Hajja Salesjana April-June 2020

H AJJA S ALESJANA 4 Trenches of pain or furrows of new life... the choice is in our hands! Recently I was admiring a farmer who was calmly, digging straight, long furrows on the reddish brown soil in the vast, fertile fields in front of the place where I live, so that when the time is right, he would eventually sow seeds therein. Admittedly I was struck by the process I saw and immediately a thought came to my mind which I would like to share with you all: We are at that wonderful liturgical time when we celebrate the apex of the faith we hold dear, the triumphant resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, following his harrowing betrayal, passion and death. The perennial enemy of our souls tried to dig deep, trench-like furrows in our lives and in that of Jesus, hoping to bury him there once and for all as he was placed in the tomb, striving to wipe him out and making us believe that he had been vanquished, that it was all over, that it was all too good to be true. But in that dark place, just like when a seed is sown and covered in soil and left in the dark, the most awesome wonder took place. The King of kings and Lord of Lords, by the power of the Spirit of Love which binds Him eternally to His and our Heavenly Father, rose victoriously from the grave to live and be with us, as He promised, for evermore. Just like a seedling, seemingly entombed, sprouts to life from the dark earth where it was, blooms and blossoms, eventually bearing fragrant flowers and delicious fruit, so too Our Lord’s resurrection to new life has brought us hope, joy and the reassurance that life is stronger than death and that we are bound for an eternity of bliss with Our Creator God who is Love personified. This is not an enchanted fairytale but a real blood-sealed promise by the Risen Jesus for you and me! The same parallel process at times happens also in our mundane life, does it not? As we trudge forward in our day to day existence, undeniably there are moments of sorrow and sadness, which mark us all, digging deep trenches of pain in our personal life. However these psychological and emotional trenches can become birth ground, furrows of new life leading us to deeper wisdom, insight and knowledge if we choose to learn from whatever we go through in life. Indeed a life not reflected upon is not a life worth living! So let us remind ourselves, especially as we celebrate Easter, the victory of Life over death, that when there are moments in our life when we feel totally in the dark, alone and burdened, it could actually be that we have been sown in one of life’s furrows only to eventually bloom to a newer, wiser version of ourselves. This could only come about if we allow ourselves to be irrigated by the love and care of those who truly appreciate us, rather than with any regret or anger we might have which could stunt and blight our growth. Let us allow the Risen Jesus, the God of exuberant Life, flood us with His wondrous, life giving Love so that we may bloom and blossom where we are planted for His greater glory! So when life digs trenches of pain in our heart and mind, let us choose to allow God’s Love, transform them into furrows of new life. The choice is in our hands! Happy Easter to you and all your loved ones! Fr. Sandro Camilleri sdb