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San
Blas: storja, tadizzjonijiet u drawwiet
jikteb
Dr. Mario Saliba
Meta wiehed isemmi lill-qaddis San Blas jew San
Bjagju malajr tigi quddiem ghajnejh il-lokalita’ taghna tan-Nadur. Dan
minhabba x-xtajta pittoreska ta’ San Blas. Fl-imghoddi z-zewg xtajtiet,
dik tar-Ramla u dik ta’ San Blas, kienu maghrufin b’isem wiehed, li
kien “Ir-Ramla ta’ San Blas” . Tul il-firxa ta’ dawn
iz-zewg xtajtiet qrib xulxin kienu jezistu numru ta’ knejjes ckejknin
aktar milli nsibu f’postijiet ohra.
Sa
mill-1598, meta saret il-vizta pastorali mill-vigarju generali Dun Anton
Bartolo, qrib ix-xtajta kien
hemm knisja li kienet imsemmija ghal San Blas.
Sa minn dak iz-zmien din il-kappella ga kienet nieqsa minn kollox
u kienet abbandunata. Mir-rapport
ta’ vizti li saru zmien wara nsibu li fl-1644 il-kappella kienet ga
mgarrfa. Fis-sena 1750, meta n-Nadur kellu l-knisja parrokkjali tieghu,
minn din il-kappella ta’ San Blas ma kienx fadal hlief il-pedamenti.
Dawn kienu jidhru fi gnien li kien igib l-isem ta’ din
il-kappella; kien jissejjah Gnien San Blas.) Biz-zmien it-triq
principali li minn Triq it-Tigrija twassal ghall-bidu ta’ dawn
l-inhawi ssemmiet ghal dan il-qaddis: Triq San Blas.
F’Malta
ghadek issib knisja qadima li hija ddedikata lil dan il-qaddis fl-inhawi
ta’ bejn is-Siggiewi u Haz-Zebbug. Din il-knisja jinghad li kienet
inbniet fis-seklu XV. Huwa
maghruf ukoll li kienet tkabbret fis-seklu XVII.
Xi ftit tas-snin ilu l-Kapitlu tal-Katidral ta’ l-Imdina kien
halla din il-knisja qadima f’idejn il-Moviment Azzjoni Socjali
(MAS) biex jiehu hsiebha. Il-MAS hadet hsieb tar-restawr tal-knisja u ta’
xoghlijiet ohra mehtiega u llum qed tintuza biex isiru xi attivitajiet
socjali u kulturali mill-istess moviment.
San
Blas kien Isqof ta’ Sebaste fl-Armenja fis-seklu IV. Huwa jissemma
f’Matrilogiji storici tas-seklu IX u huwa assocjat mad-data tal-15 ta’
Frar; ghalkemm il-kalendarju Griek ipoggieh fil-11 ta’ Frar. Minkejja
dan, kull referenza ghal San Blas taqbel li huwa kien Isqof ta’
Sebaste fl-Armenja u li l-martirju tieghu sehh fi zmien il-hakma ta’
Licinius, madwar is-sena 316. Ta’ min ighid li San Blas huwa l-uniku
qaddis rapprezentattiv tal-Knisja ta’ l-Armenja fil-Kalendarju Ruman.
L-informazzjoni
li tezisti dwar San Blas hi msejsa fuq Atti legendarji. Skond dawn l-Atti,
Bjagju kien tabib qabel ma sar isqof. Huwa kien mehud prigunier fuq
ordni tal-gvernatur Agricolaus. Minhabba l-persekuzzjoni ta’ Licinius
huwa kien harab fid-dezert u n-nies tal-gvernatur kienu sabuh mistohbi
gewwa ghar. Meta kien il-habs San Blas ghamel miraklu meta fejjaq tifel
li kellu xewka ta’ huta mwahhla fi grizmejh u li minhabba fiha kien
qed jifga. Minhabba f’hekk San Blas qabel maghruf li jfejjaq il-mard
tal-griezem.
F’Malta, sa ftit taz-zmien ilu, kienu jbierku
hbejziet li jitqassmu lil dawk prezenti. Dawn kienu jintuzaw bhala
devozzjoni fil-mard tal-griezem u xi drabi ukoll waqt il-hlas. Din it-tradizzjoni
kienet issir kemm fil-Katidral ta’ l-Imdina kif ukoll fil-knisja
tal-Gizwiti l-Belt. Illum
din it-tradizzjoni ghadha ssir fil-Kappella ta’ San Blas, ga msemmija,
billi jsir tqassim ta’ hbejziet tradizzjonali u trattament fil-festa
ta’ dan il-qaddis, li tahbat fid-data tal-mewt tieghu, fit-3 ta’
Frar. F’din l-okkazjoni
jsir ukoll it-tberik ta’ l-annimali u l-prodotti tar-raba’, peress
li San Blas huwa popolari hafna fil-kampanja, tant li huwa kkonsidrat
bhala l-patrun tal-bdiewa wkoll. San
Blas kien ihobb hafna lill-annimali, peress li ghex ghal numru ta’
snin imdawwar bihom. Sahansitra kien anke jaghmel il-mirakli biex ifejjaqhom mill-mard
taghhom.
Meta
kien il-habs, Bjagju sofra diversi ghamliet
ta’ tortura. Skond
l-Atti li ga semmejna huwa kien maqtul billi qatghulu rasu barra. Il-qima
fl-Ewropa lejn dan il-qaddis Orjentali bdiet fis-seklu IX u San Blas
kien wiehed mill-aktar qaddisin popolari taz-Zmenijiet tan-Nofs. Ghala
kien daqstant popolari ma nafux. Probabbilment din il-popolarita’
kienet minhabba li kien tabib u minhabba n-numru kbir ta’ fejqan li
sehhew bl-intercessjoni tieghu. Ghalhekk kienu hafna dawk l-insara li
kienu jitolbuh fil-bzonnijiet taghhom waqt il-mard.
Hawn Malta San Blas huwa wkoll il-qaddis protettur
tal-qabla. Barra minn Malta l-konnessjoni ta’ San Blas mat-twelid tat-tfal
mhix imsemmija, izda hawn Malta kienu jitolbuh waqt il-hlas. Dan forsi
ghax kien tabib? Fl-imghoddi f’Malta qabel il-hlas kienu jsiru hafna
weghdiet lil diversi qaddisin, u jaghmlu li jistghu biex idahhlu l-ghajnuna
sopranaturali. Kien hemm devozzjoni kbira lejn il-Madonna tal-Hlas izda
kienu jitolbu wkoll lil diversi qaddisin, fosthom San Blas. Lil San Blas
kienu jitolbuh: “San Blas, San Blas, wessa’ t-toqba u cekken
ir-ras!”.
Madwar l-Ewropa nsibu diversi knejjes iddedikati lil
San Blas. Fost dawn hemm f’Taranto, Ragusa u fil-Foresta s-Sewda
fil-Germanja. Fis-seklu XV u XVI fil-Germanja San Blas kien invokat
hafna f’kazijiet ta’ emorragiji u ulceri.) F’dawn
il-postijiet insibu xi relikwiji li jinghad huma ta’ dan il-qaddis.
San Blas huwa meqjum hafna f’Maratea, belt zghira li tigi fuq wahda
mix-xtut sbieh ta’ Tirreno. Ghal iktar minn tnax-il seklu nsibu r-relikwiji
fis-santwarju tieghu. Skond it-tradizzjoni tal-post, fit-12 ta’ Mejju
tas-sena 732 xi nsara Armeni gabu bicca minn gismu mill-Bazilika ta’
Sebaste fl-Armenja, fejn kien midfun wara l-martirju biex jahbuh u ma
jigix meqrud mill-ikonoklasti.
L-uzanzi f’dawn il-postijiet huma differenti minn
taghna. Fil-festa tal-qaddis, fil-knisja ssir cerimonja fejn il-qassis
izomm zewg xemghat fuq ras in-nies u jghid talba. Il-qassis ukoll imiss
il-grizmejn tan-nies bix-xemgha mbierka waqt li jghid talba lil San Blas
li bil-Latin hija xi haga hekk: “Per intercessionem S. Blasii
liberat te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo”. Bil-Malti
din tfisser: “Nitolbu biex bl-intercessjoni ta’ San Blas Alla
jharisna mill-mard tal-griezem u minn kull deni iehor”.
Immagini ta’ dan il-qaddis turina lil San Blas b’zewg
xemghat imsallbin f’idejh jew lill-qaddis go ghar ‘il barra
mill-belt ta’ Sebaste mdawwar bl-annimali selvaggi kif kienu sabuh
skond il-leggenda n-nies tal-gvernatur Agricolaus.) Din l-uzanza tat-tberik
tax-xemgha probabbli gejja mir-rakkont ta’ wiehed mill-hafna mirakli
li ghamel San Blas matul iz-zmien li gie ttorturat fil-habs. Jinghad li
kien hemm armla li l-lupu serqilha ferh ta’ majjal. Il-mara li hadet
il-barka tieghu, haditlu l-ikel u xemgha u hu, kommos, qalilha: “Offri
kull sena xemgha lill-knisja li tinbena f’ismi u jkollok hafna gid u
xejn ma jkun jonqsok”.)
Fil-jum tal-festa tieghu l-Knisja ghadha din it-talba: “Mulej
isma’ t-talb tal-martri tieghek San Bjagju. Aghtina l-hena u l-paci
f’din id-dinja u ghenna naqilghu il-ferh ta’ dejjem.
Il-Bajja
ta’ San Blas fir-rahal taghna wasslitna biex naghtu xi ftit taghrif
dwar dan il-qaddis mill-Orjent, li l-kult tieghu ghadu haj anke lllum.
Saint
Blaise
Many Catholics might remember Saint Blaise's feast
day because of the Blessing of the Throats that took place on this day.
Two candles are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the
throat as the blessing is said. Saint Blaise's protection of those with
throat troubles apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to
him who had a fishbone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die
when Saint Blaise healed him.
Very few facts are known about Saint Blaise. We
believe he was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia who was martyred under
the reign of Licinius in the early fourth century.
The legend of his life that sprang up in the eighth
century tell us that he was born in to a rich and noble family who
raised him as a Christian. After becoming a bishop, a new persecution of
Christians began. He received a message from God to go into the hills to
escape persecution. Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave
surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Among them Blaise walked
unafraid, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise as a
bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back,
he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman.
When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in
gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally Blaise
was killed by the governor.
Blaise is the patron saint of wild animals because of his care for them and of those with throat maladies.
