by Nadia Ramoutar  MMM Communications Coordinator                       Ireland                          01.02.2025

A few years ago, Ireland adopted St Brigid’s day as an official holiday taking place on the first Monday in February. There are a lot of legends and myths around Brigid, but if we study her life we can see she was a woman well ahead of her time.

As we look at her significance, we find there are some ways in which she is a wonderful role model. Here are some lessons we can learn from her.
1. You can bring light. St Brigid was luminous. She was born around 452, near Dundalk which is close to where our MMM Convent in Drogheda. The winters then must have been very dark and cold, but many stories tell of St Brigid bringing light and healing to other people.
2. Be careful of the company you keep. During her life, Brigid became close friends with St Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland. She grew closer to him as she aged. No doubt these two ordinary people who became “Saints” in later life inspired one another.
3. There is power in collaboration. It may have been a man’s world when St Brigid was alive, but she got things done. Around 470, Brigid founded a “double monastery” (one for men and one for women), over which she ruled as abbess. She appointed St Conleth as bishop, and between them they governed the church together.
4. There is power in kindness. Whatever about the many stories surrounding her name, Brigid emerges as a strong and gentle woman, a powerful leader, a skilful healer and wise spiritual guide. She has become for many a potent symbol of Christian womanhood, showing us the feminine face of God.
5. Don’t let people limit you. What makes her particularly relevant for us today is the range of issues she embraced and the manner in which she dealt with them. She was a peacemaker who intervened in disputes and brought about healing and reconciliation.
6. Be generous. One story tells of her giving away her father’s precious sword to a poor man so that he could barter for food to feed his family. She practised hospitality and had a special concern for the poor and marginalised.
7. Pray and take action. She was no stranger to hard work and there are stories of her milking cows, shepherding her sheep, helping with the harvest and even brewing the ale! But she was also a woman of contemplation, given to long hours of prayerful reflection.
8. Be in tune with nature. Brigid was wonderfully attuned to the seasons and nature. It is no accident that today many individuals and groups concerned about the environment and our treatment of the planet, draw inspiration from her.
9. It may take a while for your efforts to be appreciated considering that St Brigid died in 525 and her day was made a holiday in 2024!
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want and for what other people need. She was generous but also believed in justice. She was willing to fight for those who were vulnerable.

I hope we will contemplate how we can be braver, more giving, kind and compassionate in the year ahead. Thank you, St Brigid, for showing us the way.