Hey VLC! Your AVL Coordinator is once again coming to you from across the globe to report another spectacular day on the island of Malta, Paul’s first stop on the way to Rome! Today was the big day so far, in which we explored what is believed to be by the Vatican and Roman Catholic Church, the site of a miracle, and that was just the start of the day. The Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, aka the Mosta Dome, named for its location and shape, is a large domed cathedral built in the 1800’s in the city of Mosta, Malta. Go figure! The church, as they all have been so far, was breathtaking. Large marble sculptures of the apostles adorn the entrance, leading you under the decorated dome full of gold and blue crests, except for a few unpainted pieces. This seemed off to me until our tour guide, Martese, explained the significance of these white patches to our group.
During World War II, Malta was unfortunately one of many victims to the Blitzkrieg’s bombardments, including the Mosta Dome, but a true miracle from our Lord occurred. When the bomb that landed on the Mosta Dome crashed through the ceiling, it bounced off the ground and rolled right up to the altar… and didn’t ever go off. What a powerful story, and let me say church family back home, the Holy Spirit can still be felt in that church and truly presided over us, and our wonderful time there. Being at the site of such a recent act of our Father, Him not only protecting his church from the worst war of the last century, but protecting his people who remained inside, hiding from the attacks. A true testament of God’s love, and a reminder that even up against the worst that humanity has to offer, there is nothing that the Lord cannot do for us, his faithful flock. Taking it all in was truly one of the most profound moments of my journey of faith so far.
From there we ventured further inland to visit the Silent City of Mdina, a once walled fortress used to defend the island against the many invasions it suffered. Besides the general beauty of the city as is common so far on the trip, our main sightseeing attraction was the Apostle Paul’s grotto, where he lived for some time while on the island. Deeper down we dared into St. Paul’s Catacombs, where 6,000 bodies were found once the catacombs had been discovered in 1894, with over thirty underground tomb rooms throughout the entirety of the city’s catacomb complex.
We then reversed course and headed out to the coast of Malta, to see the small island in which Paul and 274 others crashed on, as told to us in the book of Acts. Another truly inspiring moment. To be able to walk along the same areas that one of Christ’s Apostles traveled and recorded in his writing was beyond spiritually powerful. To stand, myself, in such an important piece of our faith, what eventually led Paul to the Romans and his martyrdom, it almost impossible to put into words the profound sense of awe that filled my soul there. As our Pastor Todd said after, “ I will never read the book of Acts the same.”
Finally, our journey ended at what is believed to be the site in which Publius, the Roman Governor of the island, was converted to Christendom, when Paul healed his father, and many others who were sick on Malta. Now this site is home to a lovely chapel, the San Pawl Milqi (meaning “Saint Paul the Welcome” in Maltese,) built in the 1700’s in honor of this important event in Christian history. A special thank you to Heritage Malta, for opening the chapel to us on a day that it’s typically not available to the public. It was because of this; we were able to explore the entirety of Paul’s 3 months on the island. Well stay tuned and I hope all is well back in the States with you, my church family. Praying that the Lord’s face can shine upon you, as it has on all of us here.
May the Lord’s peace, which passes all understanding envelop you all.
