If you allow me to paraphrase Charles Dickens, by the time of St. David, Wales was going through a time which certainly was not the best, nor the worst. “It was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
At the time, Wales was rural and characterized by small settlements. The local landscape was controlled by a local aristocracy and ruled by a chieftain. Control was exerted over a piece of land and, by extension, over the people who lived on that land. Many of the people were share-croppers or slaves, answerable to the lord of the manor.
Sanitation was poor or non-existent. During several years the crops were affected by the shadows created by ashes from a series of major volcanic eruptions centered on north and central America.
The cooler and wetter climate increased the chances of crop failure and had an impact on yields. Wetlands became wetter, and uplands were covered in snow for longer, reducing the length of the grazing season for livestock, and increasing the demand for winter fodder.
After the Roman occupation – which ended ca. 350 – there was no sense of a coherent tribe of people and everyone, from ruler down to slave, was defined in terms of his or her kindred family and their land holdings. It was during that era of struggle which saw the Welsh adopt their modern name for themselves, Cymry, (kəmri) meaning “fellow countrymen.”
Christianity had been introduced in the Roman era, about 250 years earlier and those living in and near Wales were Christian. But by the time of St. David, in a way, the church was not at peace. On the one hand, the church had a local Celtic influence, and on the other, there was the push to standardize the Church to the Roman Rite.
Such push was not welcomed by many, not only in Wales but in England for, who on their right mind would like to be reminded of the roman oppression? In fact, it was a tension that would not ease until the Synod of Whitby, in the middle 600s. But as we know, even if tensions eased, the issue never became moot.
Against such background, one would have expected the church to circle their wagons and just do enough to survive the storms. And yet, it was against such background that St. David, rather than staying put in his own monastery, cozy with his fellow monks, decided to move out in mission establishing many new monastic communities.
St. David’s most famous monastery was known as Menevia. It was built near the rugged coast of Pembrokeshire, in the extreme South West coast of Wales. The settlement included a small green surrounded by simple huts, all enclosed by a protective wall. There was also a church with a stone cross, where monks would preach to the people about God. St. David’s monastery no longer exists. However, in its place today sits the beautiful cathedral of St. David’s.
Although we do not know much about Saint David, there are many stories which show him as a wonderful example of a caring, gentle man who cared not only for the monks in his monastery, but for all people in need who came to him. He fed the poor, looked after orphans and widows, and gave a warm welcome to those who wanted to learn about God.
St. David led by example, showing others how they could care for others simply by helping them in small ways. Three days before his death St. David preached his last great sermon based on Philippians 4:8-9. Then he said, “Remember the little things you have seen and heard me do.”
St. David’s time was not the best of times, but it was not the worst of times. But St. David did the best with the time he had on his hands. Indeed, as I said earlier, when most would have decided to hunker down until the worst was over, or to take a nap like St. Peter and the apostles did up in the mountain. Instead, like Jesus, St. David moved out in mission.
Which is not much different of what our own St. David has been doing for quite a long while.
Yes, over the last 30 years or even longer, life has not been easy for this little church. But time and again, rather than circling the wagons or just going belly up, the faithful band of “monks and nuns” which you are, rose to the occasion -- “Not by power or by might, but by God’s Holy Spirit.”
It is interesting to note that St. David refused the call to build huge buildings or to create a mega church, if you will. Rather, St. David embraced not only the season that was given to him, but the circumstances.
For sure one thing is clear – St. David never argued about how many talents he got, and if they were too many or just a too few, one or two. What he did not do, was to bury the talents waiting for a better opportunity.
St. David never stopped to consider if his time was the best or the worst of times. He rather said, “It’s God’s time!”
During his season in life, St. David invested everything he had, beginning by his own life for the purpose of loving God and loving his neighbor. And the fruit of his labor is not that he was just one more among the many saints and servants of God but fifteen hundred years later, it is impossible to think about Wales without reference to St. David, or St. David apart from Wales.
This, your season in life may be either the best or the worst of times. But never forget that it is always God’s time. As our Lord taught us, it is a season to love, to bless, to heal, and to bring forth the best in our lives and in the lives of those whom we meet. And, as St. David would insist, “Not to be afraid of taking care of the small things,” remembering always that the God who began to work in you and through you, will never call it quits.
Let me tell you this – One day, when all things are said and done, and when this world of ours shall be no more, then it will be impossible to think about Aylett without reference to this our own St. David’s, and the small band of contemporary missionary monks and nuns that you have become, true disciples of Jesus Christ, honoring with your life and work the legacy and teaching of St. David.
So, my friends, it is God’s time! Let us go forth into the world in the power of God’s Holy Spirit!
Fr. Gustavo
References for Further Study:
· “Celebrating Saint David”, by Frances Jenkins, Roch Community School, Pembrokeshire, 2005.
· “Christianity and continuity: Discovering life in early medieval Wales”, by Nancy Edwards, 2023.
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