 |
| Image by Gary Robertson |
†
St. Brigid of Kildare
A GREETING
My heart is ready, God
my heart is ready.
I will sing and make music for you.
(Psalm 57:7)
A READING
Hannah then prayed as follows:
My heart exults in God,
in my God is my strength lifted up.
There is no Holy One like God,
(indeed, there is none but you)
no Rock like our God.
The bow of the mighty has been broken
but those who were tottering
are now braced with strength.
The full fed are hiring themselves out for bread
but the hungry need labour no more.
God makes poor and rich, God humbles and also exalts.
God raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the dunghill
to give them a place with princes,
to assign them a seat of honour;
for to God belong the pillars of the earth,
on these God has poised the world.
(1 Samuel 2:1a-2;4-5a;7-8)
MUSIC
Sung in Irish, the lyrics mean "I give praise to Brigid."
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
You will teach me the path of life,
Unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight forever.
(Psalm 16:11)
A PRAYER
The genealogy of the holy maiden Bride,
Radiant flame of gold, noble foster-mother of Christ.
Bride the daughter of Dugall the brown, Son of Aodh, son of Art,
son of Conn, Son of Crearar, son of Cis, son of Carmac, son of Carruin.
Every day and every night that I say the genealogy of Bride...
No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me,
No lake, no water, nor sea shall drown me,
No arrow of fairy nor dart of fay [fate] shall wound me,
And I under the protection of my Holy Mary,
And my gentle foster-mother is my beloved Bride.
- found in Charms of the Gaels: Hymns and Incantations,
collected and edited by Alexander Carmichael
VERSE OF THE DAY
Love your friends like your own soul,
protect them like the pupil of your eye.
-- from The Gospel of Thomas, ch. 25,
as found in The Complete Gospels, ed. by Robert J. Miller
†
 |
| "Saint Bride," by John Duncan (1913). The painting depicts angels transporting St. Brigid back in time to be present as a midwife at the birth of Jesus. The garments on the angels include panels depicting the life of Christ. Brigid is accompanied by a seal and two birds, with the Iona Abbey barely visible in the lower right, locating the painting in the Outer Hebrides. The original work is in the Scottish National Gallery in Ediburgh. A copy hangs at Iona Abbey. |
Brigid is the third of the three monastic figures commonly referred to as the patron saints of Ireland (with Patrick and Columba) and possibly the one most diversely remembered. She was said to be the daughter of an enslaved woman whom tradition says gave birth to her while crossing through a doorway with a bucket of milk. This birth has given her the significance of being one who is connected to boundary places and thresholds -- important in Celtic spirituality. Cogitosus, a monk from the order at Kildare that she eventually founded, is credited with writing the first biography of a saint, by recording her life in the mid-seventh century.
Brigid was known for her great motherly compassion for all on the margins. She would provide milk for the poor and those living with leprosy, from cows that offered a flow far beyond what they would normally produce. She sheltered animals and had a special connection with foxes. She is associated with thresholds, and the 'thin veil' between this world and the next. Brigid is often compared to and associated with Mary the mother of Jesus.
The early Celtic Christians believed that in the eyes of God, all of history and time were happening at once. Therefore, an early and enduring folklore about Brigid is that God was able to send her back in time to be present at the birth of Jesus, acting as a midwife. Falling into a slumber, angels transport her back to the side of Mary herself in labour. John Duncan's 1913 painting "Saint Bride," depicts this moment: Brigid is both asleep and spiritually alert, her hands pointed upward in prayer. The angels who carry her have wings that become feathers, blending with Creation. A seal and two birds provide an animal accompaniment to the three holy figures.
Reaching further back in time, just over a thousand years before the scene of the nativity, we find Hannah the mother of Samuel the prophet who, having had a miracle child after protracted childlessness, breaks into song. Hannah and Mary have much in common: Hannah tithes her son to a lifetime of service in the temple; Mary must give Jesus up to God's plan. Hannah's song is echoed in Mary's Magnificat. The response of both women to having unexpected new life within -- is to praise what God is going to accomplish through the prophecy of their children.
The response to abundance is gratitude. As we near the end of Celtic Advent, how can we dive deeply into our own gratitude? Alongside our appreciation for family and the material goods of our lives, how can we find and lift up our gratitude that Jesus chose to become one of us?
St. Brigid is on her way to Bethlehem. How can we join her in our hearts -- and in our hope?
 |
| Image by Ian Woodhead |
†
Scripture passages are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible.
†
LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
