Malta votes Yes for Divorce - The day we make st.Paul, Apostle of Malta, blush with embarrassment

“Beware of false prophets: they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside they are wild wolves. You will recognise them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7: 15,16)

Malta’s not been hit by a tornado, a tsunami or an earthquake – not physically but yes our land’s been shaken, our values swept and the permanence of marriage has been blown away.

We have called ourselves “Catholic” but now the truth has been revealed and made clear: the REAL Catholics are the minority in Malta.

Friday night felt like Maundy Thursday to me – the night we would betray Christ with a kiss.

A few days ago we walked after Our Lady of Sorrows and went to the Good Friday Celebration. We supposedly wept for our sins and vowed to never betray God again ...then we betray and flee at the hour of our trial.

Our Kiss of Betrayal: “I am Catholic, I agree with divorce. I will vote YES for divorce”

Some of us are consoled because we weren’t all Judases. Some of us were regular apostles – people who walked with Christ but fled during the hour of the trial. They are those of us who chose to abstain. Why? Because what our political leader said is valued more than what Christ says.

Now we have decided and our decision goes before the authorities – no longer a Roman Governor.

Our Prime Minister has spoken saying that he personally is upset at the results of this referendum but added that of course he has to respect the decision the Maltese people have taken.

“Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified” (John 19:16)

So now it’s official and darkness is falling on the land. No physical earthquake shakes our land but a greater one shakes and divides it.

It is the greatest disaster Malta will ever endure: the earthquake who’s epicentre is marriage.

So much for being “a light for Europe” and an “art ħelwa” (sweet/beautiful land)! We have caused St.Paul, Apostle of Malta, to blush with shame! 

Many of us say that Malta will never accept abortion but let us wait a few years and we will do - just as we have accepted and chosen divorce. Then too we might boast of being "Catholic" and our land will be as bitter as all the other lands in the world.

What hypocrites we all are – us as a Maltese people!

A Pastoral Letter From Our Bishops.

OPTING IN FAVOUR OF
PERMANENT MARRIAGE

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, God has offered us the gift of his Word in order that it may enlighten us, at a moment when, as Catholics, we are called upon to make a choice in favour of our Lord Jesus Christ: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14, 6).

Our Lord is telling us that our desire to go to God the Father must be intrinsically bound to the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ. For the Christian, there can be no other road which leads to the Father. Each and every one of us must choose Jesus as the Truth: His words bear the real value of everything that surrounds us. We must look through His eyes. We must choose Jesus as the Path which leads us to this Truth. Other paths will not lead us there! Once we make such choices, we come to realize that we are savouring the true Life which is intended for mankind.

We hope that even with regard to the Divorce Referendum, which is actually a referendum on marriage, we will be guided by the words of Jesus.

In this respect, prior to the Referendum, we wish to offer you this Pastoral Letter.

Through the Referendum which will take place in a few days’ time, we are being called upon as citizens, to express – through our vote – our convictions with regard to marriage.

This call should not fall upon deaf ears. We cannot remain indifferent. The Referendum deals with a very important matter and any person who may decide not to participate will show a lack of civil and religious maturity.

Marriage and the family are very close to our hearts and, in our society, there is a general consensus on the need to invest further so that these may be strengthened. Marriage and the family form the natural core which is essential for a person to live and grow within an atmosphere of genuine love, as well as for the building of a strong society. Experience has shown us that this is what is required in order for human dignity to be upheld.

For this reason, Jesus Christ teaches us that marriage, which goes hand in hand with the dignity of mankind, should, by its very nature, be a permanent bond.

When the experience of love in marriage and the family fails, wounds are opened up: such wounds take a long time to heal. We all know of people who are wounded because their marriages have failed. As your Spiritual Shepherds, we can assure you that we feel these cries within our hearts, just as God feels them within his own heart. At the same time, one must acknowledge that when these separated persons speak about their experience, they admit that they feel extremely saddened that their marriage has failed. These people, who are wounded and hurt, show us that, as a nation, we should continue to cherish true marriage. As a gesture of love towards those who are suffering, and towards future generations, we must together try and improve the conditions of marriage and the family in order that these hurts may be diminished.

The question posed by the Referendum – whether we desire for divorce legislation to be introduced in our country – is a question which shall have a direct effect upon marriage itself and which impinges upon our conduct as citizens, as well as on the common good of our country. The citizen is called upon to respond to this question in the light of reason.

Within this context, the Catholic citizen has a particular contribution to make. The teachings of Jesus Christ, expressed through the moral law of the Church, leave no doubt that divorce is the wrong solution – a solution upon which a stable society cannot be built. A society which builds upon a foundation of stable marriage means there will be less people who suffer in the future; it is a sign of love towards future generations. Hence our Christian beliefs shed further light upon the truth surrounding the true nature of marriage.

In the light of all this, therefore, it is our duty as your Spiritual Shepherds to remind the people of God and all people of good will that every time the citizen is called upon to express his opinion, through his vote, as in the case of the Referendum, it is his moral obligation to fulfill his duty. This moral obligation becomes greater when the decision involves values which we cannot refute, as in the case of permanent marriage.

Our choice in the Referendum demands much reflection because it carries a great responsibility. It is a decision which will affect not only the present, but also the future. By his vote, the citizen will either build or destroy. A choice in favour of permanent marriage is an act of faith in the family, built upon a bond of love which cannot be severed; whereas a choice in favour of divorce leads to the further destruction of marriage and the family and, as a consequence, the destruction of values and the quality of life. We all shoulder the responsibility for the consequences of our decision.

Faced with this Referendum, the Christian cannot avoid posing some fundamental questions that he or she needs to take into consideration when making important decisions, and this with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Baptism, the Christian belongs to Jesus and chooses to follow Him. Therefore:

The Christian must always act with reference to our Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. In taking his decision on how to vote, he must bear in mind that he shall be accountable to Jesus for his choice;

The Christian must always act in the light of the mission he has embraced, together with other Christians, and which was given by the Lord Jesus: “Go to the ends of the earth and spread the Good News” Every action of the Christian should serve as an opportunity to offer his or her contribution in order that the teachings of Jesus may inspire the society of mankind which God so loves. Therefore, each and every Christian is called upon to view his or her vote as an occasion to participate in the mission of Jesus Christ with respect to marriage and the family. We should not miss this opportunity because we are uninterested or due to lack of enthusiasm.

We recommend that every Christian prays for divine inspiration. We pray for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Queen of the Family, so that in this important hour, during which we are called upon to consolidate the future of marriage and the family, we shall make our choice in accordance with the will of the God.

We impart upon you God’s blessings.

+ PAUL CREMONA O.P.
Archbishop of Malta

+ MARIO GRECH
Bishop of Gozo

+ ANNETTO DEPASQUALE
Titular Bishop of Aradi

Feast of St. George Preca

...the ONLY declared Maltese saint!!!!!

I will not be writing much i'll just say a few things namely that:

This priest was expected to die about three times before he was ordained a priest! As a young boy, one time, he almost drowned. Another time, a young man - to prove how strong he was - arms outstretched held little George in air: from the "San Gejtanu" bell tower!!!

Few days before his Ordination, George was sooo sick that the doctor told his parents to prepare his clothes for burial rather than those required for the Ordination!

So: physically he was never the strongest. As a child NOT ONLY wouldn't the children choose him for games they'd give him "free" to other teams!!

...but well God uses the little! :-)

St. George Preca (1880-1962) lived and loved Christ with all his heart. Because he KNEW Christ he wanted to share Him and His teachings with everyone! He would speak with men about God at the "dockyards", he would teach in the streets, train people to be Catechists, gather children for catechism and work unceasingly to bring people to God!

It was THIS saint who started the M.U.S.E.U.M. ie: the society which, for the past decades has been the main/primary "agent" in Malta - concerning in the catechesis of children, young people and all those wanting to learn about God.

He was a humble priest but one who would not stutter where Truth was concerned. He knew Truth and would not compromise it ...he was firm and would shout if need be too ;-)

A Museum is a place where valuable and priceless items/artefacts are kept and treasured. St.George named this society such because it's aim was - and is - to share the Word of God with all people and he would say that there is nothing more precious than the Word of God. :-) For this reason he spoke to the people about this Living Word of God and had all those teaching wear a badge with the words: "Verbum Dei Caro Factum Est" ("the Word of God took on flesh" - John 1:14) ...which they do unto this very day! :-)

Malta is very small but God never forgot the smallest of people. He would not allow st.Paul to have his own way (see Acts 27:10) and so he was made to come here! (see Acts 28)

Now centuries later He had sent to us another "apostle" to remind us of God's love and proclaim His Word yet again only this time it will not be JUST for us but also for others!

Today the Society is spread all over the world! Its members have opened schools and Museums (of Catechesis) practically everywhere! They go to most countries spreading the Word of God and serving - Christians and non-Christians alike and continue to serve even the poorest of people in third world countries.

This holy priest's wish and prayer had come true:

M.U.S.E.U.M.

Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus!

(Master, oh that the whole world may follow the Gospel!)

(St. George Preca)

I am thankful to be a Maltese Catholic and

thankful to God for this declared MALTESE Saint! :-)

------------

St.George Preca was beatified (ie: declared "Blessed")
by Pope John Paul II, in Malta, on the 9th May 2001

and was declared a saint

by Pope Benedict XVI, in Rome, on June 3rd 2007.

You can read more about him by clicking HERE :-)

Press Release from the St.Machael the Archangel Organisation.

MULTINATIONAL ROSARY FOR

UNBORN BABIES BEGINS MAY 6TH

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE [U.S.A.] - (May 4th, 2011) - The 3-day ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is set to begin May 6th(Friday) and continue through May 8th(Sunday). Presently, more than 40,000 Rosaries are registered to be prayed for an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn human persons.

The Saint Michael the Archangel Organization, coordinator of the ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES, is reporting that one or more registration forms have been received from each of the following nations:

Mexico, Netherlands, Ukraine, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, New Zealand, Philippines, India, Romania, Poland, Spain, Australia, Columbia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Italy, France, Canada, Kuwait, Argentina, U.S.A., Sweden, Malta, South Africa, Germany, Brazil, Namibia, Moldova, Venezuela, and Mauritius.

[ Malta's in there!!!

- Tiny Nation, but we can and do pray! ;-)  ]

A few of the many communications received by the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization reveal the following:

• People will gather at a parish in the Philippines on Saturday, May 7th to pray more than 600 Rosaries;

• People were signed-up after Masses at a parish in Minnesota. The result: More than 400 Rosaries have now been registered;

• A great number of people have been registered to be participants through the work of many members of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas;

• 7th graders from a school in Tennessee will be praying more than 100 Rosaries; a school in Michigan will be praying over 500 Rosaries; an elementary school and a high school in the Archdiocese of Omaha have registered 380 Rosaries;

• A registration form from Romania stated that 150 Rosaries would be prayed;

There is still time to register and promote the ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event. Information about both registering and promoting the prayer event is available at www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org (The mailing address for the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization is P. O. Box 41257; Memphis, Tennessee 38174; U.S.A.)

Non dimenticheremo mai!

What was it about this Pope? His face? His character? His charisma? His Spirituality? ...His holiness?

Whatever it was, old and young alike, Catholics and non-Catholics - even non-Christian people - actually loved him!

It's hard to imagine the world without having ever had this Pope. All of us over the age of 10 are bound to remember him well and whether we followed his pilgrimages and speeches or not, we've been effected - in whichever way.

Some of us love him like he was our friend or father, some of us love him like though he was our grandfather, some of us keep him as a saint or inspirational role model but few if any are completely passive.

Some would criticize him of course because that is how the world goes and some people just like to be "special" and/or "unique" perhaps but those who are honest would have to admit that he was one great man - outspoken against drug dealers and crime, welcoming to the poor, a friend of prisoners, a visitor of the sick and host of the homeless, a preacher of Truth, apostle of God's Mercy and above all a joyful servant of God - despite his sufferring.

He was also the man who forgave the person who shot him and who through his deeds and words brought hope to the sufferring and encouraged those facing ilness or hard times.

He came to Malta twice, knelt down and prayed in the Grotto of St.Paul here and declared our FIRST maltese saint.

He also spoke to us about being a light to the rest of Europe and holding fast to our faith and the values our fathers have kept, treasured and cherished for centuries - values we are sadly letting go of.

He was old and young at the same time - young with the young, staying up late and laughing with them ...recorded a cd too with music and prayer!

He proclaimed God's mercy for all (click here to read his beautiful encyclical about the Divine Mercy of God), and established the feast of the Divine Mercy making it a solemn and international feast to be celebrated in all Catholic Churches. He proclaimed the Polish nun who spread this devotion the first saint of the new millenium to remind us all of God's mercy for us and died on the feast of the Divine Mercy.

If there is a Pope who can be called great it must be him - and now, on this day when we celebrate the Divine Mercy of God, the Church has presented him to us formally declaring him Blessed :-)