Parish of Llandudno North Wales, Rector's letter

March 2014

St David is in many ways an ideal saint to prepare us for Lent. As with many of the saints of those ancient times very little is known of his life for certain. But he seems to have lived a particularly austere monastic life based on that of the monks of Egypt. His community at Menevia (St David’s) performed many austerities including hard manual labour, which included ploughing without the aid of cattle. Their diet consisted of vegetables, bread and water only. David was known as the ‘Waterman’ perhaps because he drank no alcohol or alternatively because he used to immerse himself in cold water so as to subdue the flesh.

Of course, I’m not suggesting that this Lent we all try to emulate David’s extreme austerity! But his life is a reminder to us that as Christians we are disciples of the Lord and that being disciples means being under discipline. It’s tempting these days to emphasise just the ‘enjoyable’ bits of Christianity but Lent reminds us that it also involves following Christ’s Way of the Cross.

To help us follow that way faithfully (and joyfully) we do need to follow a disciplined way of life and while it would be foolish to try to do the sort of things David did, in Lent we are invited to ‘clear the decks’ as it were; to strip away some of the luxuries and habits which while perfectly good in themselves sometimes inhibit and distract us from our service of the Lord.

This might well involve giving things up – eating and drinking less perhaps, or doing without some favourite food, or maybe not watching a favourite TV programme – the possibilities are endless.

It should certainly involve taking things on – maybe attending a mid-week Eucharist, reading a Lent book, spending more time in meditation or intercession, reading the Bible regularly, being reconciled with someone, visiting a person who particularly needs our care – again the possibilities are many.

But there’s no point doing things for their own sake or to prove to ourselves (and others) what a wonderfully disciplined person we are! St Gildas strongly criticised David’s rule as being more about asceticism than true Christianity. Now I’m sure that St David did what he did out of love for Christ – but it is true that attempts to live a disciplined life can so easily become ends in themselves. No, everything we do must be done as an offering to Christ and should be a response to his loving invitation to ‘follow me!’ The particular disciplines we undertake should help us to grow closer to Him. Bearing all this in mind I wish you a joyful Lent and invite you to participate as fully as you can in what will be laid on for you in the parish in the weeks ahead.

Fr. John

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Previous letters:

January 2014 February 2014
January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013	January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 - no letter September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012	January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011	January 2010 February / March 2010 February / March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010	January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 Aug 2009 Sept 2009 Oct 2009 Nov 2009 Dec 2009	January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June / July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008	January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 Debember 2007