St David’s Day – 1 March
Good morning…
… on St David’s Day. David is the patron saint of Wales. A native of Wales, David was born some time between 462 and 512, and became renowned as a teacher and preacher, founder of monasteries, and worker of miracles. He is often depicted with a dove on his shoulder, and standing on a hill, after the most famous miracle associated with him, when a hill arose under him as he was preaching. His symbol is a leek: had there been crowds in Cardiff on Saturday to see the Welsh rugby team beat England there would have been leeks galore in the stands.
Today is also St Monan’s Day. St Monan is far less significant than David, but important to the community which bears his name in the East Neuk of Fife and where I was minister for ten years – St Monans.
Monan was probably from Ireland, a monk associated with Adrian who led a monastic community on the Isle of May. It is recorded that Monan then lived alone, in Invery, which is the name of the stream in St Monans, and the old name of the village. It is said that he lived on partans (crabs) and black bread. People sought his wisdom, though accounts say he was bad tempered. He died on 1 March in or around 874, possibly martyred at the hands of Vikings. People began to venerate Monan as a worker of miracles.
When King David II was crossing the Forth one time, a storm arose and he prayed for the intervention of Monan. In gratitude for safe arrival in Fife, he had a grand church built from 1362-69, which still stands in St Monans and is the Church of Scotland there, known as the Auld Kirk. Here it is in a picture from Christmas Day 2019.
Some years ago, an organisation called the Friends of the Auld Kirk was set up to support conservation of this fine building. Once a year Friends are invited to a special Sunday service. I wrote a hymn for this occasion, which can be sung to Kingsfold (the tune used for “I heard the voice of Jesus say”). It seems to me that in this time of pandemic, friendship is more important than ever. After all, these emails/blogposts are called Companionship.
- We thank you God for loving friends
Who walk with us through life,
Companions true from school, from work,
Our partner, husband, wife;
They know our character – good and ill –
They’ve shared our smiles and tears,
And still they give themselves to us
With hope for future years.
- But there are friends not made of flesh
But wood and stone and slate,
Whose constant presence in our lives
we ought to celebrate;
They are homes and halls and rare old kirks
By seas both old and new;
To spaces full of God’s own love
We offer friendship true.
- In love for friends, we share our selves
Akin to loving you,
And in being cared for by our friends
Your touch is found there too,
For Christ laid down his life for us –
Not for strangers but for friends:
So in friends we hug and worship in,
Is your love which never ends.
Happy St David’s Day. Happy St Monan’s Day. And won’t it be a happy day when we can hug our friends again.
Yours,
Donald.
Revd Dr Donald MacEwan
Chaplain