I took the bus to Mdina and Rabat. Mdina is also a fortified city on one of the highest points of Mal;ta, but not on the sea. The Cathedral in Mdina is the seat of the bishop and he shares his time with the Valetta St. John the Baptist Cathedral. It was originally built in the 16th century and rebuilt after the 1696 earthquake. It also has a huge dome, like the one in the church of O.L.of Mt. Carmel in Valetta. Next to the church in one of the old palazzoes is a an excellent museum with many of the works of art that were created here and brought here by the knights, church fathers and rulers. Again, as in the museum at the St. John’s cathedral also a large collection of religious art, vestments, song books, bibles and papal bulls going back to the 14th century. There were extensive ancient coin collections. The ones from Carthage intrigued me and I double checked to see if I was not missing an opportunity to go to Tunisia where Carthage flourished during the Roman occupation. But apparently the Vandals and Arabs did not leave a lot to posterity. So, I’ll be heading Northwest from here tomorrow. The wind came up today from the N.W. …
Rabat is right next door to Mdina. This is where the Church of St.Paul is. This is supposed to be the spot where Paul wintered after his shipwreck on the island. There is a grotto underneath the church. Pope John Paul came to visit this church and grotto. When I was confirmed in the Catholic church in 1957, I had to have a sainr’s name. I was given the name Paul. That was the last time it was ever used. But as a convert himself and his life and teachings have always made a big impact on me. Our mother wrote in her memoirs, which are part of “The Mastmakers’ Daughters” about the particular passage Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans. I quote from the book:
” It is in this wilderness that I learned so clearly some of the Bible passages. Much is said about the Wrath of God but for me it was the Love of God who brought us in to the concentration camps.
Roman 8 verse 33: “Who will bring any charge against those God has chosen? And verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
And verse 38: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, 39: etc. will be able to separate me from the Love of Christ Jesus our Lord.
I’d like to have verse 38 on my tombstone.”
My neighbors on “Una Volta”, see below picture at sunrise, Bernard and his wife Marie-France and their crew friend Patricia spent the day as well in Mdina/Rabat. They had me over on board for a digestive. Patricia is a Parisienne artiste and there will be Una Volta mas when I pass through Lyon where the couple lives.