Hajja Salesjana November December 2016

4 Indeed time flies, it rushes and dashes forward waiting for nobody. Another year has come and is almost gone as it becomes part of the collective and personal story of each one of us. However I am sure that throughout 2016 we have all been through certain experiences and lived through certain situations that have helped us to grow and which we will remember, because in some way or other, they have marked our life and have made us who we are. This is certainly the case for all the Maltese Salesian Family, who while welcoming Don Bosco among us in 2015, during this year it has reaped the bountiful blessings this visit has bestowed upon our Maltese Salesian Delegation: the ordination to the priesthood of Fr. Robert Falzon, the perpetual profession of Br. Kenneth Micallef, the renewal of vows of Br. Paul Spiteri and the first profession of religious vows by Br. Clint Rizzo, Br. Johan Bugeja and Br. Julian Schembri (to be seen on front page). Besides all this, we have celebrated the 25th and the 50th anniversary of the religious profession of some of us while we also celebrated the fidelity of various Salesians who throughout this year, have been assigned new roles of responsibility and service or were given new work to perform. All accepted this with sincere commitment and trust in God because every new beginning requires a leap of faith in the dark. For all this we really need to thank God because afterall, He expects our gratitude and does not wish that we take everything forgranted. Thus, we would do well if while looking back at the months of 2016, we find some time before the end of this year were we can thank God for what He gave us and for what we have been through. He will surely appreciate it and will continue to lavish His blessings upon us while we resume our life journey with Him, who is the only real compass that can lead us to eternal life. Amidst so much turbulence around us and within various social spheres, He is the only constant, He alone never changes, He alone is always there for us to give us a helping hand, as long as we allow Him to. Let us invite Him to walk with us and to guide us throughout the new year that is about to dawn, 2017. During this coming year we will mark the hundredth anniversary of the famous marian apparitons of Fatima, that are dear to many Catholics. Let us travel along with Him in the awareness that even though we do not know what awaits us in the coming months, with trust we will leave our future in the hands of our God, Emanuel, God-with-us, who loves us a lot because as this quote wisely puts it, “I am not afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God for although I do not know what the future holds, I know Who holds it in the palm of His hands!” May God and His Mother watch over you and bless you! Fr. Sandro Camilleri sdb “I AM NOT AFRAID TO TRUST AN UNKNOWN FUTURE TO A KNOWN GOD FOR ALTHOUGH I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, I KNOW WHO HOLDS IT IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS!” E D I T O R I A L Our God wi th us