Principled persons

The celebration of life of Karl Gouder spoke for itself.

He was a much-loved personality using his talents to help people – without distinction – to live in a better world with a deeper commitment to justice and compassion.

Karl Gouder

The world needs persons of principle in politics who know how to disagree politely and gracefully, and proceed as if no disagreement ever existed.

His unfailing kindness and empathy were reflected in the encouraging message he wrote last year, posted on Facebook to be shared. Today, so close to Jesus, Karl would ask us to seek Him always but, especially, in difficult times.

It is hard to live without the physical presence of loved ones but, with faith, this will be overcome. As Mgr Claude Portelli, in his heartfelt homily, emphatically said, addressing Jesus: “We need you.”

He thanked God for Karl and thanked his parents for the values they instilled in him and, now, we have a model with a sense of enthusiasm, cooperation, friendship, unity, and love. As Portelli stressed, we owe it to Karl to make a genuine effort strengthened by his values to move forwarding for the good of the country as life goes on.

Karl would be happy to know he is still being instrumental in bringing about the necessary changes to achieve set goals in the interests of all.

Josephine Vella – Birkirkara

Independence fantasy

Malta rightly rejoices to celebrate the end of its colonial status in 1964. But ‘independent’ Malta is now a fully-fledged member of the European Union and its single currency, thereby surrendering its right to conduct its own economic affairs and submitting itself to the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Perhaps ‘independence’ is nothing more than a fantasy. As St Paul says (Romans 12:5), “We belong to each other” and that is as true of nations as it is of individuals.

Alan Cooke – Sliema

Of man’s ingratitude

Confucius (Kong Qiu - 551-479 BCE) said: “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.” His advice is reflected in a poem by Han-Shan, a Chinese Buddhist monk and recluse who lived on Cold Mountain in the T’ien-t’ai range during the Thang Dynasty (....“On a bed of stone I sit, alone in the night, while the round moon climbs up Cold Mountain”).

“North of the city lived old man Chung; his larder was full of meat and wine. Ah, the day his poor wife died, the funeral guests overflowed the hall. But when old man Chung himself passed on, not a single soul came to weep.

“Those who ate his roasts and downed his wine had hearts that were colder than you would have thought!”

In her poem Solitude, Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1855-1919) reflects on fair-weather friends: “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone. Be glad, and your friends are many; be sad, and you lose them all. There are none to decline your nectared wine, but alone you must drink life’s gall.”

John Guillaumier – St Julian’s