Reflection:
After leaving the mountain Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.
They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
Further Readings:
As regards this Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word one can make several reflections, but for me it seems that humility is central. Our Founder seems to excel in this virtue. In the research “The Incarnational Aspect of the Spirituality of Joseph De Piro” Appendix 3 presents in table form what the witnesses testified at the Maltese and Gozitan Diocesan Tribunals about this virtue of the Servant of God. Having a look at it you may easily make more than one conclusion!
Appendix 3
De Piro’s humility
Aloisio, Aloisius, Priest member of Society, While collecting testimonies.
Aspect/s of humility: In general.
Azzopardi (Fr) Raphael, Religious student – OSA, In the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral.
Approachable by all; In general.
Balzan, John, Young lad, In the Qrendi streets and in the parish church.
Served the celebrant during liturgical celebrations.
Bonnici (Fr) Alexander OfmConv, Religious priest –Ofm Conv, Biographer
No boasting of his own contributions.
Brincat, Joseph, Young lad, In the Qrendi streets and in the parish church.
Did not lord over other priests; In liturgical celebrations; In general.
Borda (Fr) Peter Paul, Religious student – (M)SSP, In the Society’s Houses.
Talked to all and helped all; Always obeyed Archbishop and did what he was asked to do.
Cachia Zammit (Dr) Alexander, Young boy, When with his father, during visits to St Joseph’s, Malta.
In general.
Camilleri (Fr) Alphonse M., Religious student – Ofm, In the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral.
In general; Approachable; In his dealings with children.
Camileri Peter, Young lad, In the everyday life of St Joseph’s, Gozo.
Had same food as boys of Institute.
Caruana (Sr) Pia, Young religious – Jesus of Nazareth, In the everyday life of the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Zejtun.
Worked for the poor; Ordinary clothes; Used public transport; Did not want to be preferred from others; Was not particular about food.
Ciangura, Michael, Young lad, St Joseph’s, Gozo.
In general.
Coppola (Fr) Dominic Ofm, Religious aspirant – (M)SSP, At the Santa Maria Aspirandate – Oratory, B’Kara, Malta.
Made conferences about it; Had same food as members; Ordinary clothes.
Cremona, Bice, Young niece, In the De Piro family environment
Same food as children of institutes.
De Piro (Sr) Marie, Young niece, In the De Piro family environment and at the Mdina Cathedral
Clothes, rather poor; He was a beggar for the institutes; Unassuming.
Fenech (Fr) Seraphim OfmConv, Religious student – OFMConv, In the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral.
Had same food as the children of the institutes.
Formosa (Sr) Pauline, Young girl, In the De Piro family environment in Mdina.
In general.
Galea, Biagio, Young lad, In the Rabat streets and during liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral
Never raised his voice.
Galea (Br) Venanz, Young lad at St Joseph’s, Malta and Gozo, and as young religious Brother – (M)SSP, St Joseph’s, Malta and Gozo and in the Houses of the Society.
With the members of the Society; In general.
Gatt (Fr) Louis, Religious student – (M)SSP, In the Society’s Houses in Mdina and Rabat.
He lived in the poor houses of the Society and not in the family palace; In general; Had same food as members.
Gatt (Fr) Ugolino, Religious student – OSA, In the Rabat and Mdina streets, and during liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral.
In general; Not pretentious.
Giordmaina, Catherine, Young lady, In the Mdina streets.
In general.
Grech (Fr) Augustine, Religious student – (M)SSP, In the Society’s Houses in Mdina and Rabat.
In general; Same food as members.
Leopardi, Francoise M., Young niece, In the De Piro family environment.
Same food as relatives; Same food as girls of Jesus of Nazareth; Did not boast of privilages.
Mallia, Carmena, Young lady, Fra Diegu Institute, Malta.
Gentle and kind, Talked about humility to girls.
Muscat, (Br) Felix, Young lad at St Joseph’s, Malta and as young religious Brother – (M)SSP, At St Joseph’s, Malta and in the Society’s Houses in Mdina and Rabat.
In his relations with boys.
Rapa, Loreto, Young lad, At st Joseph’s, Gozo.
The way he treated the boys.
Sammut, Paul, Young lad, In the Rabat and Mdina streets and during catechism classes in first House of the Society.
In general.
Scerri, Anthony, Young lad, In the Rabat and Mdina streets and during catechism classes in first House of the Society.
Did not bother about his status; Torn clothes; Ordinary clothes; In liturgical celebrations; No show off.
Schembri, Angelo, Young lad, In the Qrendi streets and in the parish church.
In his salutations to everyone.
Schembri, Saviour, Young lad, As a catechist at the Oratory, B’Kara.
Never shouted at the children; Treated everybody with gentleness.
Sciberras, Concetta, Young girl, As a benefactress of St Joseph’s Gozo.
Gentle with all.
Spiteri, (Mgr) Lawrence, Young seminarian, At the Seminary (after De Piro’s rectorship).
In general.
Spiteri, (Br) Paul, Young religious Brother – (M)SSP, In the Society’s first Houses.
Same food as members; In general; In liturgical celebrations; Charitable humility.
Tedesco, Victor, Religious aspirant – (M)SSP, At the Santa Maria Aspirandate – Oratory, B’Kara.
Approachable by all; Not a popularity seeker; In general.
Tonna, Joseph, Young lad, In the Rabat and Mdina streets and during catechism classes in first House of Society.
In general.
Tonna (Fr) Joseph, Diocesan priest, During liturgical celebrations at the Mdina Cathedral.
In general.
Vassallo, Anthony, Young lad, In the Mdina streets.
Aproachable.
Vella (Fr) Arthur, Religious priest – sj, The first priest of the Society was his uncle.
In general; When correcting the members of his Society.
Vella (Sr) Giakkina, Religious Sister – Franciscan, In the everyday life of Fra Diegu Institute.
Same food as girls of Fra Diegu; In appearance; In behaviour in general.
Vella, John, Religious aspirant – (M)SSP, At the Santa Maria Aspirandate – Oratory, B’Kara.
Non pretentious.
Vella Haber, Michael, Religious student – (M)SSP, In the Society’s first Houses.
Same food as members, Serving at table, In his dealings with the members of his Society, Accepted all responsibilities given him by Archbishop.
Wilson, George, Young lad, He was himself from Mdina and was an employee at St Joseph’s, Malta.
The way he talked to boys and employees of Institute; Had same food as the boys of St Joseph’s.
Xuereb, Paul, Religious aspirant and member – (M)SSP, At the Santa Maria Aspirandate – Oratory, B’Kara, and in the first Houses of the Society.
Ordinary clerical clothes, Approachable by members of Society, Same food as members of Society, Talked about it to the members of his Society.
Xuereb (Sr) Pauline, Religious Sister – Franciscan, In the everyday life of Fra Diegu Institute.
In general.
Zammit (Sr) Bibiana, Religious Sister – Franciscan, In the everyday life of Fra Diegu Institute.
Same food as girls of Fra Diegu.
Zammit, (Fr) Loret, A seminarian, During De Piro’s rectorship.
The way he asked something from the seminarians.