We celebrated the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck on February 10. It is a yearly feast that marks one of the landmarks that characterise us as a people. How befitting it is, for us, Maltese, that, during this year when Valletta is the European City of Culture, we give importance to our Christian heritage.

As one reads through the narrative of St Paul’s shipwreck in the Acts of the Apostles, one realises how it was God’s plan that, on his way to Rome, St Paul had to be stranded on the island of Malta.

As Paul encourages those on board not to lose hope, he declares: “Last night there appeared beside me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve. I trust in God that things will turn out just as I was told; but we are to be stranded on some island” (Acts 27:23-26).

Further up, Luke writes: “Once we had come safely through, we discovered that the island was called Malta. The inhabitants treated us with unusual kindness” (28:1-2).

Even though our forefathers were still ignorant of Christ’s message, they welcomed Paul and all those that were stranded on our island “with unusual kindness”. The seed of faith that was sown more than 2,000 years ago fell on fertile land.

This Christian patrimony should make us treasure all that our ancestors have undertaken to preserve what is worthy and noble in our religion.

Our faith should remain one of our important trademarks that marks our heritage as a people and as a nation. But for faith to remain alive we have to live it and let it have a bearing on the way we look at life and behave.

May the yearly celebration of St Paul’s Shipwreck be a reminder of such a noble patrimony.