Nhar it-3 ta’ April 1965, Paul Harvey, li hu meqjus bħala l-aktar kummentatur ta’ l-aħbarijiet famuż fl-Istati Uniti, għamel diskors li qed narawh iseħħ fi żmienna, 53 sena wara.
Paul Harvey kien qal hekk:

“Li kieku jien kont ix-xitan, li kieku kont il-Prinċep tad-Dlam kont inkun irrid li ngħarraq id-dinja fid-dlam.
Kont nakkwista terz tal-bini tagħha u erbgħa minn kull ħamsa tal-popolazzjoni tagħha, imma ma kontx inkun kuntent qabel ma kont nakkwista l-aktar tuffieħa misjura fis-siġra.
Għalhekk kont nibda nagħmel kulma hu neċessarju biex nirbaħ lill-Istati Uniti (tista’ tgħid “id-dinja” jew “Malta”minflok).
Kont nibda kampanja ta’ tfesfis.
Bl-għaqal ta’ serp, nibda nfesfislek l-istess kif fesfist lil Eva: ‘Agħmel li trid.’
Liż-żgħażagħ infesfsilhom ‘Il-Bibbja hija ħrafa.’ Kont nikkonvinċihom li kien ‘il-bniedem li ħalaq lil Alla’ u mhux bil-kontra. Kont nipperswadihom li ‘dak li hu ħażin hu tajjeb u li t-tajjeb hu barra minn żmienu.’
F’widnejn il-miżżewġin żgħażagħ kont infesfes li x-xogħol ibaxxik, li l-cocktail parties huma tajbin għalihom. Kont niftħilhom għajnejhom biex ma jkunux reliġjużi, jew patrijotti jew moralment tajbin iżżejjed.
U lix-xjuħ kont ngħallimhom jitolbu - jgħidu warajja – ‘Missierna li inti f’Washington’ (Ibdel Washington ma’ liema pajjiż joqgħod fil-każ tiegħek).
Imbagħad nibda norganizza.
Neduka l-awturi kif għandhom jagħmlu li l-letteratura vjolenti tkun eċċitanti tant li li kull ħaġa oħra tidher monotona u bla interess.
Kont nipperikola t-televiżjoni b’films aktar maħmuġin.
Kont ninfiltra lill-unions u nħeġġeġ aktar ħela ta’ ħin, anqas xogħol. Nies fil-għażż jgħoddu għalija.
Inbiegħ id-droga lil kull min nista’, inbiegħ l-alkoħol lil nisa u rġiel ta’ klassi, lill-kumplament nikkalmahom bil-pilloli.
Li kieku kont ix-xitan, kont ninkoraġixxi lill-iskejjel biex jipproduċu intelletwali mill-aqwa, imma jittraskuraw li jiddixiplinaw l-emozzjonijiet; dawk ħalluhom jimirħu.
Nagħżel atejist/a biex jidher minfloki fil-qrati u nipperswadi lill-predikaturi jgħidu: ‘Għandha raġun.’
Bil-ftaħir u wegħdiet ta’ setgħa nġiegħel lill-qrati jivvutaw kontra Alla u favur il-pornografija (tgħodd l-aktar, imma mhux biss, għal pajjiżi bħall-Istati Uniti u l-Kanada fejn il-qrati jimponu fuq il-gvern).
B’hekk nqaċċat ‘il barra lil Alla mill-qrati, imbagħad mill-iskejjel, imbagħad mill-Kungress (Parlament).
Imbagħad fil-knejjes tiegħu nibdel ir-reliġjon mal-psikoloġija u x-xjenza nagħmilha alla.
Li kieku kont Satana, kont nagħmel il-bajda bħala s-simbolu ta’ l-Għid... u l-flixkun bħala s-simbolu tal-Milied.
Li kieku kont ix-xitan kont nieħu mingħand min għandu u nagħtih lil min hu fil-bżonn sakemm neqred kull inċentiv. Imbagħad l-istat poliżjesk li nkun ħloqt, iġiegħel lil kulħadd imur lura għax-xogħol.
Imbagħad nifred il-familji, it-tfal jidħlu fis-servizz, in-nisa fil-minjieri tal-faħam u kull min joġġezzjona fil-kampijiet ta’ xogħol nfurzat.
Li kieku kont Satana, kont nibqa’ nagħmel dak li qiegħed nagħmel u, żgur daqs kemm hu żgur ix-xitan, id-dinja kollha tispiċċa fl-infern.

Once there was a family of tortoises who decided to go on a picnic. It took them six whole years to prepare for this picnic and finally they were on their way to search for a proper place where to hold this picnic. During their second year of searching they found a good place and then spent about six months to clear it, unpack their picnic-basket and lay out everything. It was then that they realized that they had forgotten to take with them the salt and picnic without salt is a disaster.

After a long discussion who is to return home to bring the salt, the tortoises decided that the youngest should go. Of course the youngest tortoise was pleased at all. She started complaining and whining and crying. At last she accepted on one condition: no one should start eating before she returns. Everyone accepted and the youngest tortoise left.

Three years passed and the youngest tortoise did not return. Then five years, six years and nothing happened. Then in the seventh year the eldest tortoise could not endure the hunger any longer. She declared that she was going to eat and started unwrapping a sandwich. All of a sudden the youngest tortoise comes out from behind a tree yelling: “I knew it! I knew that she won’t last. Now I do not want to go and get the salt. Someone else has to do it!”

Seven years! Seven years of anger, selfishness, suspicion, worry, lack of trust, pretension and anxiety for the tortoises.
Are you one of these tortoises living a frustrated life because there is no peace around you or within you?

True peace comes to us from God and in order to obtain it should not be like the tortoises. I mean to say that we should be people who are ready to accept others, be not detached from the world around us, be ready to surrender in the arms of Jesus, be people of sacrifice, full of compassion, forgiveness, and trust in the Lord.

When the apostles got to know that Jesus was going away, they got distressed and anxious. Jesus, knowing their situation, comforted them by offering them his peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Jesus hastens to assure us that his peace is “not as the world gives...”
How does the world give us its peace? It gives it through enforcing its laws, using its power, offering its riches and pleasures. For the world peace means lack of conflict, tension and suffering. Do we enjoy peace in our world?

God gives us his peace by coming to us, loving us and abiding in us. And we can obtain Christ’s peace through humility, surrendering before God, healing, forgiveness, compassion and love. Peace is God’s presence with us.

And in order to enjoy this peace God gives us His Spirit: the Holy Spirit, who will teach us everything, will remind us all that Jesus had taught us, will guide us, will intercede for us and will give us knowledge and wisdom. The Holy Spirit and Peace will become one and the same thing. Where there is God’s Spirit there is also peace. Even if we are passing through suffering and pain, or poverty, hardship and conflict or grieving the loss of a loved one, we still could have Christ’s peace.

Jesus tells us that God gives his peace to those who love him and keep his words, that is obey his commandments. All of us want peace. We want peace in our homes, our relationships, our communities, our world and more than that in our hearts. But are we trying to obtain the peace through the teachings of Jesus? Or do we feel frustrated and disappointed because He demands a lot from us in exchange for his peace?

Jesus tells us: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” In other words, if we are reconciled to God and in a loving relationship with Him, then we will have his peace, and his joy will stay with us forever. When our actions, thoughts and words are in conformity with his will, and when we are loyal to Him, then we will have the peace.

Dear friends, what is bothering you today? Is it your health, your family, your finances, your friends or lack of them, your job or your sins? Do we feel like tortoises? No matter what is bothering us, Jesus offers words of comfort. He gave us his Holy Spirit to help us in our efforts so that we would not be tortoises. We do not have to fear anything? Whenever we are in the midst of darkness or the storms of life, let us turn to Him, and He will offer to us his peace that overcomes all fear and anxiety.

Dear friends, full of love towards God and trusting fully his promises, let us surrender our lives to Him, and He who is always faithful to his promises will fill us with his peace.

When you, applying for a job, present a CV, it is better to be an impressive one if you want to stand a chance of being interviewed, let alone of getting the job.

What if there were a call for applications to become a Pope, what CV would one present? What questions would they ask during the interview?
In the Gospel, Jesus asks Peter three questions: “Do you love me?” Now let’s face it: Peter’s CV was far from being an impressive one, at least for the good reason: By the fire, on Thursday before the crucifixion, for three times denied to know Jesus.

Peter found it hard to forgive himself or to accept that he had denied for three times his friend and Master. And when the cock crew, Peter wept bitterly. He realized what he had done: he has failed his Master... he has denied his friend. Peter could not accept it, he could not live with it and he wept. He could not stoop lower than that.

Now with this record, who would have thought that, Jesus would even think to consider Peter to be the shepherd of his flock? But Jesus’ criteria are not our criteria. He looks at the heart of man and looking at Peter’s heart, Jesus knew that Peter was fit for purpose. Why? Didn’t also Judas betray Jesus? But Peter was different than Judas. Peter learnt from his mistake and grew through it whereas Judas let himself to be conquered by his sin. After his shortcoming, Peter reformed himself whereas Judas closed himself from God’s love and mercy. Peter moved from his sinfulness, Judas did not.

By the fire, on Thursday before the crucifixion, Peter, three times denied to know Jesus. By the fire, on this Easter day, Jesus asks Peter to shepherd his sheep. Jesus, not only did He forgive Peter’s sin but also showed enough trust in him and chose him to be the first Pope.

Like Peter and Judas and the rest of the apostles we have our own sins and shortcomings, and Jesus, as He did with Peter is always ready to forgive our sins and to trust us. Jesus does not leave us enslaved by our past sins. Jesus gives us the possibility to be freed from our past sins. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “The one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come.” (2Cor 5:17)

Peter’s experience could also be our experience if only we have the courage to accept God’s forgiveness and love. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation we can obtain the forgiveness from Jesus. He forgives us and loves us inspite of the fact that we have denied him, we have disbelieved in him, we have given up on him, we have sinned against him. It takes courage to believe in God, to believe that God is ready to forgive us when we repent, to believe that notwithstanding everything God keeps on loving us. We need the courage to accept God’s love and mercy and to accept ourselves.

After his despair, Peter recovered his faith and was able to say: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!” Peter has to be our role-model for our repentance and reforming ourselves. We should not allow our past to overcome us as in the case of Judas, but we should allow Jesus to work in us and lead us to our repentance and reform and we should let him to put us to work for him again.