TODAY'S WORD

By


Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Saint Brigid is the secondary patron of Ireland, after Saint Patrick. 

She was born around 454. When she was young her father wished to make a suitable marriage for her but she insisted that she wanted to consecrate herself to God.

She received the veil and spiritual formation probably from Saint Mel and she stayed for a while under his direction in Ardagh. 

Others followed her example and this led to her founding a double monastery in Kildare, with a section for men and a section for women. 

Through Brigid’s reputation as a spiritual teacher, the monastery became a centre of pilgrimage. 

She died in 524 and she is venerated not only throughout Ireland but in several European lands. 

She was renowned for her hospitality, almsgiving and care of the sick. 

Saint Brigid’s cross remains a popular sign of God’s protection. 

In legend it was used by Brigid to explain the Christian faith. 

The first reading that is chosen for Saint Brigid’s feast day is that wonderful prayer of Saint Paul from his letter to the Ephesians, one of my favourite passages in the New Testament. 

Paul is praying in intercession for his church, praying for their ‘hidden self to grow strong’, which he equates with Christ living in their heart through faith. 

Our hidden self grows strong when Christ lives there. 

The more Christ lives within us, the stronger our hidden self will be. 

Brigid clearly had a strong hidden self in that sense. 

Christ lived in and through her. 

That is the baptismal calling of each one of us, to allow Christ to live in us, so that our deepest self is spiritually strong. 

Paul also equates Christ living in us with knowing the love of Christ, not just with our head but with our heart. 

When the love of Christ dwells in us, then, says Paul, we will be filled with the utter fullness of God. This is the goal of all our lives. 

It is a goal that will never be fully attained in this earthly life, but we can journey ever closer to it in this life, with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

When our inner self is strong in that sense, it will show itself in the kind of life that Jesus portrays in the gospel reading, a loving, compassionate, non-judgemental life, marked by a willingness to forgive. 

From all we know of her, this was Brigid’s way of life and she remains an inspiration to us.

The 1st reading mentions of great biblical figures like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets.

They performed great deeds, but it also said that they were weak people who were given strength by God to carry out the marvels of God.

The man in the gospel who was possessed by an unclean spirit was also weak but cleansed of the evil, he was commissioned by Jesus to go and proclaim all that the Lord in His mercy has done for him.

Yes, it is when we admit and acknowledge that we are weak and sinful that the Lord comes to our help to give us strength.

Then we will be able to go forth and accomplish the marvels of God.

Happy feast of St. Brigid.


Let's welcome February. 

Awesome day, may God bless you.