Thoughts for the Day

Admonition to Trust and Honour God

My child, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments;
for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare they will give you.

Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them round your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favour and good repute
in the sight of God and of people.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

According to folklore if it rains on the 15 July, St Swithun's Day, it will continue to rain for the next 40 days. If it's sunny then ditto! Many of us remember the rhyme:

"St Swithun's Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain.
St Swithun's Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t'will rain no more"

Swithun was born around the year 800 CE. He became Bishop of Winchester, and was a trusted adviser of Egbert the king of Wessex. At his death, unlike other such figures, he asked to be buried "humbly" outside "where the sweet rain from heaven may fall upon my grave", and not in a great shrine. His request was fulfilled when he died in July 862. However, when a new cathedral was built Ethelwold the Bishop at the time decided to move his remains into a shrine in the cathedral, despite warnings that to move his bones would bring about terrible storms. Legend has it that that when this happened in 971 there was a storm and it rained for many days afterwards as had been forecast!

So it is that Saint Swithun became associated with summer storms, rather than as an occasion for celebrating Christian simplicity and holiness. Today, may we take to heart these words from the Book of Proverbs, and in particular the ones I have highlighted, that surely applied to St Swithun.

Collect

Almighty God,
by whose grace we celebrate again
the feast of Your servant Swithun:
grant that, as he governed with gentleness
the people committed to his care,
so we, rejoicing in our Christian inheritance,
may always seek to build up Your Church
in unity and love.
Amen.