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Sunday, March 08, 2015
 ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
First Sunday of Lent, 22 February 2015

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
 
Last Wednesday, with the rite of Ashes, Lent began, and today is the First Sunday of this Liturgical Season which refers to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, after his Baptism in the River Jordan. St Mark writes in today’s Gospel: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him” (1:12-13). With these simple words the Evangelist describes the trials willingly faced by Jesus before he began his messianic mission. It is a trial from which the Lord leaves victorious and which prepares him to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. In these 40 days of solitude, he confronts Satan “body to body”, He unmasks his temptations and conquers him. And through Him, we have all conquered, but we must protect this victory in our daily lives. 

The Church reminds us of that mystery at the beginning of Lent, so that it may give us the perspective and the meaning of this Time, which is a time of combat. Lent is a time of combat! A spiritual combat against the spirit of evil (cf. Collective Prayer for Ash Wednesday). And while we cross the Lenten “desert”, we keep our gazed fixed upon Easter, which is the definitive victory of Jesus against the Evil One, against sin and against death. This is the meaning of this First Sunday of Lent: to place ourselves decisively on the path of Jesus, the road that leads to life. To look at Jesus. Look at what Jesus has done and go with Him.

This path of Jesus passes through the desert. The desert is the place where the voice of God and the voice of the tempter can be heard. In the noise, in the confusion, this cannot be done; only superficial voices can be heard. Instead we can go deeper in the desert, where our destiny is truly played out, life or death. And how do we hear the voice of God? We hear it in his Word. For this reason, it is important to know Scripture, because otherwise we do not know how to react to the snares of the Evil One. And here I would like to return to my advice of reading the Gospel every day. Read the Gospel every day! Meditate on it for a little while, for 10 minutes. And also to carry it with you in your pocket or your purse.... But always have the Gospel at hand. The Lenten desert helps us to say ‘no’ to worldliness, to the “idols”, it helps us to make courageous choices in accordance with the Gospel and to strengthen solidarity with the brothers.

Now let us enter into the desert without fear, because we are not alone: we are with Jesus, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. In fact, as it was for Jesus, it is the Holy Spirit who guides us on the Lenten journey; that same Spirit that descended upon Jesus and that has been given to us in Baptism.

Lent, therefore is an appropriate time that should lead us to be ever more aware of how much the Holy Spirit, received in Baptism, has worked and can work in us. And at the end of the Lenten itinerary, at the Easter Vigil, we can renew with greater awareness the Baptismal covenant and the commitments that flow from it.

May the Blessed Virgin, model of docility to the Spirit, help us to let ourselves be led by Him, who wishes to make each of us a “new creature”.

To her I entrust, in particular, the week of Spiritual Exercises, that will begin this afternoon, and in which I shall participate with my collaborators of the Roman Curia. I ask that you pray for us, that in this “desert” of the Spiritual Exercises, we may listen to the voice of Jesus, and also correct the many defects that we have. And also to confront the temptations that attack us every day. I ask you therefore to accompany us with your prayers.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I cordially greet the families, the parish groups, the Associations and all the pilgrims from Rome, from Italy and from various countries. I greet the faithful from Naples, Cosenza and Verona, and the youth from Seregno who have come for the profession of faith.

Lent is a journey of conversion that puts the heart at its centre. Our heart must convert to the Lord. Therefore, in this First Sunday, I thought to give those of you who are here in the Square a small booklet entitled “Custodisci il cuore” (“Guard the heart”). It’s this one. [he holds up the booklet] This book contains some of Jesus’s teaching and the essential contents of our faith, for example the seven Sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments, the Virtues, the works of mercy, etc…

The volunteers, among whom there are many homeless people who have come on pilgrimage, will now distribute them. And as always, today too, here in the Square, are those who are in need, the same who bring us a great wealth: the wealth of our doctrine, to guard your heart. Each one of you take a booklet and carry it with you, as a help for spiritual conversion and growth that always starts from the heart: the place where the match of daily choices between good and evil is played out, between worldliness and the Gospel, between indifference and sharing. Humanity is in need of justice, of peace, of love and will have it only by returning with their whole heart to God, who is the source of it all. Take the book and read it.

I wish you all a Good Sunday. Please, especially in this week of [Spiritual] Exercises do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and Arrivederci.

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Sunday, March 08, 2015

ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 15 February 2015


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
In these Sundays, Mark the Evangelist speaks to us about Jesus’ actions against every type of evil, for the benefit of those suffering in body and spirit: the possessed, the sick, sinners.... Jesus presents Himself as the One who fights and conquers evil wherever He encounters it. In today’s Gospel (cf. Mk 1:40-45) this struggle of His confronts an emblematic case, because the sick man is a leper. Leprosy is a contagious and pitiless disease, which disfigures the person, and it was a symbol of impurity: a leper had to stay outside of inhabited centres and make his presence known to passersby. He was marginalized by the civil and religious community. He was like a deadman walking. 

The episode of the healing of the leper takes place in three brief phases: the sick man’s supplication, Jesus’ response, the result of the miraculous healing. The leper beseeches Jesus, “kneeling”, and says to Him: “If you will, you can make me clean” (v. 40). Jesus responds to this humble and trusting prayer because his soul is moved to deep pity: compassion. “Compassion” is a most profound word: compassion means “to suffer-with-another”. Jesus’ heart manifests God’s paternal compassion for that man, moving close to him and touching him. And this detail is very important. Jesus “stretched out his hand and touched him.... And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean” (vv. 41-42). God’s mercy overcomes every barrier and Jesus’ hand touches the leper. He does not stand at a safe distance and does not act by delegating, but places Himself in direct contact with our contagion and in precisely this way our ills become the motive for contact: He, Jesus, takes from us our diseased humanity and we take from Him his sound and healing humanity. This happens each time we receive a Sacrament with faith: the Lord Jesus “touches” us and grants us his grace. In this case we think especially of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which heals us from the leprosy of sin.

Once again the Gospel shows us what God does in the face of our ills: God does not come to “give a lesson” on pain; neither does He come to eliminate suffering and death from the world; but rather, He comes to take upon Himself the burden of our human condition and carries it to the end, to free us in a radical and definitive way. This is how Christ fights the world’s maladies and suffering: by taking them upon Himself and conquering them with the power of God’s mercy.

The Gospel of the healing of the leper tells us today that, if we want to be true disciples of Jesus, we are called to become, united to Him, instruments of his merciful love, overcoming every kind of marginalization. In order to be “imitators of Christ” (cf. 1 Cor 11:1) in the face of a poor or sick person, we must not be afraid to look him in the eye and to draw near with tenderness and compassion, and to touch him and embrace him. I have often asked this of people who help others, to do so looking them in the eye, not to be afraid to touch them; that this gesture of help may also be a gesture of communication: we too need to be welcomed by them. A gesture of tenderness, a gesture of compassion.... Let us ask you: when you help others, do you look them in the eye? Do you embrace them without being afraid to touch them? Do you embrace them with tenderness? Think about this: how do you help? From a distance or with tenderness, with closeness? If evil is contagious, so is goodness. Therefore, there needs to be ever more abundant goodness in us. Let us be infected by goodness and let us spread goodness!

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I address a wish for serenity and peace to all the men and women who, in the Far East and in various parts of the world, are preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This celebration offers them a propitious occasion to rediscover and live fraternity in an intense way. It is a precious bond of family life and the foundation of social life. May this annual return to the roots of the person and of the family help those Peoples to build a society characterized by interpersonal relationships, respect, justice and charity.

I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims; in particular, those who have come on the occasion of the Consistory to accompany the new Cardinals; and I thank the countries that wished to attend this event with Official Delegations. Let us greet the new Cardinals with a round of applause!

Beloved, I encourage you to be joyous and courageous witnesses of Jesus in everyday life. I wish all of you a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!

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Sunday, March 08, 2015
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 8 February 2015


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
Today’s Gospel (cf. Mk 1:29-39) presents us Jesus who, after having preached in the Synagogue on the Sabbath, heals many sick people. Preaching and healing: this was Jesus’ principle activity in his public ministry. With his preaching he proclaims the Kingdom of God, and with his healing he shows that it is near, that the Kingdom of God is in our midst. 

Entering the house of Simon Peter, Jesus sees that his mother-in-law is in bed with a fever; he immediately takes her by the hand, heals her, and raises her. After sunset, since the Sabbath is over the people can go out and bring the sick to Him; He heals a multitude of people afflicted with maladies of every kind: physical, psychological, and spiritual. Having come to earth to proclaim and to realize the salvation of the whole man and of all people, Jesus shows a particular predilection for those who are wounded in body and in spirit: the poor, the sinners, the possessed, the sick, the marginalized. Thus, He reveals Himself as a doctor both of souls and of bodies, the Good Samaritan of man. He is the true Saviour: Jesus saves, Jesus cures, Jesus heals.

The reality of Christ’s healing of the sick invites us to reflect on the meaning and virtue of illness. This also reminds us of the World Day of the Sick, which we shall celebrate on Wednesday, 11 February, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. I bless the initiatives prepared for this Day, in particular the Vigil that will take place in Rome on the evening of 10 February. Let us also remember the President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (Health Pastoral  Care), Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, who is very sick in Poland. A prayer for him, for his health, because it was he who organized this Day, and he accompanies us in his suffering on this Day. Let us pray for Archbishop Zimowski.

The salvific work of Christ is not exhausted with his Person and in the span of his earthly life; it continues through the Church, the sacrament of God’s love and tenderness for mankind. In sending his disciples on mission, Jesus confers a double mandate on them: to proclaim the Gospel of salvation and to heal the sick (cf. Mt 10:7-8). Faithful to this teaching, the Church has always considered caring for the sick an integral part of her mission.

“The poor and the suffering you will always have with you”, Jesus admonishes (cf. Mt 26:11), and the Church continually finds them along her path, considering those who are sick as a privileged way to encounter Christ, to welcome and serve him. To treat the sick, to welcome them, to serve them, is to serve Christ: the sick are the flesh of Christ.

This also occurs in our own time, when, notwithstanding the many scientific break-throughs, the interior and physical suffering of people raises serious questions about the meaning of illness and pain, and about the reason for death. They are existential questions, to which the pastoral action of the Church must respond with the light of faith, having before her eyes the Crucifixion, in which appears the whole of the salvific mystery of God the Father, who out of love for human beings did not spare his own Son (cf. Rm 8:32). Therefore, each one of us is called to bear the light of the Word of God and the power of grace to those who suffer, and to those who assist them — family, doctors, nurses — so that the service to the sick might always be better accomplished with more humanity, with generous dedication, with evangelical love, with tenderness. Mother Church, through our hands, caresses our suffering and treats our wounds, and does so with the tenderness of a mother.

Let us pray to Mary, Health of the Sick, that every person who is sick might experience, thanks to the care of those who are close to them, the power of God’s love and the comfort of her maternal tenderness.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, today, 8 February, is the Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese nun, who as a child had the traumatic experience of being a victim of human trafficking. The Unions of Superiors and Superiors General of Religious Institutes have organized the Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking. I encourage those who work helping the men, women and children who are enslaved, exploited, abused as instruments of work or pleasure, who are often tortured and mutilated. It is my hope that government leaders may work decisively to remove the causes of this disgraceful scourge, it is a scourge unworthy of society. May each one of us feel committed to being a voice for our brothers and sisters, who have been humiliated in their dignity. Let us all pray to Our Lady for them and for their family members. [Hail Mary...]

I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and arrivederci!

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Sunday, March 08, 2015
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 1st February 2015

 
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
This Sunday’s Gospel passage (cf. Mk 1:21-28) presents Jesus who, with his small community of disciples, enters Capernaum, the city where Peter lived and which was the largest city in Galilee at that time. Jesus goes to that city. 

The Evangelist Mark, recounts that, since it was the Sabbath, Jesus went straight to the Synagogue and began to teach (cf. v. 21). This reminds us of the primacy of the Word of God, the Word to be listened to, the Word to be received, the Word to be proclaimed. Arriving in Capernaum, Jesus does not delay proclaiming the Gospel, does not think first about the necessary logistics of his small community, does not tarry over the organization. His primary concern is to communicate the Word of God with the power of the Holy Spirit. And the people in the Synagogue were astonished, because Jesus “taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (v. 22).

What does “with authority” mean? It means that in the human words of Jesus, the power of the Word of God could be felt, the authority of God, who is the inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures. And one of the characteristics of the Word of God is that He does what He says. For the Word of God corresponds to his will. We, on the other hand, often speak empty, shallow words, or superfluous words, words that do not coincide with the truth. Instead, the Word of God corresponds to the truth, it is united to his will and fulfills what He says. Indeed, Jesus, after preaching, immediately demonstrates his authority by freeing a man, in the Synagogue, who was possessed by a demon, (cf. Mk 1:23-36). The very divine authority of Christ provoked the reaction of Satan, hidden in that man; Jesus, in his turn, immediately recognized the voice of the evil one and “rebuked him:.... ‘Be silent, and come out of him’” (v. 25). With the power of his word alone, Jesus frees the person from the evil one. And once again those present were amazed: “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him” (v. 27). The Word of God arouses amazement in us. It has the power to astonish us.

The Gospel is the word of life: it does not oppress people, on the contrary, it frees those who are slaves to the many evil spirits of this world: the spirit of vanity, attachment to money, pride, sensuality.... The Gospel changes the heart, changes life, transforms evil inclinations into good intentions. The Gospel is capable of changing people! Therefore it is the task of Christians to spread the redeeming power throughout the world, becoming missionaries and heralds of the Word of God. This is also suggested by today’s passage which closes with a missionary perspective, saying: “his fame” — the fame of Jesus — “spread everywhere, throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee” (v. 28). The new doctrine, taught by Jesus with authority, is what the Church takes to the world, along with the effective signs of His presence: the authoritative teaching and the liberating action of the Son of God become words of salvation and gestures expressing the love of the missionary Church. Always remember that the Gospel has the power to change lives! Do not forget this. It is the Good News, which transforms us only when we allow ourselves to be transformed by it. That is why I always ask you to have daily contact with the Gospel, to read it every day: a verse, a passage, to meditate on it and even to take it with you everywhere: in your pocket, in your bag.... In other words to nourish yourself every day with this inexhaustible source of salvation. Do not forget! Read a passage of the Gospel every day. It is the power that changes us, that transforms us: it changes life, it changes the heart.

Let us invoke the motherly intercession of the Virgin Mary, she who received the Word and conceived Him for the world, for all mankind. She teaches us to be assiduous listeners and authoritative proclaimers of the Gospel of Jesus.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to announce that on Saturday, 6 June, God willing, I will go to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I ask you as of now to pray that my visit to those beloved peoples may be of encouragement for faithful Catholics, give rise to the leaven of good, and contribute to the consolidation of fraternity, peace, interreligious dialogue and friendship.

I greet those present who have gathered to attend the Fourth Global Congress organized by Scholas Occurrentes, which will be held in the Vatican from 2 to 5 February on the theme: “It is everyone’s responsibility to educate for a culture of encounter”. I greet the families, parishes, associations and all those who have come from Italy and from many parts of the world. In particular, the pilgrims from Lebanon and Egypt, the students from Zafra and Badajoz, Spain; the faithful from Sassari, Salerno, Verona, Modena, Scano Montiferro and Taranto, Italy.

Today in Italy, the Day for Life, which has the theme: “Together for Life” is being celebrated. I express my appreciation to the associations, movements, and to all those who defend human life. I join the Italian Bishops in calling for a “renewed recognition of the human person and more appropriate care of life, from conception to its natural end (Message for the 37th National Day for Life). When one is open to life and serves life, one feels the revolutionary power of love and tenderness (cf. Apostolic ExhortationEvangelii Gaudium, n. 288), inaugurating a new humanism: the humanism of solidarity, the humanism of life.

I greet the Cardinal Vicar, the university professors of Rome and those committed to fostering the culture of life.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!
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Sunday, February 22, 2015

FOTO, arabpress
Membaca berita dari pengungsian, membuat hati terharu dan sedih. Di Siria dan Libanon. Penduduk Siria banyak yang mengungsi ke bebrbagai negara. Termasuk ke Libanon yang dekat dengannya. Di sana dijumpai banyak penduduk Siria.

Di pengungsian inilah lahir rasa terharu dan sedih. Hidup mereka tidak tentu. Hari ini hidup, besok belum tentu hidup. Banyak ketergantungan. Keamanan, kesehatan, persediaan pangan, hidup sehat, dan banyak ketergantungan lainnya. Hidup di pengungsian memang menjadi hidup serba ketergantungan. Jika tak ada penopang, hidup akan berakhir. Dan, tamatlah riwayat pengungsian.

Meski, hidup tidak menentu, para pengungsi juga mencoba menentukan kehidupan mereka. Mereka rupanya tidak mau tinggal diam. Mau berbuat semampu mereka. Berusaha agar dalam ketidaktentuan pun, bisa memperoleh ketentuan. Menentukan sesuatu yang tentu dalam situasi tidak tentu.

Mencari sesuatu yang tentu untuk masa depan inilah yang dilakukan Baraa, 10 tahun. Tinggal di pengungsian di Libanon. Dia belajar dan mengajar di tempat pengungsian. Belajar dalam situasi tempat seadaanya. Bayangkan saja situasi pengungsian. Serba tak menentu. Meski demikian, dia mencoba untuk belajar dan berbagi ilmu. Katanya, “Saya membagikan ilmu yang saya dapat dari pelajaran di pagi hari kepada teman-teman lainnya di pengungsian.”

Dia berbagi apa yang dia dapatkan. Di tempat pengungsian pun masih bisa berbagi. Berbagi memang bisa dilakukan di mana saja, dalam situasi terjepit sekali pun. Tak heran, jika dia mengajar bahasa Arab dan tata bahasanya pada anak-anak Libanon. Bahasa Arab tentunya penting bagi anak-anak Libanon dan Siria. Bahasa ini digunakan sebagai alat komunikasi. Namun, bukan saja bahasa Arab yang diajarkan. Baraa membagikan pelajaran lain yang ia dapatkan. Itulah sebabnya, dia mengajarkan pada teman-temannya, kalimat di bawah ini.

“Bonjour....comment ca va?....Merci…” Selamat pagi, bagaimana kabarnya? Terima kasih.

Dua tiga kalimat dalam bahasa Perancis. Praktis dan sederhana. Berbagi sesuatu yang sulit pun kini menjadi mudah. Asalkan ada kemauan. Kiranya, Baraa juga didorong oleh kemauan untuk berbagi. Sehingga, bukan saja bahasa Arab yang dibagikan, bahasa Perancis juga dibagikan.

Semuanya tentu berguna. Kelak, apa yang mereka dapatkan dari Baraa akan berguna bagi masa depan mereka. Bahasa Perancis menjadi satu di antara sekian alat komunikasi di antara negara-negara uni-Eropa. Jangan heran jika di Italia pun, pengungsi dari Siria dan negara sekitarnya, sudah bisa berbahasa Perancis. Bisa bahasa Perancis berarti bisa bahasa Italia. Bisa bahasa Italia berarti bisa bahasa Spanyol dan Portugis. Empat bahasa ini berkaitan. Sama-sama lahir dari rahim yang sama yakni bahasa Latin.

Anak-anak pengungsi ini nantinya datang ke Italia atau Perancis, tidak akan mengalami kesulitan yang berat. Dari bahasa Perancis ke bahasa Italia, mudah saja. Seperti bahasa Indonesia dan Melayu atau Malaysia. Kalau tidak dapat pekerjaan di Perancis, mereka bisa cari di Italia. Atau sebaliknya.

Terima kasih Baraa, sudah berbagi ilmu. Salam berbagi untuk sahabat pembaca.

*Tulisan ini diinspirasi dari berita di koran berbahasa Italia, POPOTUS, suplemen dari harian AVVENIRE, edisi 20 Januari 2015.

PRM, 22/2/2015
Gordi

Di Pengungsian Libanon, Bocah Ini Berbagi Ilmu
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Sunday, February 22, 2015
Sono con Lui in questa tentazione

foto da en.jeshield.com
Mai da solo in questa tentazione, diceva mio amico. È come Gesù che sempre con lo spirito santo che ha ricevuto nel battesimo. Lo spirito che gli spinge ad entrare nel deserto, vivere li, e affrontare la tentazione del Satana. In questa situazione Gesù mai da solo. 

Anche noi, possiamo imparare da Gesù. Noi mai da soli. Siamo sempre con Lui. Andiamo con Lui, viviamo con Lui, lavoriamo con Lui, camminiamo con Lui, anche nel deserto, nella tentazione.

Quaranta giorni magari non è una grande tentazione. O, potrebbe essere anche una grande tentazione per ciascuno, ma bisogna ricordare bene che noi siamo con Lui. Lui ci accompagna ad affrontare la tentazione.

Senza di lui, non possiamo andare avanti. Senza di Lui, non possiamo affrontare la tentazione. Senza di lui, non possiamo vincere le tentazioni in questi quaranta giorni. Perciò, chiediamo la grazia di Dio, finché possiamo avere la forza di affrontare, di evitare le tentazioni.

Solo quaranta giorni, ma è un simbolo della vita. Superando questa tentazione di 40 giorni significa superando le tentazioni della vita, diceva un altro amico. Quaranta giorni sono come un esercizio che non si ferma mai nel 40 giorni, ma, per tutta la vita. Esercizio del 40 giorni valgono per tutta la vita.

Buona domenica e buon cammino.

Parma, 21/2/2015
Gordi
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Saturday, February 21, 2015
seorang sahabat di kota Parma memainkan violinnya saat acara HUT
Dua puluh delapan tahun lalu saya lahir. Hari ini, Minggu 15 Februari 2015, usia saya genap 28 tahun. Ibu saya bercerita bahwa saya lahir pada hari Minggu. Hari ini hari Minggu. Tepat seperti hari kelahiran saya 28 tahun lalu. 

Terima kasih
Saya ungkapkan rasa terima kasih saya kepada Tuhan yang memberikan usia ini. Terima kasih kepada orang tua saya yang melahirkan saya, membesarkan, menyekolahkan, mendukung perjalanan hidup saya, hingga hari ini. Bukan saja orang tua. Teman-teman saya juga. Para guru dan pendidik saya.

Rasa terima kasih ini saya haturkan pertama kali hari ini untuk teman-teman kolega saya di kota Parma, Italia. Ini adalah kali kedua saya merayakan hari ulang tahun di kota ini, di negara Italia ini.

Tepat setelah doa pagi, mereka memeluk saya dan mengucapkan SELAMAT ULANG TAHUN. Pelukan itu berarti tanda mereka menyanyangi saya, mengucap syukur pada Tuhan bersama saya. Saya ingat momen-momen seperti ini ketika berada di rumah. Satu per satu mereka datang dan mengucapkan, AUGURI, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SELAMAT ULANG TAHUN, BUON COMPLEANNO. Saya membalas dengan ucapan GRAZIE, TERIMA KASIH, THANK YOU.

Ratusan ucapan
Ungkapan SELAMAT ULANG TAHUN ini juga saya terima dari teman-teman jauh melalui dunia maya. Ada yang mengirim lewat email, pesan face book, komentar di blog kompasian, dan dinding face book. Mereka menulisnya dalam berbagai bahasa, Indonesia tentunya mayoritas, Italia, Inggris, juga Spanyol, dan Portugis. Saya terharu dan berterima kasih pada Tuhan dan pada teman-teman semua yang mengirim ucapan ini.
tiup lilinnya....
Dari segi jumlah, ada peningkatan. Tahun lalu hampir ratusan pesan dan ucapan. Tahun ini meningkat menjadi hampir 200-an. Bukan saja pada 15 Februari, ada yang mengirim keesokannya bahkan sampai 4 hari berturut-turut. Saya menjadi terkenal dengan banyaknya pesan yang datang ini. Kata teman saya di Minggu pagi ini, Sei diventa famoso oggi, you are most famous today.

Usia Berkurang
Keponakan saya berkomentar usia saya bertambah maka saya juga tambah tua. Memang benar. Dan, semoga bertambah usia, bertambah bijaksana, pikir saya. Seorang teman berkomentar, SELAMAT BERKURANG USIA ya. Benar juga. Usia bertambah berarti usia berkurang. Usia masa hidup memang bertambah menjadi 28 tetapi usia untuk hidup di planet bumi ini juga sekaligus berkurang. Makin tua saya tinggal di bumi, makin dekat masa akhir hidup saya. Ini hukum alam.

Saya tak peduli dengan semua ini. Saya hanya mengucap terima kasih beribu-ribu kali lagi untuk anugerah terindah ini. Anugerah yang saya terima dan juga saya rasakan dari sesama. Anugerah itu datang dari Tuhan dan juga dari sesama. Entah mengapa saya merasa terharu dengan ucapan selamat ulang tahun yang saya terima tahun ini.

Yang jauh saja, mau mengirim ucapan via internet. Yang dekat, malah, ucapkan langsung. Baik yang tinggal serumah dengan saya, maupun di paroki tempat saya membantu mengajar anak-anak setiap hari Minggu. Pastor paroki mengumumkan jika hari ini hari ulang tahun saya. Semua dengan lantang mengucapkan TANTI AUGURI. Anak-anak yang saya dampingi juga datang mengucapkan dan memeluk saya beramai-ramai. Orang tua mereka mengucapkan sekali lagi, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sesaat setelah misa usai.

Terima kasih Tuhan. Ini kali kedua saya merayakan ulang tahun di kota ini dan di negara tercinta ini. Jauh dari Indonesia namun merasa dekat dengan membaca pesan SELAMAT ULANG TAHUN dalam bahasa Indonesia. Cukup sampai di sini saja. Terima kasih untuk kalian semua yang mengucapkan tanda kasih sayang ini pada saya.

Parma, 15 Februari 2015
Gordi
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Thursday, February 19, 2015
LA NOSTRA FEDE E’ COME CENERE

foto da www.parrocchiagavarnorinnovata.org  
Signore, la nostra fede è come cenere,
tiepida e inconsistente!
La nostra speranza è come cenere:
leggera e portata dal vento.
Il nostro sguardo è come la cenere:
grigio e spento.
Le nostre mani sono come la cenere:
quanta polvere!
La nostra comunità è come la cenere:
quanta dispersione!
Signore Dio nostro, ti ringraziamo
Perché nel cammino di quaranta giorni
che oggi iniziamo, il soffio del tuo Spirito
accende di nuovo il suo fuoco
che cova sotto le nostre ceneri.
Amen.


*del foglietto per la messa alla Chiesa Santa Cristina-Parma.
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Thursday, February 19, 2015
LA PREGHIERA VI DOMENICA DEL TEMPO ORDINARIO
15 FEBBRAIO 2015
di Roberto Laurita
foto da www.frateindovino.eu

Sono anch'io un lebbroso, Signore,
quando la mia malattia dell’anima
desta orrore in chi mi sta vicino
e per questo cerca in ogni modo
di tenermi alla larga.
Ma tu mi vieni incontro
E spezzi il mio isolamento,
tu infrangi le barriere
che mi separano dagli altri,
tu guarisci la mia incapacità
di comunicare e di amare.

Sono anch’io un lebbroso, Signore,
quando il mio volto viene sfigurato
dall’orgoglio o dalla superbia,
dalla gelosia o dall’egoismo,
e il mio cuore si indurisce
al punto di essere impermeabile
ad ogni richiesta di aiuto.
Ma tu, che hai un animo limpido,
non hai nessuna paura del contagio.
Per questo non esiti a toccarmi
Per risanare la mia anima
E restituirle la possibilità
Di accogliere e di sostenere,
di provare misericordia e compassione.

Sono anch’io un lebbroso, Signore,
quando sono tutto preso
dai miei progetti, dalla mia voglia di riuscire,
dai vantaggi che posso ricavare,
dalla brama di accumulare,
dalla voglia di vincere a qualsiasi costo.
Solo tu puoi guarire questa lebbra
Con la tua parola di tenerezza.

*del foglietto per la messa alla Chiesa Santa Cristina-Parma.

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Thursday, February 19, 2015
PREGHIERA DELLA FRATELLANZA (VOLTAIRE)

foto da lucideimaestri.situswebs.com
Tu non ci hai donato un cuore per odiarci l’un l’altro
né delle mani per sgozzarci a vicenda;
fa che noi ci aiutiamo vicendevolmente a sopportare
il fardello di una vita penosa e passeggera.
Fa sì che le piccole differenze tra i vestiti
che coprono i nostri deboli corpi,
tra tutte le nostre lingue inadeguate,
tra tutte le nostre usanze ridicole,
tra tutte le nostre leggi imperfette,
tra tutte le nostre opinioni insensate,
tra tutte le nostre convinzioni così diseguali ai nostri occhi
e così uguali davanti a te,
insomma che tutte queste piccole sfumature che
distinguono gli atomi chiamati “uomini”
non siano altrettanti segnali di odio e di persecuzione…

*del foglietto per la messa alla Chiesa Santa Cristina-Parma.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2015
gambar dari google www.wisatalintasindonesia.com
Aku mau pergi
Dari sini ke sana
Dari daerah ke kota
Bukan mau jalan-jalan
Bukan mau studi banding
Bukan mau meneliti
Aku pergi untuk suatu tugas
Tugas belajar bersama
Berbagi pengalaman
Enam bulan kami berjauhan
Kini kami mendekat
Ada cerita baru tentunya
Kawan bentar lagi kita merapat
Mungkin kamu sudah tiba di sana
Aku dalam perjalanan
Doakan agar kita bertemu
*Sebelum berangkat ke kota Metropolitan…..

PA, 5/1/13
Gordi

Dari Daerah ke Kota







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