The minister writes… from our March 2025 newsletter
Dear friends,
If February featured snowdrops (the flower associated with Candlemas) then March’s flower must surely be daffodils, the emblem (along with the leek) of St David’s Day on 1st March. As I write there are daffodils beginning to flower everywhere – such a glad sight and promise of the spring we feel we have been keenly waiting for.
St David is, as you know, the patron saint of Wales. Since the date of his birth is uncertain, it is the date of his death in 589AD that is commemorated. David grew up to be a priest and a monk. He was strictly vegetarian and only drank water, in fact he became known as Dewi Dyfrwr (‘David the Waterdrinker’). He was also a renowned preacher and the most well-known of his miracles occurred when he was preaching to a crowd in the village of Llanddewi Brefi. Some of the people were shouting that they couldn’t hear him, when a white dove landed on his shoulder. As it did, the ground on which he stood is said to have risen up to form a hill, making it possible for all to see and hear him.
Of course, David’s is not the only saint’s day in March – St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17th March, again commemorated on the date of his death in 461AD. Legend says that Patrick, who was to become the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Roman Britain before being kidnapped aged 16 and taken to Gaelic Ireland. He eventually escaped and made his way home but later returned to Ireland where he introduced Christianity. The famous story of him driving snakes out of Ireland is an allegory: ‘snakes’ being the pagan practices which he dispelled as the Christian beliefs took root.
In-between those two saints’ days we have a number of other traditional celebrations this month: 4th March is Shrove Tuesday a.k.a. Pancake Day followed by Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. There is a Circuit Ashing service at Woosehill at 7pm (see Advert elsewhere in this newsletter) to which you are all warmly invited.
The season of Lent brings in our Lent Bible study: Holy Habits: Following Jesus. This is held on Tuesday evenings on Zoom (more details under S.A.L.T) and you don’t have to attend the regular Bible study to be welcome to join in this special Lenten study.
Friday 7th is the date of the World Day of Prayer service – do look out for details in the weekly notices – and finally, 9th March 6.30pm is the SCT service at our church, the theme of which is: ‘Be still: making the most of the wilderness.’ Please do come and support this if you can.
What a busy month March is! I hope you are able to observe or join in with some of the above. If getting out and about is not easy for you, then I encourage you, as we go into Lent and our hearts, minds and worship begin the journey towards the cross, to set aside a bit of time each day in which to pray and reflect. There are a lot of wonderful Lent resources available with daily readings to enrich this time.
Let me close with some words adopted from the prayer known as St Patrick’s breastplate:
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
May you make those words your own this month.
With every blessing,
Sharon