MINOR SEMINARY December 2014 Issue 45 Editur Fr Mark Ellul Koordinaturi Ms Michelle Sant, Ms Elaine Gerada Gatt Assistenti Koordinaturi Ms Mireille Balzan, Ms Claudia Custo Qari tal-Provi Mr Bertram Portelli, Ms Phyllis Borg, Ms Elaine Gerada Gatt, Ms Mireille Balzan Ritratti Mr Gordon Baldacchino “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love” MOTHER THeresa Credit: Photocity, Valletta Is-Seminarju tal-Virtù ir-Rabat RBT 2604 Tel: 2748 3000/8 Email: [email protected] www.maltaseminary.org December 2014 Issue 45 www.maltaseminary.org1 Il-Kelma tar-Rettur Dun Jimmy Bonnici Il-ħolma ta’ Ikaru Erġajt iltqajt ma’ Ikaru u sibt li għadu żagħżugħ: kapaċi jisfida kemm liż-żgħazagħ u kemm lill-adulti. Skoprejt dan il-mit Grieg permezz tad-diska Flight of Icarus, f’żgħożiti. Iżda meta rġajt qrajt il-kliem sibt li l-enfasi huwa wisq tradizzjonali. Taqra l-mit bħala kritika liż-żagħżugħ li b’mod impulsiv isegwi l-aptit billi jwarrab lill-awtorità Fil-mit oriġinali, missier Ikaru – Daedalus, As he plunges back towards his sketchy village, bennej tal-labirinti – jintefa’ fl-istess labirint A native son humbly doing as he was told, mir-re ta’ Kreta Minos. Sabiex jaħrab, Thrashing about the midair of exile, dying Daedalus fassal żewġ pari ġwienaħ mir-rix Only in his dreams, only in the myth of leaving u x-xemgħa għalih u għal ibnu. Qabel telaq wissa lil ibnu Ikaru sabiex ma jersaqx wisq Bħal donnu hemm riskju mhux biss li wieħed jikteb il-poeżija (wara li jżur il-mużew tal- lejn ix-xemx u lanqas wisq qrib tal-baħar, ma jagħrafx il-limiti tiegħu u jipprova jilħaq Belle Arti fi Brussel fl-1938) billi jirreferi għal iżda li jsegwi lilu huwa u jtir. Jekk le, il- iżjed milli jiflaħ. Hemm ir-riskju li wieħed żewġ pitturi oħra ta’ Bruegel: Iċ-Ċensiment ġwienaħ idubu u hu jaqa’. Iżda Ikaru inħakem joqtol il-ħolm u terġa’ lura għall-villaġġ biex f’Betlehem u Kristu jġorr is-Salib. F’dawn it- mill-entużjażmu huwa u jtir, baqa’ tiela’ ’l tibqa’ kif kont, tħalli r-rutina għaddejja u ma tliet pitturi l-folla ma tagħtix kas ta’ fejn hemm fuq sakemm inħallu l-ġwienaħ u waqa’ fil- toħlomx dinja aħjar. Għalhekk, żagħżugħ, ibqa’ it-tbatija. baħar Eġew qrib il-gżira mlaqqma “Ikaria”. saqsi, anke meta ma tarax lilna l-kbar nibqgħu Tifhem għalfejn hemm min jinterpreta din insaqsu. Oħlom b’ideali kbar anke meta tarana In Breughel’s Icarus, for instance: l-istorja biex jirrakkomanda l-moderazzjoni, nagħmlu kompromessi biex naqdu l-interessi how everything turns away li wieħed isib it-triq tan-nofs flok ifittex il- personali. Tibżax tkun kreattiv. Tibżax tisfida Quite leisurely from the disaster; gratifikazzjoni tal-mument, li wieħed jagħraf l-istatus quo. Saqsi “X’tip ta’ bniedem nixtieq the ploughman may u jirrispetta l-limiti tiegħu u jsegwi l-għerf inkun?” Tibżax mill-ħajja. Aħjar tissogra għax Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry, ta’ min qiegħed fl-awtorità. Biss hemm timxi, milli tkun żgur għax wieqaf. U fittex But for him it was not an important failure; interpretazzjonijiet oħra interessanti. mudelli ta’ adulti li kellhom il-kuraġġ li jtiru lil hemm mill-medjokrità. Toqtolx il-ħolm Il-folla ma tgħinx liż-żagħażugħ għax mhijiex koerenti, għax ma toffrilux għeruq fil-fond, Waħda mill-interpretazzjonijiet hija dik tal- Nissel il-ħolm tgħidlu li għalxejn jistudja l-istorja taċ-ċiviltà poeta David Moolten fil-poeżija Chagall’s Interpretazzjoni oħra hija dik tal-poeta W. H. u r-reliġjon. Dawk ħmerijiet ta’ elfejn sena ilu. Fall of Icarus. F’din il-pittura Ikaru ma jaqax Auden fuq il-pittura ta’ Pieter Bruegel il-kbir Biżżejjed tkun taf kif tuża l-mezzi kontraċettivi fl-ilma iżda lura fir-raħal. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. Il-poeta u xi etika vaga. L-għan prinċipali huwa li tidħol parti mill-magna tal-produttività u tas- suq. U x’jimporta jekk Malta hi fost l-ogħla konsumaturi tal-eroina biex niffinanzjaw lit-terroristi li bihom l-adulti ma jafux ħlief jitkażaw u jlissnu preġudizzji ġġeneralizzati? Għeżież adulti, nisslu ħolm mhux toqtluh. Ipproponu ideali għolja mhux ‘entertainment’ li jaljena! Erġgħu tgħallmu x’jiġifieri ttir! Kun mudell għaż-żagħżugħ għax hemm riskju li ma jsib lil ħadd! 2 December 2014 Issue 45 minor seminary newsletter Headmaster’s Message - Fr Mark Ellul Make sure you obey! Behave! This is almost a maxim that we hear every day when parents drop off their children to school. It is a word which most often we are allergic to; however, it is an important characteristic which will determine how we react later on in life. is not about creating robots or subordinates Life is not always easy and may present programmed to just follow rules, but is the will difficult instances; thus, the art of obeying – if to follow order. we go deeper to the etymology (roots) of the word – is a means that will help us deal with help pupils to understand that their emotions How can we train pupils to be in contact with these circumstances. If we had to go to the can be met , if one is sensitive to them. The their daily happenings, with their feelings actual roots of the word we find them in the following table adopted from Dreikurset. and then help them to alter their behaviour Latin term – obaudire where ob means ‘to’ and al. (2004) can help answer for the child’s accordingly? The trick is to be sensitive to their ‘audire’ means ‘listen’. Thus the art of obeying needs at the opportune time, thus obedience needs and to answer for these needs before would call that one listens both to instructions and or correction of behaviour will follow misbehaviour actually takes place. This will given and more so, to the innermost automatically. happenings and feelings. The recent happenings within the Church are Manifested behaviour Need Corrective procedure manifestations of the bishops listening to the Give attention to the child not voice of the Holy Spirit. The Synod on the Nuisance when he is manifesting such Family is a means through which the bishops Showing off, being lazy, Attention behaviour but praise the child and lay people collectively listen to the Spirit acting as a clown when manifesting desired of God. Together, they discern (listened to behaviour the voice of the Holy Spirit) the route which the church is to take for this important Recognise and admit that matter. Moreover, within our diocese we had Stubborn the child has power, avoid Archbishop Cremona who through the same Argues, disobedient, tells lies, power struggles, come to an Power discernment asked for the resignation from does the opposite of what one agreement/ negotiate, give the mission of Archbishop of Malta.It is now was instructed power in situations where the the Church in Malta which is discerning for child can use power productively the choice of the next Archbishop. It is a time Vicious Do not behave as though of consultation and prayer so that the Church Steals, defiant, sore loser, Revenge you are hurt. Ensure the child seeks the best Pastor for the needs of the time. kicks, bites that he is liked. Feels hopeless Encourage when the child makes Through this reflection it is thus evident that Gives up, tries to be left Wants to show that one mistake. Show pleasure when he the maxim which we hear daily obey moves far alone, does stupid actions, is inadequate tries. Make him feel worthwhile. beyond just obeying the teacher’s instruction or inferiority complex Use a constructive approach the school rules. It is an art which when learnt properly will give the individual the internal capacity and liberty to go against the flow when References necessary. It is the art which will help us to be Dreikurs, R., Cassel, P., Dreikurs Ferguson, E. (2004) Discipline Without Tears. true to ourselves and to our beliefs. Obedience How to Reduce conflict and establish Cooperation in the Classroom, Wiley, Canada www.maltaseminary.org December 2014 Issue 45 3 Mr Mark Farrugia, Deputy Head Primary Success in school or success in life? The desirable answer to the above question would be success in ‘both’. However, listening to the conversations of the teaching community and following the news regarding education, the concern is most commonly focused on preparing students for the next test, the next grades and so on. The standardised test score (such as Benchmark and Matsec) unfortunately often has taken education to short term aims Not disregarding the fact that amongst the ‘Teaching grit necessarily means that students aims of schooling is to give the skills of will experience—and perhaps embrace—some reading, writing and calculating, ‘we must frustration and pain. We do our students also teach character, emotional intelligence, no favours if we fail to prepare them for the responsibility, and an appreciation for the real world because they do not know how complexity of human diversity. We must to respond to frustration and failure….. also teach the virtues of grit—tenacity, Responding appropriately when things go perseverance, and the ability to never give up.’ wrong—turning a failure into a good failure, so you know when to intervene. Teach one from which we learn—is key to success in students to be aware enough of their own Lately we are experiencing how our children life.’ feelings to be able to anticipate frustration, are looking weaker in terms of perseverance allowing them to take a deep breath and and self-reliance. This phenomenon is probably Six steps to teach grit forge ahead.’ the result of a changing society where parents • Establish the environment – it is es- • Monitor the experience – We need to have less time with their children and in turn sential that while children are trained for appreciate the individuality of each child.