"Daffodils golden and gay
waking up early, to say
This is St. David's day!"

Well, - the daffodils have been around for a while now "tossing their heads in sprightly dance" as one of my favourites poets of all time, William Wordsworth would have it. (Anyone remember learning that one in school?) I do love to see them nodding contentedly in the breeze, cheering up both gardens and grassy places by the roadside.

As I am sure you all know, the daffodil is sometimes called the 'Lent Lily' (I learnt that in school as well) and reminds us of something very important this month. The word 'Lent' has the same root as the word 'length', and originally meant 'the fast at the time of year when the days lengthen'. A FAST! - I hear you say - well, back in mediaeval times, when the CHURCH was to be unquestionable obeyed, eating meat in lent was forbidden (the fishermen were pleased!) as was eating fatty or creamy things, in remembrance of Our Lord's sojourn in the wilderness, with the result that in the 2 days proceeding Ash Wednesday all these things were eaten up amid much jollification and community games (sadly we don't keep this holiday any more, but many of our European cousins do, in Mardi-gras).

But I digress. That was last month. More maybe on this another time. Instead I shall remind you of that multi-faceted character St. Patrick, who's special day is on 17th of this month. The song that we sung at the last family service "Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you", can certainly be seen in his life. He found the courage to defy the King when he thought him wrong, and listened, and obeyed God's call to spread the gospel in Ireland, (having been saved from certain death when God kept him safe from a runaway boulder, which miraculously split in two just before impact). And of course we are indebted to St Patrick for many helpful ideas, as in the example of the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and the stirring '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……

You can find the rest at 171 in the hymnbook. I love these Celtic characters! They saw and felt God all around them, in everyone and everything, "24/7" as we would say today. The Psalmist said of course, even earlier - there is no time or place, on earth or in heaven that you can escape from God, (look it up - Psalm 139 is an example).

We also of course celebrate Mothering Sunday this month, where we give thanks for our own mothers, and for Mary the mother of Jesus and for our Mother Church, which sustains and nurtures us.

In lots of ways, I find March an exciting, wonderful time of the year, full of different things to see and do and think about - full also of unpredictable weather where winter and spring fight and tussle with each other, leading us on to the GREATEST CHRISTIAN FESTIVAL next month.

So, lets enjoy the month, lets use this lent, not to fast and mourn, but to deepen our appreciation of God's presence within and without and to grow our own spirituality a little more.

Read (plenty of books in the church library - new ones added regularly), think, pray, especially about things that are troubling us. Borrow a video (sorry - we don't have DVD's yet) and get a new 'take' on things. Then let us come together - having done our homework, ready for a brand new chapter in the history of St Augustine's church in our special God-given community of Slade Green!

Margaret C
1st March 2004