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
Id-Disa’ Riflessjoni dwar il-kwadru titulari tal-Kolleġjata ta’ San Lawrenz, il-Birgu
Wasalna għall-aħħar meditazzjoni dwar dan il-kwadru titulari ta’ fama hekk kbira li, skont Bernardo de Domenici, il-bijografu tal-ħajja tal-Calabrese, dan kien l-iktar xogħol għal qalb Preti u saħansitra r-Re Luigi XIV ta’ Franza ried jakkwistah biex bih iżejjen il-palazz il-ġdid tiegħu f’Versailles. Imma l-Vittorjosani ma kinux lesti li jċedu din il-ġawra tal-arti Barokka.
U, f’din l-aħħar riflessjoni, se nerġgħu nidħlu fil-kor ta’ din il-knisja storikatant marbuti mal-ġrajja tal-Assedju l-Kbir li nfakkru f’dawn il-jiem, sabiex naraw mill-qrib il-parti l-iktar baxxa tal-pittura. Hemmhekk nilmħu lill-kebbiesa u tliet qaddejja oħra li kienu qegħdin iġorru l-faħam fil-qfief, barra xi spettaturi—żewġ nisa u żewġ irġiel—li jidhru fl-isfond, bejn il-karattri li jiffurmaw l-att ċentrali.
Il-kebbiesa qed iħejju u jqawwu n-nar: wieħed qiegħed jiftaħ u jagħlaq minfaħ żgħir biex iqanqal il-fjammi, u l-ieħor qed jitfa’ iktar ħatab. Jidher li tal-ewwel hu mpitter f’xebh mal-Isqof ta’ Malta Davide Cocco Palmieri, l-isqof li inawgura dil-knisja fl-1697 u li miegħu Mattia Preti kellu xi kwistjoni. L-ieħor jixbah lill-iskjav tal-artist li anke miegħu r-relazzjoni ma tantx kienet tajba. Dawn iż-żewġ uffiċċjali pubbliċi flimkien mal-puttin fir-raġġ tad-dawl smewwi jiffurmaw trijanglu madwar San Lawrenz li, minkejja li qed iħejji biex jimtedd fuq il-gradilja, iktar qisu bħal donnu qed jimtedd u jorqod u jistrieħ għal kollox fi ħdan Alla li għalih ta ħajtu—sew Kristu għal San Lawrenz (u għal kull wieħed u waħda minna personalment mhux biss bħala merħla), u sew San Lawrenz għal Kristu, hekk li kważi kważi nistgħu nimmaġinawh jagħlaq ħajtu bir-rieda soda tas-Salmista f’Salm 4: “Nimtedd u norqod minnufih fis-sliem, għax int waħdek, Mulej, fis-sod tqegħedni” (Salm 4, 9).
Iżda dan mhux kollox. Ir-raġel bil-minfaħ għandu ħarstu ’l barra, lejn l-ispettatur u l-fidili miġburin f’din il-knisja. U ilha fissa hekk minn meta twaħħal fl-1689 wara li ġie kkummissjonat minn Mons. Anton Testaferrata, Kanonku tal-Kapitlu Metropolitan tal-Imdina, u li l-arma tiegħu nilmħuha fil-kantuniera t’isfel tax-xellug tagħna.
U, hekk kif il-linji tal-perspettiva mill-punt fokali jiftħu ’l barra mal-ħitan ta’ dal-matlab u nħossu fuqna l-ħarsa fissa ta’ wieħed mill-kebbies, ma jistax ikun li nibqgħu indifferenti, imma nħallu lil dak il-kebbies ikun l-inkwiżitur tagħna, mhux biex jakkużana—għax huwa x-xitan li jixlina, u ismu stess, ‘xitan’, hekk ifisser, akkużatur—imma biex, bħal dak il-minfaħ f’idu, ikebbes ix-xrara tal-kuxjenza tagħna—scintilla conscientiae, kif issejħilha d-duttur serafiku San Bonaventura—sabiex id-Difensur—l-Ispirtu s-Santu—li jgħarbel kollox, sa fil-qiegħ ta’ Alla (1 Kor 2, 10), joħroġ għad-dawl id-dlam tagħna mhux biex iperrċu imma biex ifejqu bid-dija tiegħu tal-għaġeb.
