St. Brigid of Ireland
I am so happy to learn that Jane G. Meyer is in the process of working on a children's book on the life of St. Brigid of Ireland! I am very excited to see this released. I love Jane's work and will post when the book is released.
I recently read the story of St. Brigid written by a Adrienne Humfeld in RETURN, the OrthodoXCircle online magazine. If you're not a member of OrthodoXCircle sign up today! It's free!
Theosis: St. Brigid - Ireland's Other Patron
by Adrienne Humfeld
-The Life of St. Brigid, Abbess of Kildare and Wonderworker
A Holy Calling Given to a Woman Changed Ireland Forever
Commemorated February 1, New Calendar
“My prayer is to satisfy the poor,
to banish every hardship,
and to save every sorrowful man.” – St. Brigid of Kildare“O holy Brigid, you became sublime through your humility,
and flew on the wings of your longing for God.
When you arrived in the eternal City
and appeared before your Divine Spouse,
wearing the crown of virginity, you kept your promise
to remember those who have recourse to you.
You shower grace upon the world, and multiply miracles.
Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.”
Troparion of St. Brigid, Tone One
When one thinks of Ireland, St. Patrick always comes to mind. St. Patrick (March 17) is actually one of three ‘patrons’ of Ireland, the other two being St. Columba of Iona (June 9), and St. Brigid of Kildare. St. Brigid’s early life was a mix of two very different ways of life. She was the daughter of Dubtach, a pagan king, and a Christian Pictish slave that was baptized by St. Patrick himself. Dubtach’s wife sought the sale of Brigid’s mother before her birth, so she was sold to a Druid (pagan) landowner. Irish culture at that time was acutely attuned to social status, and we can be sure that her mixed heritage and class was both a blessing and a curse.
Brigid’s true nobility was her great soul. She full of personality and gentle hearted. She easily befriended everyone. She was noted for her humility, hospitableness, and her deep grounding in God. With her overwhelming generosity, especially to the poor and the sick, she would become one of the most notable women in early European Christianity. She spent time in both her parent’s households, trading one social status for another. She went to live with her mother when she became too ill to work in the dairy. Brigid acted as a slave in her mother’s stead, and churned the butter. Often she would divide it into thirteen parts, one larger part for the Lord, and each for the twelve apostles. The Lord’s portion she gave to the poor. When her Druid master came to see that she had given away some of his butter, he asked her to fill a large container with the butter. Brigid being quite scared, began to pray. God answered her prayer by multiplying the butter. So much butter came out of the vessel that her master came to Christ by the miracle he witnessed!
Once she began to live with her pagan father for a while, she again went about God’s work, and enraged her father by giving away most of his provisions to the needy. She told Dubtach that one should give whatever is needed because “Christ dwells in every creature.” Because of this, Dubtach was determined to marry her off, and it was quite easy to find someone to be her groom – she was amazingly beautiful. She vehemently refused the match that he suggested, a young poet. St. Brigid declared her that her body and soul were for Christ alone, and only after another local Chieftain begged her father to leave her alone, by saying “Her merit before God is greater than ours,” did her father agree to her freedom. Tradition also tells that she prayed that God would conceal her beauty until she was made a nun, and God honored her request. Her beauty returned after her tonsure.
She took her first vows with St. Mael, Bishop of Armagh. Even though Brigid wanted the life of a consecrated virgin, at that time in Ireland there were no official monasteries for women. Upon her tonsure, she took it upon herself out of humility to be the last of the seven nuns at the ceremony. So great was the Holy Spirit upon St. Brigid that the bishop saw a pillar of fire resting above her head, and he saw this as a sign that she was someone who truly knew God. And so, being so moved by God, the bishop did not read the prayer of monastic tonsure over Brigid, but that of the ordaining of a bishop.* This was outrageous to some, including the bishop’s assistant. To that assistant, the bishop replied, "But I do not have any power in this matter. That dignity has been given by God to Brigid." Since that time, her successors have been held in high honor, as well as the head of all convents in Ireland because of this event.
In 470, St. Brigid then founded the first monastery for women in Ireland, in County Kildare. The ancient Celtic (Orthodox) Church was not an administrative one (as is the case today through the Roman Church), but rather was centered around monasticism. Kildare Monastery became the spiritual, cultural, and learning center of Kildare and the surrounding country. She was held in great esteem for her compassionate heart and her abundance of love in showing hospitality to all who came to her monastery. She was known as someone who worked wonders through her prayers, and ministered to the whole man – the body’s need as well as the needs of the soul. Truly it was St. Patrick who blessed Ireland with the Gospel, and it was St. Brigid who took that Gospel and ministered to her countrymen with it. God was well pleased with her loving and charitable heart, because she gave herself completely to her holy calling. She founded Kildare and several other convents before her peaceful departure from this life in the year 523. Her relics were originally buried with St. Patrick and St. Columba in Ireland. In modern times, her hand is held in Lisbon, Portugal.
So, being so inspired by this kind and God-knowing soul, let us imitate her love for Christ in serving others, and showing hospitality. Providing for the poor, the needy, and anyone we meet is truly our calling. Even if we feel as though we cannot give someone food or shelter, it is a gift worth seeking. For some of us, like St. Brigid, giving hospitality comes easily, but if we ask God to help us, we all can shelter our brother. We can do this if we see Christ in every man, as St. Brigid did, and if we have love in our souls. May this love be multiplied in us, amen.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” -Mark 9:41
My disclaimer and further word of explanation:
* By writing this article, I am not advocating that women were bishops in history, or that St. Brigid served in the capacity of a bishop during her earthly life. Nor is this any plea to ordain women to such an office today. Rather, I believe the honor given to St. Brigid by God was to hold her up as an example of someone completely united to Christ. It is not for me to interpret these events in history beyond that. Adrienne Elizabeth Humfeld