Remembering the little things

The Revd Canon Rebecca Swyer, Director for Apostolic Life in the Diocese of Chichester, reflects on the Saint's last words and what they mean for us all these years on from his death.

Like most people, I keep an eye on my banking app to monitor spending. When something big breaks down like the washing machine or an expensive part of the car, we dread the size of the bill. But often what tips the balance in our spending are those times we go to the supermarket without a list and end up impulse buying; cakes, drinks and snacks and, of course, the ever tempting ‘buy one, get one free’ offers!

When a loved one dies, you can sometimes get through formal stuff reasonably ok, but it’s when you pick their favourite mug out of the cupboard or turn round to share an in-joke, that the reality of their loss really hits home and the tears and grief are released.

March1 is St David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales. The Welsh take this day very seriously (dare I say, much more seriously than the English take St George’s Day!) with children up and down Wales dressed in national costume, adults wearing daffodils, Welsh cakes being eaten, parades and all sorts of celebrations.

There’s lots of stories about St David, who was a bishop in sixth century Wales. To all accounts he was a great teacher with a strong personality, not afraid to challenge others and stand up for what he believed in. St David’s final words have always struck me as being simple, but wise: ‘be joyful, keep the faith and remember the little things.’

Jesus told his followers to: ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ We can all occasionally make a grand, public gesture, but how you treat people day to day speaks far more about who we really are: providing a listening ear to a friend in need, buying a hot drink for a homeless person, chatting and sharing a joke with an elderly neighbour who’s lonely and has little contact with other people. Living a life full of little acts of loving kindness also makes us happier. Remember the little things.

Dates for your diary:

Find out what services are offered by your local church.

The website ‘A Church Near You’ (https://www.achurchnearyou.com/) enables you to easily see what services are being held by churches in your vicinity throughout the year.

Diocesan Lent Course 2024

With the season of Lent continuing as March begins, lots of parishes across the Diocese are making use of the Lent Course which helps unpack the riches hidden in Christ in this the Year of the New Testament. Each week takes as its theme a different aspect to Our Lord’s life and ministry:

· Week One: Jesus the Lord, Giving himself

· Week Two: Jesus the Lord, Forgiving Sins

· Week Three: Jesus the Lord, Healing the Sick

· Week Four: Jesus the Lord, Hearing Prayer

· Week Five: Jesus the Lord, Enlightening the World

Do join in with sessions held locally to you and discover more about the revelation of God in Christ.

Chichester Singers: Haydn, Bernstein & Jonathan Willcocks. Chichester Cathedral. Saturday, March 23, 7.30pm.

The classical elegance of Haydn – Te Deum is contrasted by the evocative colour of Bernstein – Chichester Psalms (which was originally commissioned for performance in Chichester Cathedral) and the expressive beauty of Finzi’s elegy for solo tenor and strings Dies Natalis. Remaining close to home, the second half of the programme features Jonathan Willcocks – A Great and Glorious Victory which dramatically chronicles the events of the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar with an overriding message of the triumph of humanity over the horrors of warfare. Book tickets at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-chichester-singers.