Saint of the day: Saint David of Wales

Saint of the day, St David of Wales: David is the patron saint of Wales and perhaps the most famous of the British saints. Ironically, we have little reliable information about him.

It is known that he became a priest, devoted himself to missionary work and founded many monasteries, including his main abbey in southwest Wales. Many stories and legends arose about David and his Welsh monks. Their austerity was extreme. They worked silently without the help of animals to cultivate the land. Their food was limited to bread, vegetables, and water.

Saint of the day, St. David of Wales: Around the year 550, David attended a synod where his eloquence so impressed his brethren that he was elected primate of the region. The episcopal see was moved to Mynyw, where he had his own monastery, now called St. David's. He ruled his diocese until old age. His last words to the monks and his subjects were: “Be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith and do the little things you have seen and heard with me ”.

Saint of the day: Saint David patron saint of Wales

St. David he is depicted standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. Legend has it that once, while he was preaching, a dove descended on his shoulder and the earth rose to lift him high above the people so that he could be heard. More than 50 churches in South Wales were dedicated to him in the pre-Reformation days.

Reflection: If we were limited to hard manual labor and a diet of bread, vegetables, and water, most of us would have little reason to rejoice. Yet joy is what David urged his brothers as he lay dying. Perhaps he could tell them - and us - because he lived and nurtured a constant awareness of God's closeness. Because, as someone once said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God's presence”. May her intercession bless us with the same awareness!