麻豆约拍

A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.

Good morning. Today, on the Feast of St Winifred, I鈥檓 reminded of one of the most remarkable places in Britain: St Winifred鈥檚 Well in Flintshire. It鈥檚 arguably the oldest site of pilgrimage in Britain, welcoming people in search of miracles centuries before Chaucer鈥檚 pilgrims set out for Canterbury. Protected from the worst depredations of the Reformers, it remains remarkably intact: a site that today attracts tourists and pilgrims of all faiths and none.

We know little about St Winifred herself. According to some accounts, she was among those early Welsh virgin saints who fell victim to a violent man鈥檚 lust. Although all ends well with her restoration to life, her story sadly remains a perennial experience for too many women. Thus, she is venerated as a protector of those coping with unwanted advances.

St Winifred inspired a devotion that has endured more than twelve centuries. Our world could not be more different from the 7th-century Wales she knew; the location of her well today bears no resemblance to the spot of her death. And yet Winifred is still remembered, still venerated, and her holy well is still visited. I find that miraculous, showing, as it does, that through faith even the most vulnerable can bring hope and healing to others.

Let us pray.
Lord God, the fountain of all life, who call us through the waters of baptism to die and rise with Christ: grant that we who call to mind the life and death of your servant Winifred, may, like her, consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to you in Christ Jesus. Amen.