It is not often that we read uplifting stories in the papers. Most of the time they speak of disasters, corruption and criminal activity. August gifted us with two very different stories which, I feel, deserve a closer look.

The first is the birthday of the La Salle Br Edward Galea who turned 100 last month.

On this occasion, he was interviewed by Times of Malta. He is still mentally and physically fit and he uses his good health, which he considers to be a gift of God, to continue to do the work to which he dedicated his whole life: helping youngsters to grow into human and spiritually mature adults.

His long life exposed him to many experiences and he witnessed many changes. Having had a brush with the Nazi world as a student, he is worried when he sees an extreme right-wing ideology raising its head.

An expert in education, he is also concerned that education seems to have become exclusively interested in learning rather than educating, that is, educere, or bringing out the healthy nature that is ingrained deep down within us but which needs to be developed.

Despite this situation, he still hasn’t given up. He continues to make his contribution which, in his eyes, is little but which, in reality is great.

He takes time to talk with the children because he is convinced that there is nothing better than a person-to-person encounter to help build up an individual. This is especially so since, nowadays, children’s communication is almost exclusively with their mobile phones.

One wonders what the secret of this Brother’s life is, what makes him still active and convinced that even at his age he can still help others. He does not say it but if the children enjoy talking to him it is because they see a real friend in him, a friend who loves them truly and who wishes them well.

If this gentleman is still giving a lot to children at 100 years of age it simply means that he has a lot to give because of what he has become himself. In between the lines of his interview one can easily see where he gets his strength from.

Wanting to have the interview in the chapel may elicit a smile but, at the same time, it’s a mirror into his heart which shows to whom he has dedicated his life and from where he has acquired his strength.

Another thing which impresses me is his commitment to God and to his vocation.

Commitment is not greatly appreciated nowadays. Many feel that commitment limits their freedom because it deprives them of taking up other opportunities. They don’t realise that it is only through commitment that one can become truly free.

He is also in pain at seeing vocations to the La Sallian Congregation dwindling. Brothers have always been less appreciated than priests but this is because people don’t understand that the religious life is different from, not inferior to, the priestly vocation.

The second story which I really enjoyed reading was Stephan Brincat’s obituary of his dad, Joseph Brincat, the well-known Labour politician. He succeeded in showing us what stuff his father was made of by narrating a simple story.

It is not often that we read uplifting stories in the papers- Fr Alfred Micallef

As a little child, he was one day, quarrelling with his older sister. His father made both get into the car without disclosing their destination. This did not make the siblings stop bickering but his father kept on driving.

The destination was Gudja cemetery. The place was packed with people who had gone there for the interment of Raymond Caruana, the PN activist who was murdered while he was in the party’s club.

Their mother was not sure whether that was the right place for them to be, given the extremely tense political situation of the time. How were they going to be received since her husband was a Labour MP?

Their presence was noticed and words of disapproval soon emerged. But Brincat, probably understanding the gravity of the situation better than most, still “wanted to pay his respects”, as Stephan put it.

Fortunately, not all have little minds and other supporters of the Nationalist Party – Stephan mentions George Bonello Dupuis in particular – appreciated the gesture and, again in Stephan’s words, “the insolent remarks and the hecklers were superseded by words of kindness, praise and applause”.

This taught the siblings a duplicate lesson. In the first place, it didn’t take them long to forget what they were quarrelling about. They learned that trivia should not be given too much importance.

Secondly, they learned that human values are more important than ideas. It is possible to embrace different ideas and to keep on loving and be respectful.

It is no wonder that these lessons remained embedded in Stephan’s heart and, I imagine, in that of his sister.

I think we should be very grateful to Stephan for having shared this beautiful story with us.

Fr Alfred Micallef is a member of the Society of Jesus.