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Dear Friends,
Having just spent a wonderful week in Wales, I am looking forward to celebrating St David’s Day on the 1st of March. In this magical land of song and slate, ‘Dewi Sant’ is celebrated in style with parades, parties plus many daffodils, leeks and welsh cakes!

Did you know that David is the only native-born patron saint of the countries of Britain and Ireland?  St George was from Cappadocia, (modern day Turkey), whilst Patrick is said to have been born in Scotland. Only David was a local lad, reputed to have been born on a Pembrokeshire hill top during a storm. 

The Welsh people are justly proud of their patron, who is believed to have performed many miracles, including restoring sight to a blind man by making the sign of the cross over his eyes, bringing a dead boy back to life by splashing his face with tears and creating a hill specially so the short in stature could see him when he was preaching! 

David is often depicted with a dove, symbol of peace, and is known for his reverence and care of the natural world. He was a strict vegetarian who drank only water. He is also said to be responsible for introducing honey bees to Ireland. According to the tale, the beekeeper in David’s monastery was an Irish monk who had to return home. The problem was, his bees kept following him to his boat. Each time they did, he went back to the monastery and tried to persuade them to stay – but they were having none of it until David blessed them and allowed them to leave for the Emerald Isle!

Not much is known of David for certain – but a man who inspired so many people from his own day to the present must surely have been very special. As one time Bishop of Monmouth, Dominic Walker, said in a St David’s Day sermon; “David had a gentleness and compassion for others who were attracted by his holiness of life. People are rarely attracted to Christianity by intellectual argument but they are attracted by people of holiness and those whose lives have been changed by their encounter with God.”

It reminds me of the story told about the time Archbishop Desmond Tutu was speaking at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. One of the students sitting in the audience nudged the Dean, who was sitting next to him, and hispered, “Desmond Tutu is a holy man.” The Dean asked, “How do you know?” To which the young man quickly replied, “I know that Desmond Tutu is holy because when I’m with him I feel holy.”

Have you ever felt blessed to be in someone’s presence? Perhaps you are such a person for others? We can all carry on St David’s legacy by following the advice given in his last words: “Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.” Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus, a duw bendithia chi.

Esther and Jessie the Vicarage Dog  xx