JOY TO ALL MEN AND PEACE TO MANKIND
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s Jesus’ hour of humiliation draws near he reveals to his disciples the supreme humility which shaped the love he had for them. He stoops to perform a menial task reserved for servants – the washing of smelly, dirty feet. In stooping to serve His disciples Jesus knew He would be betrayed by one of them and that the rest would abandon Him through disloyalty. Such knowledge could have easily led to bitterness or hatred. Jesus met the injury of betrayal and disloyalty with the greatest humility and supreme love. Jesus loved His disciples to the very end, even when they failed Him and forsook Him. The Lord loves each of us unconditionally. His love has power to set us free to serve others with Christ-like compassion and humility. Does the love of Christ rule in your heart, thoughts, intentions and actions?
Fr. Stuart Chipolina
h humility and love.
Saint Augustine in his sermon for this day, wrote: “He had the power of laying down His life; we by contrast cannot choose the length of our lives, and we die even if it is against our will. He, by dying, destroyed death in Himself; we are freed from death only in His death. His body did not see corruption; our body will see corruption and only then be clothed through Him in incorruption at the end of the world. He needed no help from us in saving us; without Him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from Him
we cannot have life. Finally, even if brothers die for brothers, yet no martyr by shedding His blood brings forgiveness for the sins of his brothers, as Christ brought forgiveness to us. In this he gave us, not an example to imitate but a reason for rejoicing. Inasmuch, then, as they shed their blood for their brothers, the martyrs provided “the same kind of meal” as they had received at the Lord’s table. Let us then love one another as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us.” Happy Easter to you all Fr Stuart
‘Jesus washing the feet of the apostles’ by Del Parson ©1983 IRI Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a notfor-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: 200 79335 email: angela@ europeaxess.com
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media Ltd, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. Stuart Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.eu
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Cover: Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, Gibraltar. Divine Mercy window by Barbara K. Williams “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance and immediately there came out blood and water.” John 10:34 Cover collage: A. Sargent
Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine.
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Our Diocesan Journey
Facilitating Communicatio “We have never had representatives of all Parishes and Groups come together in one meeting like this.” a participant
F
urther to the results of the Bishop’s questionnaire which were published last summer, his Lordship His Lordship Bishop Ralph invited Fr. Ronald McAinsh, Provincial Superior of Redemptorists in UK and Zimbabwe to Gibraltar. The purpose of his visit was to
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facilitate a consultation process in the Diocese, in order to establish a new and fresh way of reaching out to the people. This took place on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th of March. On the Saturday, at the Catholic Community Centre, which was buzzing with discussion, Fr. Ronald explained, “Yesterday I
met with the Priests, and today representatives from all the parishes and groups in the Diocese have come together. The goal is to put a strategy in place for the short term, that is the next few months, the medium term, as in five years, and long term, looking ten years hence. We have looked at what is
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working well. We have been discussing areas where there can be development and growth, and we are hoping to come up with a practical action plan, owned by the people. At the end of the afternoon, I will commission these representatives to go out and bring this strategy to the people of the Diocese.”
on
Photos A. Sargent
Bishop Ralph Hesket hosted the event, which was facilitated by Fr. Ronald McAinsh, Provincial Superior of Redemptorists in UK and Zimbabwe, Fr. Françoise Sainte-Marie also participated.
database driven website will have an interactive calender, so when any date is clicked on, it displays
everything that has been entered in the online Diocesan events database for that day.
Support for busy workers One or two people were asked for feedback to the day’s event: Henry Earle: “Its great to get representatives of all the parishes and groups together, to hear about the work each one is doing. This is something new, something that has never happened before. As to looking ahead, well, each group of course has its own ideas, its own agenda, but through meeting like this maybe we can work together better.” Ana Maria Hayden: “I am over the moon, absolutely over the moon, it has been wonderful to unburden myself with what I, and many others have been thinking, and I have been able to speak honestly and openly and I know many others agree with what I have said. We have been able to discuss what is working and what single thing we can do for improvement.
That thing is better communication, and we are discussing what new strategy we should put in place to achieve this.” Speaking after the event, Bishop Ralph confirmed that “Two things were identified. Communication and Education. A group is to be set up to look at passing on the Faith to following generations, both for young people and adult education. Similarly another group will be meeting in the next couple of weeks to look at practical ways to improve communications and prevent the scheduling clashes that can occur with so many active groups working independently. NEW WEBSITE Bishop Ralph went on to speak about the new website he had commissioned earlier that month, which will have the facility for each Parish and Group to have its own page. In addition this
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“Destroy this temple and
in three days
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I will build it up.” A brief study of the Easter Triduum through art......
Day 1
On what we now call ‘Maundy Thursday’ Jesus goes down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover meal with His friends. They get ready for the washing of the feet, as was the custom. Jesus poured water into a bowl and made to start washing Peter’s feet. Peter protested that this was not fitting, but Jesus explained, ‘You call me Master and Lord, and rightly so; so I am. If I then, the Lord and Master has washed your feet, you must wash each other’s feet.’ Later St. Paul wrote to the fledgling Church in Corinth, describing exactly what happened at that Passover meal “The night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and after He had given thanks, He broke it, and He said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” This is the source of the Eucharistic traditions we follow today. In the image above, (left) you can see the love and concern in the apostles faces, but Judas in the foreground in a yellow robe, looks arrogant, he has a bag of coins in his left hand. In Tintoretto’s depiction of the Crucifixion above, we are invited into a chaotic scene, the artist shows what was a common event, crowded with soldiers and labourers at work without much feeling. In contrast Jesus’ followers are overcome with grief at the foot of the Cross. They have watched the legionnaire drive the nails into the hands and feet of their Lord, seen His body sag forward as the Cross was lifted into place, and heard his last gasping words, during the hours of excruciating pain. Those seven last phrases are filled with meaning and help to establish the relationship between Christians and the Church, His mother Mary and all Christians, and Christ and His family. On ‘Good Friday’ we come together to meditate on the sufferings of Christ, the liturgy leads us through the events of the day, we may follow the Stations of the Cross, indoors, or outside giving witness to the greater community, with opportunities to pray both silently and together.
Day 2
Day 3
Now we are in modern times, above Swiss artist Patrick Devonas’ Allegory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, captures the very moment when Jesus regains consciousness, as He pulls the shroud from His body and lifts His head. We are here, still inside the tomb with Jesus, which is appropriate, for the theme of the Holy Saturday evening vigil is one of light piercing the darkness. The Lord’s new life pierced the darkness of death for all of us, showing us that we have absolutely nothing to fear. In the early church, it was this Easter Saturday service that announced the Resurrection, with symbolic and dramatic use of fire outside, or lamps and candles in churches. Bishop Ralph encourages everyone to check the times of the Easter Triduum services in their local parish, and participate as fully as possible to share the celebration of the three days in which Christ rebuilt the ‘temple’, for as St. Paul says, ‘if Christ is not raised from the dead, then our preaching is without substance.’
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Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant
More Jubilee Tickets available for Windsor. Gibraltar now invited to take part in the Cultural Pavilion, a show and exhibition. n addition to having representatives from Gibraltar fly the flag before members of the Royal Family at Windsor, the invitation has been extended for participation in the Cultural Pavilion. This will allow for a small stand to depicting Gibraltar’s history as well as a short show.
Photos
from
1954?
The Director of the Pageant has specifically asked for photographs from the time when the Queen visited Gibraltar on her Commonwealth Tour in 1954. A selection of these images will be used on the large screens at the Pageant. If you have any images from that time, please send them to any member of the Jubilee Committee or Angela
Sargent Tel: 20079335 to be scanned and sent to Windsor
New Tickets
are now
available. Now the Pageant will run for 4 days, 10th - 13th May. There are only very limited numbers of VIP tickets available. Including access to the Jubilee Pavilion where members of the Royal Family will be. If you would like to attend the Jubilee Pageant, please contact Lyana Armstrong at M. H. Blands on Tel: 20074135. Alternatively, ask Lyana about a Kenya holiday including rooms at Tree Tops Hotel. The Princess Elizabeth Suite, has been given to the Kijani Trust for the nights of the Pageant. Proceeds will go to help the work of the Kijani (Kenya) Trust.
Photo Courtesy Gibraltar Museum
Tessa Imossi presents a bouquet to The Queen in 1954
I
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Religious Life for Lay People
A Process of Discovery
The General Council of the Carmelite Order in Rome formally establishes a new Lay Carmelite community in Gibraltar
O
n Saturday the 25th February 2012, Bishop Ralph Heskett officiated at the formal establishment of a Lay Carmelite community in Gibraltar, and the Reception into the Third Order of a small group of women, Elizabeth Chipolina, Ana Maria Hayden, and Angela Perera, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe. The General Council in Rome asked John Berry, a Lay Carmelite in the Carmelite Third Order Secular and the Provincial’s delegate to the Third Order to help support and oversee the development of Lay Carmel in the British province. Having received requests from a small group of women in Gibraltar, supported by the warm and generous consent of the Bishop of
Gibraltar, His Lordship Ralph Heskett, the General Council of the Carmelite Order in Rome has requested that the British Province of Carmelites provide pastoral support to a new Lay Carmelite community here in Gibraltar. John Berry explained that afternoon, “That being the case the reasons for my visit to Gibraltar this weekend are twofold: firstly, to receive the three new members into the Third Order and secondly, to help to formally establish this new Lay Carmelite community. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Bishop Ralph for all the help
and support he has given to the group in their endeavour to found a new Lay Carmelite community. I would also like to thank you all for the very warm and generous welcome I have received from everyone I have met since my arrival here in Gibraltar yesterday. It is a great honour and privilege for me to receive these new members into the Third Order today especially in the setting of this very beautiful shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Europe! Let us ask Our Lady to bless this new fledgling community that it will grow and flourish in the Carmelite spirit and that it will build up fraternal bonds with their Carmelite brothers and sisters in Spain, where the Carmelite story has such a rich and fruitful history!
Carmelite History If you will allow me, I would like to say a little bit about the history of the Carmelite family to which our sisters, Elizabeth, Ana Maria and Angela are about to be received into. The Carmelites have a unique back ground, because unlike the Franciscans who have a Francis, or the Dominicans who have a Dominic, the Carmelites do not
John Berry have a founder but instead look to a place for their beginnings and that place is Mount Carmel in the Holy land. Although they do not have a founder, the Carmelites do have two great figures who have inspired them throughout their 800-year history. They are Elijah, the fiery prophet of Carmel, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. These two exemplars of Carmelite charism have helped the community see how to be contemplative and active; prayerful and prophetic and reflective and apostolic. The story of the Carmelite family begins with a group of hermits who gathered on the slopes of Mount Carmel towards the end of the twelfth century. The hermits lived an isolated existence in caves and huts on Mount Carmel by Elijah’s well. They wanted to live closer to Jesus Christ in the land where Jesus walked.
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The Candidates ask to experience the life of the Gospel according to the Carmelite spirit, as members of the Carmelite Third Order Secular helped by the Lay Carmelite Community in Britain, building up fraternal bonds with Carmel in Spain and in communion with the whole Carmelite Family. Not a lot is known about those early Carmelites, but it is thought that some of them may have been Crusaders and pilgrims to the Holy places. They may also have been joined by hermits from other parts of the Holy Land where it had become unsafe to live due to the Crusader - Moslem conflict of the time! After a while, these hermits wanted to organise themselves more formally and so they approached the then Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Albert of Vercelli, and asked him to write for them a rule of life, that they could live by. Sometime between 1206 and 1214, Albert gave the hermits a formula of life that they could live by, which codified the way of life they had been living up to that point. However, due to the impending threat of a Saracen attack; the next 20 years or so saw the Carmelites forced to flee the slopes of Mount Carmel and return to
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Europe from where they had originally came. As the hermits left the Holy Land, they settled in places like Malta, Cyprus, France and then Aylesford and Northumberland in England. At the General Council of the Order held at Aylesford in 1247 the Carmelites decided to embrace the new movement that was sweeping across Europe at that time and became mendicant friars. That same year, Pope Innocent IV approved their formula of life definitively as an authentic Rule of Life, amending it to suit Western conditions. The Carmelites had now made the transition from Lay hermits to a Religious Order in the Church. Over the next 200 years the Carmelites were to spread right
John Berry
The Candidates are clothed with the Third Order reception scapular and are presented with a book of the Gospels and the legislation of the Order. across Europe. In 1452, the then Prior General of the Order, Blessed John Soreth, received the Papal Bull from Pope Nicholas V, entitled Cum Nulla. This Papal document opened the way for lay people to join the Order in their own right, first as Nuns (Second Order) and a little while later as Third Order. The structure for the Carmelite family we know today was thereby put in place.
International Family Today, the two branches of Carmelite Order have developed into an international family which includes some 6,000 friars, some 15,000 cloistered nuns, and over 15,000 lay people. Added to this there are also over 50 religious congregations of priests and apostolic sisters that are affiliated to the Order. In Britain today, you can find different and varied expressions of the Lay Carmelite voca-
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Religious Life for Lay People differing ages, male and female, some are married and others are single. They are diverse in educational, cultural and social backgrounds. They live in their own homes and work in the world, demonstrating their love of God through their love of family, colleague and neighbour. It has sometimes been said of these ‘Lay Carmelites’ that they are ‘Carmelites who work from home”!
The Candidates are congratulated by the community, here in the company of their spouses, John Berry and Bishop Heskett. tion that are flourishing, these include: the Third Order, which is divided into two branches, the Third Order Secular and the Third Order Regular. • The Third Order Secular is for Lay Carmelites and Secular clergy. • The Third Order Regular is for apostolic sisters and religious congregations who are affiliated to the Order. Then there are Lay Secular Institutes such as the Leaven, for single women living in the
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world. There are members of Carmelite spirituality groups and members of the Brown Scapular Confraternity which numbers many thousands. Some of these vocations are more formally organised, while others are more loosely affiliated to the Order. What is the Third Order? As we have heard, the Third Order Secular is for lay people and diocesan clergy who, by their profession of promises, make a formal and public commitment
to live the Carmelite way of prayer, community and service and practise the Evangelical Counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience according to their own state in life. At the very heart of the Carmelite charism is contemplation. Through the contemplative dimension of the charism we learn to see the world with the eyes of Jesus and love with the heart of Jesus. The membership of the Third Order is made up of all kinds of people, from all walks of life,
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Who is the Third Order for? Profession in the Third Order is a deepening of the universal call to holiness which we all share through our Baptism. Carmel offers its members a proven path to holiness that has been trodden by many of its Saints down the centuries. In the Carmelite tradition, God has called forth many wellknown saints like St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Thérèse of Lisiuex (all of whom are doctors of the Church due to the soundness of their teaching and their great sanctity). Then there are twentieth century martyrs like St. Teresa
John Berry
The Candidates with John Berry and Rector of the Shrine, Mgr. Charlie Azzopardi who was so helpful to their cause.
Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Bl. Titus Brandsma who courageously gave their lives in witness of the truth of the Gospel in the face of tyrannical ideology! However, in asking the question who is the Third Order for? We understand that it is not just for our own personal sanctification, as important as that may be. Like our Master who came ‘to serve and not to be served,’ we are to be at the service of the Church and the World. As Carmelites we have chosen to pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ following the Carmelite way - but what is this Carmelite way? I’d like to conclude now with some Words borrowed from a contemporary Carmelite which I feel sums up well the Carmelite journey: Together with the people we serve we are the body of Christ
called to become more so each day. This involves an ongoing journey of conversion and purification through the loving action of God whose purpose it is to set us free to love and really be ourselves. It is not about being perfect, but about growing, and more about being able to live with hard questions than having all the answers! The Carmelite journey is not about learning lots of facts, but rather a constant process of discovery of who God is and who I am through a life of prayer and service lived in community with our brothers and sisters who are
Refreshments were served at a short reception after the event.
sharing the same journey.” In a nutshell, the Carmelite way is about relationships, our relationship with God, our relation-
ship with one another and our relationship with the people we serve!
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Marriage Encounter Weekend 18-20 May 2012
The next Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held at the Europa Retreat Centre. Weekends are intended for married couples who the Catholic Church defines as having committed themselves to “The marriage covenant by which a man and a woman establish themselves as a partnership for their whole life.” Weekends are Catholic in origin and ethos. Married couples of any or no faith are welcome.
Weekend Booking Form
Marriage Care The Gibraltar Counselling Service 200 Main Street. Tel: 20071717
Surname: ______________________________________________ First Names: His:_ _______________ Hers:_ _________________ Religion:
His:_ _______________ Hers:_ _________________
Home Telephone:_ _______________ Mob:_ _________________ Email: ________________________________________________ ADDRESS:____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ For further information or to return booking form contact: Ernest & Jane Povedano, 29 Palm Tree Lodge, Montagu Gardens, Gibraltar Home Tel: 20070976 Mobile: 54007961 Email: janern@gibtelecom.net
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Women’s Health
Dr. Monique Risso
The Catechism and Living Together
Why the Church would like to protect love.
L
iving together before saying “I Do” has become the norm in the last couple of decades. Society expects this trial run before marriage and many are shocked to learn that the Church also has concrete teaching on this matter. Others may feel the Church’s teaching is antiquated in not approving of this apparently logical step into marriage. Let us explore what the Church teaches and why in this article. The Church calls couples preparing for marriage to live chastely. It states: “They should see in this time of testing a discovery of mutual respect, an apprenticeship in fidelity and the hope of receiving one another from God. They should reserve for marriage the expressions of affection that belong to married love. They will help each other grow in chastity.” CCC 2350 Further information is found in the Youcat where we are given the answers to two questions that are often asked: Why is the Church against premarital sexual relationships? Because she would like to protect love. A person can give someone else no greater gift than himself. “I love you” means for both: “I want only you, I want all that you are, and I want to give myself to you forever!” Because that is so, we cannot, even with our bodies, say “I love you” temporarily or on a trial basis. [2350, 2391] Many people take their premarital relationships seriously. And yet there are two reservations involved that are incompatible with love: the “exit option” and the fear of a child. Because love is so great, so sacred, and so unique, the Church teaches young people the obligation to wait until they are married before they start to have sexual relations. (Youcat 407. Further information in Youcat 425) How can you live as a young Christian if you are living in a premarital relationship or have already had premarital relations? God loves us at every moment, in every “complicated” situation,
even in a state of sin. God helps us to seek the whole truth about love and to find ways to live it more and more unambiguously and decisively. In a conversation with a priest or a reliable, experienced Christian, young people can look for a way to live out their love with increasing integrity. They will learn that every life is a process and that, whatever has happened, they can make a new beginning with God’s help. (Youcat 408). Marriage is one of the biggest decisions a person makes in their lifetime, the Church’s teaching is there to help us have clarity of mind, heart and soul to make the decision. If you would like to explore this topic further, the paragraphs 1601ff, 1615, 1662 and 2360ff of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, tells us more about the Church’s teaching on this subject.
Natural Family Planning is available in Gibraltar. There is availability to learn the Sympto Thermal Method and The Creighton Model FertilityCare System (Ovulation Method, also known as FertilityCare). For further information about the article and/or to learn the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, please contact: Dr Monique Risso MB ChB MRCGP mrissofertilityspice@hotmail.co.uk General Practitioner and NaPro Technology Physician Specialist Medical Clinic, Unit 7, 1st Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 49999 www.ladyofeuropefertilitycare.com To learn or enquire about the Sympto Thermal Method, please contact: nfp.gib@gmail.com
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Could you help the Helpline?
Every day of the year The story of Childline could be a children’s tale...
O
nce upon a time in the early days of 1884 the London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was established. From that day, society changed drastically following the two world wars and then came massive changes in the 60’s and the NSPCC developed its child protection research. Then in 1986 came Esther Rantzan, BBC presenter, she could be, in any children’s story, the fairy godmother who recognised the need to provide help to children in distress and Childline was born. The NSPCC joined up with Childline in 2006 and their combined resources made sure that no child’s call would go unanswered. That same year saw the establishment of Childline in Gibraltar building on the principles and experience gained in UK. (Esther Rantzan
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came to launch the organisation here). Today the charity continues to build on, and expand the services for the benefit of children in Gibraltar. Their Mission statement; “To end cruelty to children in Gibraltar”; and their vision; “A society in which all children are loved, valued, and able to fulfil their potential…..a society that will not tolerate child abuse-whether sexual, physical, emotional or neglect”, have been the guiding principles over the past six years. I met with Annie Green and Jo Cameron, two Childline volunteers dedicated to their work who spoke to me sincerely and their genuine warmth for the work they have undertaken, shone through. Annie was particularly struck by the level of compassion she has encountered in Gibraltar society for care and protection of chil-
dren, and this she has experienced first hand as an Appropriate Adult volunteer. Which is? “When a minor is arrested an adult needs to be present”. Simple you would think, but not always in real life. For any number of reasons this is not always so, and here Childline steps in and answers a call from the Royal Gibraltar Police. Annie explained; “this came about because of the informal arrangement which has always existed with the RGP. Now we have become formalised and are aligned to the organisation in the UK called Appropriate Adult Scheme. We are all volunteers and have been Criminal Bureaux checked and this is an important issue”. What happens when you answer the call? “The first issue is to check the welfare of the child, had food/ drink been provided, and fortunately here on the Rock children
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are usually dealt with compassionately. The police are grateful for our attendance because without an adult present they cannot continue to question the child”. I wondered at this juncture what training was needed to be part of this scheme and I learned that this is provided and funded by Triay and Triay and lawyer Patrick Canessa has volunteered his services on a twenty four hour basis. Training consists of two/three one hour sessions unlike the Helpline volunteers which takes place over a period of 6/8 weeks, so there is less of a commitment to training for AAS than for Helpline. It is important to stress”, Annie was emphasing, “ that all volunteers need to be kept aware and appraised of the Criminal Records Bureaux and that P.A.C.E. Police and Criminals Evidence Act, which is being updated all the time is necessary for all volunteers in AAS”. “How often would you get called out”? “Well, put it this way, we are on call five days a month and a call could come
at any time of the day or night. In a ten day period last month I was called twice, at 10.30pm and again at 4.00am, so it’s difficult to be specific. There are occasions when no call comes, though the likelihood of being called at weekends is higher. Even though we may go two weeks without being called we keep focused and remind ourselves that this is the process we must go through”. Musing on the nature of the voluntary work I asked Jo what was looked for in selecting volunteers for Childline. “We are looking for very special people, responsible caring adults aged over eighteen and this is especially important for Helpline which is the first point of contact for the child, and indeed adults who may need to call us”. As volunteering is generally undertaken to promote good or improve human quality of life it has become the lifeblood of charity organisations as many pledge time and effort for the cause they have undertaken. In Gibraltar our history of community volunteering is commendable and here Childline can reap the benefits. More volunteers are needed, as Annie explained; “The Childline organisation has been taken forward in a really dynamic way and to keep this momentum going we need more volunteers for Fundraising, Appropriate Adult Scheme, and Helpline, our service runs 365 days a year, yes”, she stressed, “every day of the year, and we are operational from 6pm-10pm, not 24/7 as in UK, but we are looking at making changes here, and to do this of course we need more volunteers”. When children call Helpline how safe is this, will they be found out? Both Annie and Jo were empathic that all calls are confidential, this means not telling anyone so the child can feel safe
Anne Mesilio
in talking about anything worrying, and this means keeping names secret as well. Also, the 8008 calls are free and will not show up on telephone bills. The number will appear on the list of dialled calls on mobile phones so it’s advisable to delete these. Adults who may have concerns about the safety/welfare of any child may also call Helpline and be assured of confidentially. Bullying is a topic which Helpline deals with and this can be defined as ‘persistent and intentional harming of another person within an unequal relationship”. Try and imagine what a scary place this creates. In a modern day context Childline could be seen as the battle between good and bad, looking out for the weak and vulnerable, giving them a chance for help out of a frightening place, the hope of a better life with family and friends. Children need to play, it is their ‘work’ and they learn a lot while having fun. Interspersed with all the serious business of Childline exists a ‘very innovative’ fund raising committee who are busy planning a Prince and Princess party as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and many more events are also planned. Please visit their website; www. childline.gi and Facebook to learn more about these events, and the organisation and ways you can help. Annie took this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks to all who give their time so willingly to Helpline and the various needs that running an organisation like this demands. Working with like minded people who share ideals and enthusiasm for a common cause really gets things done, and in this spirit Childline can look forward to carrying on with it good work into the future.
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A Testimony
Lenise Mifsud
Everything begins with a belief in God. What has Cursillo 75 done for my life?
A
lthough I was brought up in a religious environment and spent all my teenage years within a Christian community I had slowly drifted away. I was letting the way some people were, prevent me from becoming all that God had created me to be. I was being driven into a negative cycle. I became a person who was always waiting for circumstances to change in order to be happy. I always made up the perfect excuses not to attend church. I never realised that my mind had trained itself to always look in the wrong direction, to worry, to complain and to see the negative side of everything. God works in very mysterious ways and out of the blue, after fourteen years of roving without
God in my life, I decided it was now time to make a fresh start and I went to the Cursillo 75 which was starting on that same day. The weekend was full of ups and downs, some moments more difficult then others. Moments of testing, of trials and temptations. I felt as if I was taking one step forward and three steps back. When I looked around me, I felt that I had just wasted three days of my life as I saw all the other ladies’ joy and laughter. I was living an emotional roller coaster. There were many doubts and situations I did not understand. I needed to let go of what was buried inside of me and start to persevere and believe that this weekend would have a purpose. What I was not aware
of was that these moments were developing my character and strengthening my faith in God. It was only towards the end of the weekend that I realised that my life was going through a pruning process. God was preparing me to move on to another level. He was asking me to grow and to flourish. In order to do this I needed to leave my bitterness and my failures behind me. I needed to accept this change in my life and keep the faith because God was opening new doors for me and bringing new opportunities and lovely friendships. Everything in our relationship with God begins with believing. There are many things I have learned in this Cursillo. Each day that passes by I realise how
much it has changed my life but most importantly, it has taught me the importance of listening, encouraging and helping other people. God uses our voices to bring life, hope and healing to others. When we reach out to someone, when we’re kind and encourage other people, God’s voice is blended with ours. He speaks through us. It might not be anything to us but it could mean the world to others. Our kind words could keep a person going. Our compliments can raise them up. We need to tell others how much we value them, how talented they are, how creative they are and how much we love them. We need to talk of our faith. Instead of telling people what they do wrong,
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pointing out their faults we need to focus on the good they are doing. There are already enough people who criticise and judge us so let’s de different. Let’s go out and be the people who lift up others and fill them with joy. Sometimes our days can be so stressful and busy that we forget how precious and fragile life is. It is very easy to allow little things to creep in and steal our
peace and joy. Things don’t sometimes go our way, even the traffic causes us anger, rage and distracts us from our focus with God. If we always look on the wrong we will miss out on the beauty that each day has to offer us. We shouldn’t let precious moments just pass us by but instead we must remember that each day is unique and irreplaceable.
I take this opportunity to thank my husband and my children for their patience and love, my parents for my upbringing and the rest of my family (you all know who you are) for being there. I would like to thank the leaders of the Cursillo for your perseverance and last but not least to all those wonderful ladies whom I had the privilege to share this weekend with. I love you
all. De Colores xxx Today I thank God for the miracle of life, for the air that I breathe. I thank God for all he has given me and for all he has done in my life. I thank him for loving me and I believe that with this attitude of gratitude It will be easier to pave my way to living a life of blessings.
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