 Big day today - first day of Advent. This means of course only 3 more Sundays till Christmas. We have celebrated Advent in style - been to church; put up Christmas tree; hummed a carol or two. I can hear the Grinch in the distance with his fingers nervously drumming . . . Tioday, as happens every few years, the first Sunday in Advent coincides with St Andrews Day. Andrew is quite a busy saint
Heard a lovely legend today of how Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland Around 800AD King Angus of the Picts, facing a larger army of Saxons at Athelstaneford in what is now part of Scotland, was likely to be conquered. He prayed and looked for a sign of victory. Legend says he was overwhelmed by a blinding light the night before the battle and, during the night, had a dream. The message he was given was that he would see a Cross in the sky and would conquer his enemies in its name. The following morning King Angus looked into the rising sun and saw the Saltire Cross in its blinding light. This filled him and his men with great confidence and they were victorious. From that time Saint Andrew and his Saltire Cross were adopted as the national symbols for an emerging Scotland. Had not Angus the Pict seen the St Andrews cross in the sky we would have had an English heritage! |
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