And when the procurator saw them, he came to the port to meet them with joy and great gladness; and he took the hand of each of them as they disembarked. And when they had finished the office of Saturday, the procurator brought them their supper…
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
– Luke 10.38-41
Pressing on
The hermit Paul offered what he could to resupply Brendan and his crew—the fresh water that dripped from a rock each Lord’s Day. Then he gave his blessing to the company and sent them on their way.
They allowed the winds and currents to carry them “hither and thither on the face of the ocean” until, after three days, they arrived again at the island of the Ailbe monastery. The procurator saw them approaching, and he came to the port to welcome them “with joy and great gladness”. He greeted each man with in that blessed way as he helped them off the boat.
It was Saturday, and the monks of Ailbe were about to complete their prayers for the day. Brendan and his company joined them. Then the procurator brought them supper, after which, in the evening, they departed again.
I always find it curious that we know the name of the hermit but we never learn the name of the procurator. Both are pious, friendly, hospitable, and encouraging. But Paul is named, the procurator is just the procurator. He’s like the vast majority of true believers, who seek no credit for their labors and, typically, receive none, except from those whom they faithfully serve in the Name of the Lord and His Kingdom.
The procurator’s ministry was to refresh the souls of his monks and of any, like Brendan, who may find their way into his sphere. He was faithful, humble, thorough, and joyful in fulfilling his calling. He wasn’t looking for a citation in church history. He was just doing what Jesus had called and prepared him to do.
And then there’s Martha
Martha, too, was hospitable and generous. But we don’t see in her any evidence of the “joy and great gladness” with which the procurator carried out his tasks. Martha even resented her sister Mary, who was more devoted to hearing Jesus than to helping out her sister.
Our procurator seems to embody the lesson Jesus taught Martha. There is a time and a place for all refection—both of soul and body. But one must recognize which has the highest priority. The procurator would feed Brendan and his crew, but only after the evening prayers were finished. He understood that what he and his monks—and Brendan and his company—needed above else was to feed on the Presence of Jesus in prayer. This is what Mary was doing, and, for the time she was doing it, it was the right thing. Martha appears to have skipped the most important part of her preparation for hospitality, that of getting with Jesus beforehand to seek His blessing on and Presence in the work sh was about to do. Had she spent more time with Mary, sitting in the Presence of Jesus, she might have known more joy and gladness in receiving and serving her guests.
The humble procurator combined the traits of both sisters and teaches us to make sure that, in all our work throughout the day, we are with Jesus and doing our work as unto Him and not unto people (Col. 3.23, 24).
Being active for Jesus, being quiet before Him. Both of these are necessary for doing the work appointed to us. And it’s possible to do them both, at the same time, joyfully and well. Let’s make sure we always strive for that.
For Reflection
1. How can you “sit at Jesus’ feet” in the midst of doing your daily work?
2. Do you think that doing so would bring more joy to your work and blessing to those around you? Explain.
Psalm 25.3-5
(Festal Song:Â Rise Up, O Men of God)
All they who wait on You
shall never come to shame.
Yet they to shame shall come who standÂ
against Your holy Name.
Make me to know Your ways,Â
teach me Your paths, O LORD!
My Savior, all day long I waitÂ
and seek You in Your Word.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
If you’d like to see some other examples of the lives of Irish saints, download the PDF of our free book by that title by clicking here.
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is focusing on realilzing more of our great salvation. Our current ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, examines the role of commerce for the glory of God. And new in our bookstore, our workbook, The Ongoing Work of Christ, shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. May I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe? It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
