As we move through the year, we are now on the cusp of March, and March this year encompasses the celebration of Easter. However, there are many things to think about before we get to that point. This coming Friday is the first day of March and many Welsh people will be celebrating St David’s Day. Daffodils will be worn by some, signifying their allegiance to their country, along with symbols of the Welsh tradition.
St David was not only a Bishop, but a monk also; his shrine can be found at St David’s Cathedral, where he is believed to have founded a monastery which became the cathedral it is today. There is also a chapel nearby – St Non’s – where his mother is said to have given birth to him in the year 500, on a cliff top. David had many characteristics and gifts; he was said to be a great preacher, and is well-known for his kindness and compassion, especially to the poor. St David died on 1st March in the year 601, which is why we celebrate on that day.
Tradition says that he had some special powers, and that he based his good living on hard work, abstinence from alcohol and unnecessary speech. Along with his kindness and compassion, David had good ethics which enabled him to live a life of faith to through his belief in God. We would all be wise to follow his way of living, even though we live in a different age with different problems, but with a foundation such as his, we could overcome many of the problems that today’s world faces. Not least of all of these, a belief and trust in God, which comes with peace and forgiveness, would right many of the wrongs we face today.
With God’s peace and blessing
Revd Graham
