Unsung heroes

A word of thanks must go to Civil Protection Department personnel who gave their all in helping out our Turkish brethren after suffering one of the greatest devastating earthquakes ever. Those who volunteered as soon as an international call for aid was launched did not think twice. They were ready to sacrifice life and limb and, at the end of the day, really carried out sterling work over there.

Of course, this was not an isolated case for which the CPD personnel deserve our praise. How can we not laud all the efforts they put in  throughout the year in ensuring the department can function to the fullest possible extent during and after an emergency, provide support to our emergency services, the police, the fire brigade and ambulance services while planning and providing for civil protection emergency management?

They are always ready to spring into action to support our community during any significant emergency. Indeed, in every such emergency situation, the CPD has always successfully applied the four Rs of emergency management – reduction, readiness, response and recovery – to achieve maximum results.

Notwithstanding all this, however, we are all expected to do our part in collaborating with the CPD. The cost of educating ourselves about the prevention measures of disaster occurrences is much less than the cost of learning from tragedy. We must all be ready to learn and spread all the

information simultaneously regarding the measures to protect our lives in many dire situations and take part in disaster prevention and simulation exercises to stay strong on the level of preparedness.

Civil protection personnel remain our unsung heroes. Yet, we ought to be always grateful and proud of our CPD.

Mark Said – Msida

Cheap grace is not at all Christian

Lent is a privileged time wherein we encounter God, others and ourselves in genuineness. God’s grace, which is a “varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10), is available to each and every one of us.

The great Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote: “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, Communion without confession... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

Let us accept God’s grace with all its life-changing package. After all, cheap grace is not Christian at all.

Fr Mario Attard, OFM Cap – Marsa