly debated in our society (and rightly so). The positions taken are many – some say that God and science do not go hand in hand – even that science has, in some sense, done away with the “proofs” for the existence of God. Is this so?

Today we will make recourse to a highly respected Biochemist – someone who was, for most of their life, a staunch atheist. His name Sy Garte. What is so striking about Dr Garte is the fact that it was science per se – his own research – which compelled him to discover God’s existence. The question is: what exactly was it that helped him understand that a divine reality (i.e. and ultimately that the Christian God) actually exists?

Garte’s primary work is his award-winning book titled, The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith (Kregel Publications, 2019). Here, Garte competently explores physics, philosophy of science, quantum entanglement, mathematics, evolution, consciousness, and the fight for morality and justice, all in a fast-moving personal story that’s rather humorous at points and heart-wrenching in others. He begins the book by affirming the importance of questioning. Raised in a militant anti-religious (communist) family, he narrates how “my parents’ atheism was indeed a deeply felt religious belief, and that it was successfully transmitted to and accepted by me at a very young age”. His faith, in other words, was in atheism. In this respect, Garte confesses that “like all faiths, the faith I was born into raised questions. And like all faiths, mine had ready answers for most of these questions”. The questions raised were: “why are we here? what is our purpose?”. But in light of his Marxist (communist) context, the answer to these questions were clear to him: “to work for the betterment of all humanity, to strive for fairness and justice in the world for all, to defeat the evil forces of superstition, oppression, and hatred”. All “good answers”, he concludes.

In this respect, however, while acknowledging the plausibility of such answers, Garte realised that there was a problem with the Marxist framework: “but even early in my life, I sensed a problem with them”. Thus, in a quasi-Lewisian fashion, Garte asked, “if there is no concept of fairness in nature (no objective standard), and if humans are nothing more than natural beings, why should they be fair?”:

where did the subversive concepts of fairness and justice come from? What was their source if it wasn’t from the natural world?

According to an atheistic framework, capitalists are simply acting out the pseudo-Darwinist prerogative of the survival of the fittest. At first, Garte approached these questions by adopting a purely Darwinist approach: “the answer I came up with was that humans had somehow evolved to a higher level in the midst of a cruel and uncaring world, that humans had evolved a sense of purpose and a potential for further growth and development”. He continues here, writing, “I felt that through an evolutionary quirk (what Richard Dawkins later referred to as a “spandrel”), humans had become a unique species of animal that could feel, think, and create”. In this vein, Garte understood that we humans had “evolved from the natural world, but [he] also came to see that we were something more”. We could create beauty, we could change our lives, we could love. All of these unique capacities, he writes, “were vague and uncertain ideas, pretty well lost in the maelstrom of anti-religious views that dominated my mind”.

Until it all changed. And because?

It would not do justice to explore the rigorous scientific evidence that Garte outlines in the book in such a limited space. What I suggest, rather, is for anyone who is sincerely curious to explore the book, authentically. What can be said for certain is that the book manages to show that, the common idea that to be a Christian one must park one’s mind at the doors of the church before entering, is a myth. Garte’s journey is testament of one who searched lengthily for the truth and who let the truth itself guide him – through the means of his own rigorous discipline. He is a brilliant example of a Christian following Jesus’s command to love God with our minds (Matt. 22:37).

Check out Sy Garte’s website in which one can provide feedback about the book, post a review, or ask questions.

Dr. Garte’s book “The Works of His Hands“.

See More – Top-popes-quotes-about-science

– Famous-catholic-astronomers/

The post Dr Seymore Garte: A Scientist’s Journey From Atheism to Faith appeared first on Universe of Faith.

“The future has many faces”.

Without making any reference to the company that uses this slogan, I found it quite surprising to see such a philosophical statement used as an advert in our useless bus shelters (i.e., unless they’re to be used as greenhouses during summer or as bathroom cubicles during winter).

But at least, by claiming that the future has many faces, the advert departs from a deeply ingrained deterministic mind-set of us Maltese, especially with exclamations such as, “hekk kellu jkun”—that’s how things had to be—or “kienet miktuba għalih”—it was written for him. And this is quite funny because, for such statements to be tenable, we have to imagine a ginormous library with unending rows of shelving racks filled with whole volumes of books that contain all the details of how a person’s life will evolve, or rather proceed.

This reminds me of a film I watched some years ago, The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon as David Norris and Emily Blunt as Elise Sellas, who play the part of a couple that struggle to go against their predetermined separate plans until they are ultimately granted free-will. Without entering into detail, the movie reflects in a very bizarre way how sometimes we really see things in a contradictory way: everything is predetermined, and yet, at the same time, we are not willing to admit that such belief implies that we don’t really possess free-will. And this is so true because, “free will is a gift, you’ll never know how to use until you fight for it”, as the character Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) well claims.

Returning back to our argument after this digression: what can be the different faces that the future possesses?

I don’t know. Maybe the face of success, as the company surely won’t promote the face of failure. Maybe the face of power that derives from success, because surely it cannot be the face of meekness that is perceived as weakness by society (i.e. since meekness tends towards gaining respect and, consequently, authority—unlike power, which is obtained by control). Maybe the face of fame which tends to peak and then heads toward a torrential downfall.

I don’t know what faces my—and our—future will have. But hopefully—in the sense of ‘full of hope’, and not in the sense of ‘if I’m lucky enough’ or ‘if the gods permit”— it has at least two faces.

Firstly, the face of humanity which, irrespective of our diverging roads, different social standing, and contrasting views, puts us on the same level and, especially in times of crisis, forces us to cooperate and respect each other as members of the same species.

And, secondly, the face of God-made-man who, in his abyssal downfall, showed us what it really means to be human: the ability to look towards the other and see in the other the face of God who’s image we are all created in and by whose incarnate face we were smiled at and redeemed.

Fr Gilbert Scicluna 

Gilbert Scicluna is a Catholic Priest, currently serving at the parish of Christ the King, Paola, and co-editor of the website behold.mt.

The post “The Future Has Many Faces” – A Reflection appeared first on Universe of Faith.

I often wonder where we as human beings went wrong.

In saying this, I have in mind ‘modern architecture’, particularly the boxy and purely utilitarian style that has conquered all of our public and even private spaces. How did we end up at this cardboard box design, when we were once capable of creating marvellous gothic cathedrals whose peaks soared to the skies and their embellishments served as the evocation of heaven itself?

How did we go from even the drabbest of houses being treated as a piece of beauty – to everything suddenly tasting like ashes?

After trying to pin down the reason, an answer came to me. I was reading John Ruskin’s The Seven Lamps of Architecture – a book which, in its essence, explores our devotion to God and our willingness to have our every action directed to the appreciation of his divine love. Although Ruskin does not stop here, I personally think that this – that is, our lack of genuine devotion to God – is the primary point which separates our atheistic architecture from the beauty of the past.

As Christian faith (used broadly) progressively faded from our society, our need to allow everything to be a means to bring us closer to ‘grace’ faded too. My guess is that, for the large part of people’s lives (although one finds exceptions), life is rarely spent honouring God and being grateful for his creation. This is the downfall of our aesthetic appreciation as humanity! Our sensitivity for certain values has deteriorated.

So long as God no longer plays an essential role within the lives of individuals, we cannot direct ourselves toward his worship. The reason why we ‘need’ to engage in worship is because worshiping God helps us go out of our self and receive the unconditional love that God has for us. It is only in receiving this kind of divine love that we will be able to pour it out in our actions – be they works of art, works of love, etc. In this light, as our propensity to worship faded, it seems our need for things to be done well and beautifully faded too.

Living in a time of mass production, most things have become standardised and made cheaply out of poor materials. Before, one would seek to become the master of his craft (i.e, be it woodworks, art, or architecture) because he felt that it was the right thing to do (or the thing which God wants him to do). Indeed, back then, it seems we were not so much bound by our fickle motivation to simply be ‘good’ for ourselves – but rather sought the heights of mastery as a means of prayer, as a means of honouring something greater than our Self.

The presence of God removes the weakness that the human body and mind may have because it places one in the context of divine creation. When we are actively in a relationship with God, everything we might do in our life could be directed towards something beyond our self, toward something eternal and all-powerful which is free from human faults. When this locus is lost, the world around us, the things we produce and see, all these will stop having purpose outside of immediate satisfaction. Today, we rarely feel that buildings need to be permanent manifestations of the divine, or signs of respect and worship for future generations to come. Often, they are temporary solutions that will not matter and can be discarded once they are used up or taken over by a different owner.

In order for us to be able to create beauty, we need to be well aware of what beauty ‘is’. And although a sense of what beauty is, is natural to all humans – plenty of atheists or unbelievers have created beautiful works of Art – the closer one grows to God (i.e., the closer one grows to unconditional love), the deeper their knowledge of beauty becomes. As Hans Urs von Balthasar writes,

Beauty is the disinterested one, without which the ancient world refused to understand itself, a word which both imperceptibly and yet unmistakably has bid farewell to our new world, a world of interests, leaving it to its own avarice and sadness.

Written by Alisa Arturovna Iordan.

Coming from the background in the Social Sciences, Alisa has developed sensitivity towards understanding and investigating matters concerning our society – seeking to understand why we do what we do and what can be done to better our state. In combination with her Catholic faith, this quest attained a new meaning and weight as her curiosity changed from a purely academic one to one also working towards discovering God more.

See more –

Why Care for Our Common Home? – Fr Rob Galea

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Myself, Divided

I was once one body whole,

One in mind and one in soul;

But this wholeness I had won

Was at once to come undone

By one sole bullet fired

Through my introspection’s gun.

And I felt the one burst forth

Into a raging sea of fractions,

Dead delusions and abstractions.

Then as I saw the waves divide

Through parts of me I had denied,

The flood of numbers took me under

And dragged my drained and worn-out ego

Dangerously close to zero:

A yawning, gaping zero at the centre of it all.

And through that yawning zero’s eye

I catch a glimpse of the boundless eternal:

The untold depths of void maternal

Which spits us out and swallows all.

And through its transient secretions,

Ever shifting like the seasons,

I catch wind of its faint message and perceive

That my essence is inessence:

Heavenly lessons in evanescence;

And my passions lie in ashes at the bottom of the sea.

And as I push with all my will

That vast emptiness to fill,

Tossed around by the wild oceans

Of my unrestrained emotions,

I reach the sudden understanding

That I am the sum of all my flaws,

All my outbursts without cause,

All my dreams and aspirations,

Repressed needs for validation,

And I open my lips wide and swallow all.

So as I gulp down that vast ocean

In one all-embracing motion,

We return where I’d begun

As the many turn to one.

By Liam Aġius.

The post Poetry | ‘Myself, Divided’ by Liam Agius appeared first on Universe of Faith.

I have this habit or vice —call it what you like—of spending days listening to the same song over and over again. Generally, it’s because the words or harmony strike a chord or an emotion which is not acknowledged or deciphered immediately but needs to go through a process of fermentation in order to bring out its best taste. My latest fad was “One More Day” from “Les Misérables”. Although it’s the type of story you’ll probably find on a ‘spiritual’ reading/movie list, the ‘religious’ overtones in it are very strong, particularly the notions of conversion, redemption, forgiveness and the possibility of salvation. The song “One Day More” can be considered to be, to some extent, the summation of all subplots and character developments of the musical, all with their specific tone, rhythm and pitch. Interestingly enough, the song begins and ends with a reference to God. The very first lines go like this:

One day more
Another day, another destiny
This never-ending road to Calvary

And then, at the end, all the characters sing in one chorus:

Tomorrow we’ll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store
One more dawn
One more day
One day more

Yet what struck me most was that, although the song primarily speaks of love, despair, passion, revolution, justice and corruption, it also says something about life in relationship with God. What do I mean by this?

Let us first explore the characters. First, there is Jean Valjean who, after the aforementioned introduction, keeps on repeating “one day more”, as if it were the chorus of the last thread of hope along the climatic drama of this most intense moment. Then there are the lovers, Marius and Cosette, who confess that they really started to live when their eyes met. Then there’s Eponine, the secret or rejected lover who nonetheless cooperates with the lovers to make their relation work-out or collapse at the same time, with Marius’ suicidal decision to join the revolution. In addition to this, there’s inspector Javert, the paladin of justice, who ultimately takes justice to the absurd extremes of committing suicide because his sense of justice was only ‘punitive’ and not ‘restorative’ – this led him to collapse when confronted with the selfless effort of Valjean to save the wounded Marius.

I think I can pass over the opportunist Thenardiers, and go to Enjolras, the leader of the revolution and his friends of the ABC, whose passion for freedom makes them pay the highest price, leaving only grief and empty chairs at empty tables—if there were any left after the construction of the barricade! But that’s another story.

Maybe, because I’m partly insane, I found myself trying to sing each note and relating to all these emotions on the level of ‘faith’. In a sense, I think the fiercest battles are fought in the silence of our hearts, not between the ‘Devil’ and the ‘Guardian Angel’, as we used to sometimes see in the Tom and Jerry shows! These battles are between me and God, my will and His will, my perception of self-perfection and his way of helping me achieve it after my first naïve “yes” of my first encounter with him.

Now, amidst all this journey – in our relationship with God – there’s always the risk of becoming bitter and cynical – especially when this battle is prolonged and not undertaken in the right spirit—which is the combative spirit. One here may naturally be faced by doubts, fears, shame, helplessness, dejection … and yet, if only some love perseveres – if only some effort remained on our part to just let ourselves be guided and helped (not to depend on ourselves alone, but to surrender and ask God to give us the help that we truly need) – if only a trembling “yes” remained amidst all the darkness and the fundamental loneliness of oneself, then one day the dawn can break again!

This dawn is experiencing our own beauty with humility, it is recognising that love is primarily personal and even eternal – that love itself gave us life and loves us, at each moment, selflessly. This is all a journey. It’s a journey where doubt and faithlessness are also central and where authentic searching takes on the primary stride! I might well be over-reading into the plot. Yet it is freeing to know that encountering God face to face is possible even in this life.

If only we are willing to spend the whole night genuinely and authentically ‘struggling’ with Him, until we have enough reason and trust to surrender and receive our true and beloved Self in return!

Fr Gilbert Scicluna 

Gilbert Scicluna is a Catholic Priest, currently serving at the parish of Christ the King, Paola, and co-editor of the website behold.mt.

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There’s a space in the beauty of Creation that only you can fill.

There’s a difference in the world that only you can make.

There’s a particular calling that can only be answered through your will.

There’s a valuable story to be written and told only through your voice.

There’s a process of forgiveness that frees others, which can only happen through your transformative journey of healing.

There’s a particular cross that only you can embrace and bear.

There’s a life of prayer that always awaits for your soul to kneel.

There’s a dance, that the spirit of God gracefully longs to direct your steps in.

There’s a song waiting to be sung through your spirit as it rises to Him.

There’s a love to be shared only through your self-gift.

All you once were, all you presently are, and all you are yet to be, are deeply seen as precious in the eyes of Him, of whom you are lovingly His.

In light of all this, finally, let us try to reflect upon how Jesus himself is a gift to us!

An unconditional love permeates God’s every act. This is expressed in His self-love as a gift to humanity – in Jesus – the wounded healer, the faithful lover – but it is also expressed in all of life that strives to live, it is expressed in a joy that points to more joy, it is expressed in the silence of a world that doesn’t need to exist but continues to, it is expressed in the cries of an infant who breathes fresh air for the first time, it is expressed in the Sacrament of Confession, through which God forgives and heals each bleeding wound perfectly, it is expressed even in pain, since pain (our distaste for it) reminds us of our real home, a home that is free of pain, free of death.

This Christmas, therefore, let us allow the one who has experienced each wound, to heal us, let us allow the one who, against all odds, continued to love, to really love us. Let us be born anew, as more healed, more loving, more human. As Meister Eckhart asked, “what good is it for me if Mary gave birth to the son of God 1400 years ago, and I don’t give birth to God’s son in my person and my culture and my times?”.

We are all meant to be “other Mary’s”. By God’s grace and guidance, we can all birth divinity!

Read More –

The Difference Jesus Makes in my Life – Universe of Faith

Lord I Need You, Where Are You? – Universe of Faith

Is Jesus Fully Human? – Universe of Faith

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• The Importance of Wonder

The 20th century poet T.S Eliot wrote, “the child wonders at the Christmas Tree … let him continue in the spirit of wonder …  so that the reverence and the gaiety may not be forgotten in later experience, or in the bored habituation, the fatigue, the tedium, the awareness of death, the consciousness of failure, or the piety of the convert,  … let him continue in the spirit of wonder, so that before the end, the accumulated memories of annual emotion, may be concentrated into a great joy … because the beginning shall remind us of the end, and the first coming of the second coming”.

T.S Eliot was aware of how cynical and oppressed the tragedies of the world can make us, but he was also aware of our longing for something more than this world. He knew that the earth reflects a beauty and a joy whose origins surpass it. Like children, therefore, let us allow ourselves to be in awe! Let us allow ourselves to marvel with a keen and sensitive heart. The rest will follow suit!

• As with all Christian celebrations, at its heart, Advent is a time in which God continues to give Himself to us! But on our part, as human beings, what does it take for us to fully and authentically ‘receive’? 

Reflecting upon this, the German philosopher Joseph Pieper concludes that, “there can be no festivity when man, imagining himself self-sufficient, refuses to recognize that Goodness of things which goes far beyond any conceivable utility; it is the Goodness of reality taken as a whole which validates all other particular goods and which man himself can never produce nor simply translate into social or individual “welfare”. He truly receives it (God’s love and goodness) only when he accepts it as pure gift”.

Certain objects of this world cannot be made or seen as tools for us to simply use. Rather, they need to be appreciated for their own sake. In this, we can slowly discover that they are gifts given to us freely. This is what love does, after all. It gives freely. And it is only when we see creation as a free and pure gift given to us by God, that we can feel truly loved by God and understand what creation truly is.

• Seeing desires as pathways to God

In the words of St Augustine, “the entire life of a good Christian is a holy desire. What you desire, however, you don’t yet see. But by desiring you are made large enough, so that, when there comes what you should see, you may be filled”.

Augustine reminds us that desires are signs that need to be prudently understood and interpreted.  But desires are also bridges. In desiring beauty, we reach out to it. In desiring love, we seek it. This is all good, because God wants to us to be filled. And so, let us not tire to ask, to beg, to be open, to yearn! And in doing so, let us try to turn to God as well. Augustine knew too well that, ultimately, only God can fully and completely satisfy us.

• No wounds are too big for God

In one his poems St. Thomas More wrote, “Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal”.

Advent is a space in which Heaven can continue to penetrate and cultivate the earth. The earth is not fully separate from heaven, the two are not completely distinct. Indeed, in fact, the glory of earth is realised when God (heaven itself) is made one with it! This all culminates in the God-man; in Jesus himself, in him, the heaven and the earth are one.

• We’re all, in our unique ways, a faint image of God 

C.S Lewis, iconically known for crafting the Narnia book Series, noted that “we cannot conceive how the Divine Spirit dwelled within the created and human spirit of Jesus…. but what we can understand is that our own existence is a faint image of the Divine Incarnation itself… the same theme in a very minor key”.

We already harbour traces of God within us, and this can be discovered by us if we reflected deeply upon certain capacities and desires that we experience. Our nature, in its deepest core, longs for beauty, for love, for goodness, for truth – these are God’s fingerprints.

• Let yourself be perfected!

Finally, this Advent, with St. Theresa of Avila, let us express our humility and open our self to God’s healing grace. Time and again, St. Theresa prayed,

“I want to keep Advent in my soul, that is, a continual longing and waiting for this great Mystery wherein You, O Word, became flesh to show me the abyss of your redeeming sanctifying mercy….Come, O Lord, come! I too wish to run to You with love, but alas! My love is so limited, weak, and imperfect! Make it strong and generous; enable me to overcome myself, so that I can give myself entirely to You… What a consolation it will be, O Lord, at the moment of death to think that we shall be judged by Him whom we have loved above all things!”

Read more:

Astronomy and Faith – Universe of Faith

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