Daily reflection for the Season of Lent

Monday 1st March 2021

'Happy Saint David’s Day!

I have a good friend in Edinburgh who is proud of his welsh heritage, especially since Wales beat England 40-24 in the Rugby Six Nations cup on Saturday and today is St David’s day – the patron saint of Wales.

Bible Reading

John 15:10-13
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Refection

St. David  was born c. 500 – c. 589) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids). During the 6th century. David was a renowned church leader, teacher and preacher, founding monastic settles in Wales and Brittany. Like many of the ancient saints there are numerous traditions and miracle stories associated with St. David. His best-known miracle is said to have taken place when he was preaching in the middle of a large crowd at the Synod of Brefi at the village of Llanddewi Brefi. In order that he could be heard, it is claimed that a small hill rose under his feet. A white dove, which became his emblem, was seen settling on his shoulder. St David died in 589 AD and canonised in 1120. Following his canonisation, the tomb of St David (in St. David’s, Wales) became an important centre of pilgrimage. St David has held in such high esteem that four pilgrimages to his shrine were considered the equivalent of two to Rome, and one to Jerusalem!

In his final sermon St David declared:
Byddwch lawen, cadwch y ffydd a gwnewch y pethau bychain a welsoch ac a glywsoch gennyf i.’
‘Be joyful, keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen and heard me do.’
Reflecting on these final words of St David, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams observes
He reminds us that the primary things for us are the relationships around us, the need to work at what's under our hands, what's within our reach.

We can transform our domestic, our family relationships, our national life to some extent, if we do that with focus and concentration in the presence of God.

Prayer

Loving God,
we bring you our thanks for all that has been.
We pray for open hearts to receive today as a gift,
a new page, a new chapter in the journey of our lives.
Fill us with your wonder and your love
your gentleness and peace.
Help us to use each moment for your glory
and show us how we might be a blessing to others.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Blessing
May God the Father,
who does not despise the broken spirit,
give to you a contrite heart.
Amen.
May Christ,
who bore our sins in his body on the tree,
heal you by his wounds.
Amen.
May the Holy Spirit,
who leads us into all truth,
speak to you words of pardon and peace.
Amen.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.