My passion for art was always a leading element in my life. All my choices revolved on this love for art. I was never led by the financial aspect but always from one deep wish within me – that of being an artist!
Soon after I finished my studies at the Art and Design Centre I was looking for a job related to my studies. I remember my early days at work, having lots of work to keep up with, but still managing to work on something creative from time to time. But this was not enough. I was also involved in a youth group within a local band club where we were committed to work on the local village decorations. Meanwhile I was also commissioned by other villages to do some art works and I realized that I could very well take this opportunity to start my own company. Yet, although I was pretty much doing the work I loved, I still had a lot of repetitive work and this made me keep on trying to find ways to be more creative. I always yearned for something more. I always longed for something where I could be free to create art works out of my own imagination, rather than working on something dictated to me; I sought something which did not bind me by dates or deadlines. There was always that yearning for something else. But what was this yearning for? What was this artistic work that I could create from beginning to end?
When I started feeling this attraction towards priesthood I was scared that I would have to put art away. The Seminary showed me that art was a talent that God had bestowed on me. I felt as if I had been born again as an artist. Art became part and parcel of my own spiritual life, opening up a new window looking out onto the Infinite. It was no longer about me and about what I am able to do, but it became a way of life! It completely altered my own perspectives of God, of myself as well as that of the world around me. It became a form of communication with the Beauty that captured my soul.
Today I can safely say that I have been called to priesthood because ultimately, I am an artist, and I am an artist because I have been called to priesthood.
Looking back, I now realise that God was literally equipping me with these talents to be able to follow the pathways that He had already laid out in front of me. You are an artist – you do not become an artist. It was Him who placed this great passion within me. He wanted me to pass on this great love to others through art. This is no longer about me, but completely about Him who has captured my heart: The Beautiful One!
David Borg – davidborg211@gmail.com
Minn ċkuniti dejjem tmexxejt mill-imħabba tiegħi lejn l-arti u f’kull għażla li għamilt dejjem kien hemm din l-imħabba involuta. Ma kontx nitmexxa mill-aspett finanzjarju imma kont immexxi minn ħsieb wieħed: li nkun artist!
Wara li lestejt l-istudji tiegħi ġewwa l-Art and Design Centre, kont qed infittex impjieg relatat ma’ dak li studjajt. Meta bdejt naħdem kien ikolli ammont kbir ta’ xogħol u kultant ikolli xi ħaġa kreattiva. Dan ma kienx biżżejjed. Kont involut fi grupp taż-żgħażagħ il-każin fejn kont impenjat ħafna fuq xogħol tal-armar. Irċevejt xi kummissjonijiet minn irħula oħra u rajt li kelli biżżejjed biex naħdem għal rasi. Però għalkemm kont qed naħdem xogħol li jogħġobni, kelli ħafna xogħol ripetittiv. Kont il-ħin kollu nipprova nkun kreattiv. Dejjem kont nixxennaq għal xi ħaġa iktar, xi ħaġa li toħloq int u mhux jiddettawhielek, anki mingħajr rabta ma’ target dates. Dejjem tixxennaq għal xi ħaġa iktar. Kont naħseb: imma x’inhi din il-ħaġa li timlieli qalbi tassew? Opra li noħloq jien mill-bidu sal-ahhar?
Meta bdejt inħoss is-sejħa għal saċerdot bżajt li se jkolli nwarrab l-arti. Is-Seminarju wrieni li l-arti hi don fil-bagalja tiegħi. Minn hemm twelidt mill-ġdid bħala artist. L-arti daħlet fil-ħajja spiritwali tiegħi u saret bħal tieqa fuq l-Infinit. Ma baqgħetx aktar dwari u dwar dak li nista’ nipproduċi jien, imma għajxien ta’ ħajja! Biddlitli l-viżjoni tiegħi ta’ Alla, tiegħi nnifsi u tad-dinja ta’ madwari. Saret komunikazzjoni mas-Sbuħija li serqitli qalbi.
Illum nista’ ngħid li jien imsejjaħ għal saċerdot għax jien artist u jien artist għax imsejjaħ għal saċerdot. Fil-passat, Alla kien qed jimlieli l-bagalja għall-vjaġġ li sejjaħli għalih. Artist tkun u mhux issir. Kien Hu li għażilni u poġġieli din l-imħabba f’qalbi, imħabba li jixtieqni nwassal lill-oħrajn għax l-arti hi servizz: qadi tal-poplu t’Alla. Mhijiex aktar dwari, imma dwar Dak li seraqli qalbi: is-Sabiħ!