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The Chapel, dedicated to our Lady of the
Miraculous Medal, adjacent to the Central House of the Society of
Christian Doctrine M.U.S.E.U.M., was recently redecorated to house the
remains of Blessed George Preca, whom Pope John Paul II beatified in
Malta on 9th May 2001.
All the work on the redecoration, which was
carried out by SDC Members, was designed by Professor Richard England.
If, in different times, architecture was used as a means with which man
expressed his faith, the Chapel at Blata l-Bajda is precisely meeting
the same purpose.
As you enter the building, you will be caught up by
the solidity and tranquility of the entire space around you. As you look
in front of you, you will definitely be inspired by the profound sense
of simplicity, colour and decorum. On your left, a small entrance leads
you to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. One enters this chapel to be
alone with the Alone. Everything in this chapel helps you to achieve
this goal. On your left, there is a passage, which runs the length of
the chapel and it signifies the human journey here on earth. The passage
has a number of particular significant adornments. Small marble pebbles
together with a number of wooden blocks cover the floor. If you try to
walk on these pebbles or hold onto the wooden structures, you will find
that everything seems to be very vulnerable. It is after all our
experience in our day-to-day life. It is only

when you lift up your head
in search of something solid that your eyes fall on the tabernacle,
which stands on a firm concrete pillar. Inscribed in Latin, just above
the tabernacle door you will meet who you come to look for in the first
place: Magister adest et vocat te (The Lord is here, and is calling
you). At the far end of the passage you will see a glass, which is
brightly illuminated by the natural light it receives from behind.
A
second important imagery, full of meaning, is found in the Way of the
Cross, which adorns the semi-circle at the back of the main Chapel. In
the first station, a glass completely covers a cross. The glass
represents sin, egoism and death. If it were possible, the devil would
conquer and annihilate God! Therefore, Satan’s main objective is to
hinder all human beings from coming to know who God is. Yet God, the
Imman-u-el (God-with-us) through his Incarnation, life, death and
resurrection brings final victory and redemption to the whole of
humanity. Therefore, in the last station, the cross is completely
uncovered symbolizing the victory, spoken of by God in Genesis: “I
shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring
and hers; it will crush your head and you will strike its heel.”(Gen
3:15) The well-preserved body of Blessed George Preca lies in a glass
urn, situated beneath the wax effigy. The hands are crossed on its chest
with the fingers reminding us of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, of
which Fr Preca was such a great preacher.
The statue of Our Lady,
beautifully carved in wood, on the left of the main altar, beckons the
pilgrim to kneel and pray. And the pilgrim is also invited not to leave
this sacred space before stopping a moment before the bronze bas-relief
of the servant of God Eugene Borg the first Superior General of the
SDC Society who was a very faithful and zealous follower of Blessed
George Preca since the beginning of their spiritual adventure, which led
them both to holiness.
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