Readers of this blog might find it rather eclectic, even confusing, with a range of (unconnected) themes, and different languages. As with any blog, I imagine, Nova et Vetera says represents very much the blogger, and there is, I hope, some logic in this madness. I had initially, tried to keep different fields separate, running a number of blogs in parallel. Then I decided it was time for an online cleanup. So, what’s this blog about? Actually, it focuses on a clear number of themes:
- Academic stuff, where you can read about some of my research, and I occasionally share things about some of my work-in-progress. Also my Curriculum Vitae.
- Intorno al fuoco (in Italian) and Breaking the Word (in English) propose Lectio Divina. I started this section in Italian, with Catholic scouts as my target audience. I have since also started posting in English, aware of a wider and more international audience. My posts here give some advice on how to pray (come pregare), concrete prayer material (proposte di lectio) on specific texts, and well as some conversation on spiritual matters in the tradition of BPs campfire yarn (chiacchierate al fuoco).
- Brace sotto la cenere (1928-1944), with some research on clandestine scouting in Rome and Lazio region when the scout movement was suppressed during the fascist regime and German occupation.
- L-Iklin. Ħżuż storiċi u kulturali. Written in Maltese, this section focuses on the very local history of L-Iklin, the locality in Malta where I’m originally from.
- Finally, photography, where I’ve starting sharing some of my favourite photos.
Nova et vetera?
A brief word about the title. Nova et vetera, both terms neuter plural in Latin, means “the new and the old”, or “new things and old”. The choice has a New Testament echo in Matthew 13,52 (especially in the Latin Vulgate translation):
Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.
ideo omnis scriba doctus in regno caelorum similis est homini patri familias qui profert de thesauro suo nova et vetera …
Last updated: 30 November 2021
Nova et vetera 