The wish to become a priest sprouted within me when I was still very young. It was a very interesting process and it is only now that I can realise what God’s plan for me was. As it happened, I met the spirituality of communion as lived through the Focolare Movement through one of my friends. Life amongst the youth and the Focolare Movement community attracted me towards the Church and more so to participate in the Sacraments. I discovered how important unity within the church is and I wished to work hard towards this aim and to extend this to have a more united world.
I clearly remember myself sorting out my room before I go out and feeling that I could give away everything to God, giving up all my plans and projects just to follow Him. I felt that this was the nicest gesture that I could ever do with my life, even though I had a very promising career in front of me, not to mention the wish to start and maintain a wonderfully strong relationship.
I shared this experience with my spiritual director, who in turn encouraged me to attend the school of formation in Rome to make sure I could understand my feelings better. I accepted the offer and just a month later I was in Rome together with other young people from all over the world. This was a wonderful time which I hoped would never be over. Deep within me I did feel a yearning for a vocation but I had not yet discovered what this was. So, every evening, I used to go in front of the Holy Tabernacle praying and asking God to show me the way. Despite my continuous prayers, I still had not yet understood what my yearning was for. I recall my last visit to this chapel where I remember myself telling God: I trust You, and I will do as You tell me because You know me much better than I know myself.
The following morning, I was at the airport and I spent a whole day trying to find and book a seat on the plane back home to Malta. Although I could have very well remained stranded without any capital to use for a hotel, I could feel I was very happy and at peace with myself. The following morning, I kept on trying to find a possible empty slot and at one point I just found a little quiet corner and said the Rosary. It was then that without any prior warning I felt Our Lady invite me to follow her son’s footsteps. I immediately accepted and instantly found an empty slot on the plane back to Malta. I had been under the impression that all passengers were all flesh and blood like my other human brothers.
This was Good Friday and I had arrived home at about two; it was the time when I was wavering between attending the Good Friday service. I overcame the temptation to stay at home to rest and instead opted to attend the service to enkindle the grace within me, knowing very well that the kissing of the cross was essential to me.
After having shared this experience with my spiritual director, it seemed like a new adventure had just unfolded in front of me. I left for my formation as a Focolarino in Loppiano, Florence as soon as I finished my studies at the University of Malta. After two years studying there, I was requested to go to Asia and I ended up spending 18 years there. I spent these past 14 years in the Centre for the Movement of the Focolare and I am now preparing myself to be ordained as a priest.
Andrew Camilleri – andrewcamilleri1@gmail.com
Ix-xewqa li nsir saċerdot nibtet fija meta kont għadni żgħir. Kien proċess interessanti u issa nista’ nara x’kien il-pjan t’Alla fuqi. Ġara li wieħed minn sħabi laqqagħni mal-ispiritwalità tal-unità kif mgħejxa fil-Moviment tal-Fokolari. Il-ħajja flimkien maż-żgħażagħ u l-komunità tal-Moviment, ġibditni lejn it-tagħlim tal-Knisja u biex nieħu sehem fis-sagramenti. Skoprejt kemm hija importanti l-unità fil-Knisja u xtaqt naħdem b’ħilti kollha għal dan il-għan u għal dinja magħquda.
Niftakar qisu lbieraħ meta kont qed nirranġa l-kamra qabel ma noħroġ u ħassejt il-ġibda li nagħti kollox lil Alla, li nitlef il-programmi u l-proġetti tiegħi biex nimxi warajH. Ħassejt li kienet l-isbaħ ħaġa li stajt nagħmel b’ħajti anki jekk kelli quddiemi professjoni promettenti u ħajra kbira li nibni relazzjoni serja ma’ tfajla.
Qsamt din l-esperjenza mad-direttur spiritwali tiegħi u ħajjarni nattendi skola ta’ formazzjoni f’Ruma biex nifhem aħjar dak li ħassejt. Malajr għedt iva u xahar wara kont qiegħed Ruma flimkien ma’ żgħażagħ oħra mid-dinja kollha. Kien mument sabiħ ħafna u xtaqt li ma jgħaddi qatt. Ġewwa fija ħassejt ġibda għal vokazzjoni radikali imma ma kontx għadni naf x’inhi. Kull filgħaxija kont immur quddiem it-tabernaklu biex nitlob ’l Alla jurini t-triq. Għalkemm kont nitlob u nitlob, bqajt ma fhimt xejn. Niftakar l-aħħar żjara f’din il-kappella fejn għedt lil Ġesù: jiena nafda fik u dak li tgħidli nagħmlu għax inti tafni ferm iktar milli naf lili nnifsi jien.
L-għada kont l-ajruport u qattajt il-ġurnata sħiħa nipprova nsib post fuq ajruplan lura għal Malta. Anki jekk bqajt l-art u lanqas kelli l-flus biex noqgħod f’lukanda, f’qalbi kelli paċi u ferħ kbir. L-għada, kompla t-taħbit biex insib post u f’ħin minnhom inġbart f’rokna biex ngħid ir-rużarju fil-kwiet. F’daqqa waħda, bla mistenni, ħassejt l-istedina ta’ Marija sabiex nimxi wara binha. Mill-ewwel għedt iva u ħaġa tal-iskantament sibt post fuq l-ajruplan li jmiss. Kelli l-impressjoni li l-passiġġiera kollha kienu bħal ħuti tad-demm u l-laħam.
Kienet il-Ġimgħa l-Kbira u wasalt id-dar għal xis-sagħtejn, fil-ħin biex nagħżel immurx jew le għall-funzjoni tat-tlieta ta’ waranofsinhar. Iddeċidejt li negħleb it-tentazzjoni li nistrieħ biex inkebbes fija dik il-grazzja u anki għaliex il-bewsa tas-salib kienet importanti ħafna.
Wara li qsamt din l-esperjenza mad-direttur spiritwali, bdiet avventura ġdida. Malli lestejt mill-istudji fl-Università ta’ Malta, tlaqt għall-formazzjoni tiegħi bħala fokolarin f’belt ċkejkna viċin Firenze jisimha Loppiano. Wara sentejn ta’ formazzjoni, ġejt mitlub immur l-Asja fejn qattajt tmintax-il sena. Dawn l-aħħar erbatax-il sena qattajthom f’Ruma fiċ-Ċentru tal-Moviment tal-Fokolari u issa qiegħed inħejji ruħi biex niġi ordnat saċerdot.