Hajja Salesjana

that probably this regretful alteration in our Maltese character has come about due to the dwindling open and green spaces on our tiny islands which are being voraciously gobbled up in grey concrete, as houses of character are bulldozed and destroyed to make way for bland blocks of flats which are sprouting at every possible nook and cranny around our islands, even within previously pristine village cores, erasing forever the charm which many used to marvel at and be attracted to. Our anger has probably also been aroused by the never ending traffic jams in perpetually congested roads undergoing major works. Being regularly stuck in traffic in soaring humid temperatures is surely no pleasure to savour. Trees are becoming a rarity among us and in order to see some green expanses or enjoy the shade of a large tree, alas one has to either wait for the winter months when Malta spreads its green carpet or else opt to go abroad for some days. Gospel values too seem to be crumbling all around us as individualism, consumerism, greed, hedonism and superficiality run rampant among us, erasing the once genuine and serene Maltese character. Simplicity, authenticity, serenity and tranquillity seem to have packed their bags and left our islands as it is daily bombarded with noise and dust. Sure enough, all of this has deeply impacted us and our collective psyche, whether we admit it or not. But facts are there for all to see! If we truly love our islands, we must slam the breaks and alter our roadmap. Despite these sad and bleak headlines blaring all around us, there have however been other headlines which I choose to call, EDITORIAL Fr. Sandro Camilleri sdb Headlines of Grace photo by Zoltan Tasi www ,unsplash.com Summer has come and gone and cooler months thankfully beckon ahead. It has indeed been a stifling hot summer all over Europe and not only in Malta and Gozo, used to sizzling hot temperatures that siphon off one’s energy, leaving one gasping for breath or struggling for some ounce of energy. News headlines from around the world and Malta itself were not too pleasant either, reminding us that the pandemic still somehow rumbles on denting our normalcy, while the war between Russia and Ukraine barges on unabatedly reaping havoc, pain, sadness and death. A recent screeching headline in Malta was the report that in Europe, the Maltese have gone from being the happiest people in 2005 to becoming the angriest Europeans around in 2022. Food for thought indeed! ... What has made us Maltese change so drastically in a matter of years? What has touched us so deeply that it has altered our usual serene and happy-go-lucky attitude which used to attract so many people to our once beautiful islands? ... A Facebook post tentatively tried to make heads or tails of this predicament and it probably hit the nail on the head when the w r i t e r surmised 3 Ottubru - Diċembru 2022 hajja