While I have been very happy to highlight some parishioners who were selected by our parish council as V.I.P.'s (Very Important Parishioners) for the month and look forward to doing it in the future, I realized the other day that it has been rare that I have used this column to highlight the lives of "Saints" who have shown us how to follow Jesus and attain his kingdom in heaven.
Today, I want to speak about a saint whose feast was celebrated on Friday, July 23, St. Bridget of Sweden. Right away most of you can connect with Bridget who lived from 1303-1373 in the reality that she was a loving wife and mother of 8 children. Long before she accepted this vocation from God, it is said that she experienced visions of the crucified Christ beginning when she was seven years of age. In time she became committed to works of charity, especially for unwed mothers and their children. No doubt she taught her children the ways of charity and the many blessings that come when we imitate Christ in this important way. Sadly, her husband of 20 years died, and at some point, St. Bridget gave away all her possessions and entered the third order of St. Francis. Bridget dedicated the rest of her life to reforming religious life and establishing the "Bridgettines" also known as the "Order of The Most Holy Savior" that follows the rule of St. Augustine. What a woman St. Bridget was in her 70 years of life on this earth. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and Religious mother whose virtuous life no doubt inspired her children and many others. She is the patron saint of Sweden and co-patroness of Europe.
Though it is probably not known, I would be willing to guess that she gave most, if not all of her money and possessions to the needy without her children questioning why she didn't give it all to them. I hope she is an example to us of "Christ-like living" and inspire us to charity in our life and in what we plan after we have died. I am truly saddened when I have seen elderly people not use their money for their own adequate support in the name of leaving money and possessions to their loved ones after they die. St. Bridget had her daily needs met by the religious order she joined and chose to give her worldly money and possessions to the works of God. I pray all of us will learn from St. Bridget and so many others and consider those "most in need," which usually are not the family we leave behind in this world after we die. St. Bridget, model of charity, pray for us!
Today, I want to speak about a saint whose feast was celebrated on Friday, July 23, St. Bridget of Sweden. Right away most of you can connect with Bridget who lived from 1303-1373 in the reality that she was a loving wife and mother of 8 children. Long before she accepted this vocation from God, it is said that she experienced visions of the crucified Christ beginning when she was seven years of age. In time she became committed to works of charity, especially for unwed mothers and their children. No doubt she taught her children the ways of charity and the many blessings that come when we imitate Christ in this important way. Sadly, her husband of 20 years died, and at some point, St. Bridget gave away all her possessions and entered the third order of St. Francis. Bridget dedicated the rest of her life to reforming religious life and establishing the "Bridgettines" also known as the "Order of The Most Holy Savior" that follows the rule of St. Augustine. What a woman St. Bridget was in her 70 years of life on this earth. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and Religious mother whose virtuous life no doubt inspired her children and many others. She is the patron saint of Sweden and co-patroness of Europe.
Though it is probably not known, I would be willing to guess that she gave most, if not all of her money and possessions to the needy without her children questioning why she didn't give it all to them. I hope she is an example to us of "Christ-like living" and inspire us to charity in our life and in what we plan after we have died. I am truly saddened when I have seen elderly people not use their money for their own adequate support in the name of leaving money and possessions to their loved ones after they die. St. Bridget had her daily needs met by the religious order she joined and chose to give her worldly money and possessions to the works of God. I pray all of us will learn from St. Bridget and so many others and consider those "most in need," which usually are not the family we leave behind in this world after we die. St. Bridget, model of charity, pray for us!