Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 10th October 2023

All good things come to an end, as they say, and my break from work and responsibility is drawing to an end. Tomorrow evening I will return to Belmont. The rest has been wonderful, the peace, the quiet, the relaxation, the heathy diet and the prolonged opportunity for prayer. Yesterday we went for a ride into the countryside to visit the heroic village of Chortiatis, heroic for it was raised to the ground and the majority of the population killed by the Nazis towards to end of WWII. We then visited the British War Cemetery nearby, so beautifully kept, tragic yet prayerful. It was interesting to note the number of Bulgarian soldiers buried with our own men, among whom were many Maltese. Of the 20,000 or more British troops who died in and around Thessaloniki towards the end of WWI, at least half died of malaria and some of the Spanish flu. We prayed for them all and prayed for those soldiers and civilians dying in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel today. We prayed earnestly for peace in that peaceful place, the result of war and death.

Our Gospel passage for today comes from Luke, (Lk 10: 38-42), and is one of the best known scenes from his Gospel, the visit of Jesus to Martha and Mary. Although we imagine Jesus travelling around with a large retinue of disciples, helpers and hangers on, only Jesus and the two sisters appear in the account. “Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.” This is an amazing statement, considering the time and place in which Jesus lived. Next we are told, “She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking.” In many ways, this is even more astounding, Jesus alone with a woman, who sits at his feet, the two alone, while Martha is absent. We then discover why. “Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’” I wonder what Martha had prepared for Jesus’ meal, that was so complicated and needed so much work with serving. He was after all a very special guest and yet there is no mention of any other dinner guests. Poor Martha, what the Lord said in reply must have upset her, but it was a lesson she had to learn. All that fuss is getting in the way of what matters more, the fact that Jesus is visiting their home, and he has come to give rather than to take, for he is the Bread of Life. Jesus says to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.” Have we chosen the one thing necessary? Have we chosen the better part?