Saint Bridget of Sweden 23rd July
“She never left the temple, serving God night and day in fasting and in prayer.”
Tb 12,6-13 Ps.90 Lk.2,38-38
“There was a prophetess too, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, Of the tribe of Aser. She was well on in years.”
In God’s people it is the ’prayerful’ who keep up hope for each person.
Pope Saint John Paul II, well aware of the problems we have in Europe, wished there to be three women saints as patrons of Europe : they are Saint Bridget of Swede, Saint Benedict of the Cross and Saint Catherine of Siena.They are saints of Europe alongside Sainte Benedict and Saint Cyril and Saint Method.
Heaven comes to the aid of earth in combat for Light , Truth to be lived out in Europe.
Each one of us is concerned in the combat for the Gospel for humanity with the help of all the saints.
By his Word God edifies the unity of humanity in himself, he fives it all his place.
In order to accomplish the Heavenly Will of the Father,<e need to renounce out own will which is always being divisive.
The Church continues Jesus’ work began in Mary when she gives a body to Jesus.
Anne, the prophetess from the tribe of Aser, was in the temple, never leaving it.Known for her fasting and prayer, piety, she forgot herself and prayed for others. So she was there when Jesus was presented by his aprents.She came and joined Simeon giving thanks.Anne spoke to al those in Jerusalem who were awaiting deliverance.
“She had been married for seven years before becoming a widow.She was now eighty-four years old and never left the temple, serving God nigh and day with fasting and prayers.”
As in the time of the prophet Elijah, God is reserved to a small group of witnesses, “the hidden faithful”.
Anne had been married seven years when she became a widow.A woman of deep faith and prayer, she was faithful to God’s Love and that of men.
Anne’s fidelity reveals the shining forth of her life at the heart of God’s designs.
She already announced Saint Bridget of Sweden who in her own flesh wished to accomplish God’s plan of Love.
We come back to the gentle voice of God with these women in daily life, so as to accomplish God’s work.
This is humanity’s mystery, always in the breath of the Holy Spirit.
The gentle breeze has us accomplish God’s Holy Work.WE ask God for his protections we announce what we have heard.
Anne was attached to God she gave memory to God who ad saved his people from servitude.
She waited in prayer for deliverance promised by God and his Blessing for his people.
“She came up just at that moment and began to praise God ; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.”
Waiting for this, Anne found her happiness and pace in this temple and never left it. God gave her the encounter of the One whom she said was the One to be the redeemer of Jerusalem.She announced this to a one who would hear it.
Our wish is to participate with Saint Bridget in the edification of the Body of Christ which is Christ’s Body.
This is the mystery of the Bride who follows the Lamb wherever He goes, knowing a very fruitful life.
The bride sustains the Bridegroom in the gift of Himself where the Church is brought to birth.
Saint Bridget is known for her ’prayers’ contained in a small book where she recounts the Passion of the Lord Jesus and glorifies him. “I bless you, Lord, for your Holy Agony, you transpired blood.This is how much you loved us, I bless you, I glorify you.”
It is in Jesus’ life that the Bride is going to find nourishment, with Him she continues her praise : ’ I bless you, Lord, who hug on the wood to save us. You poured out all of your blood for us. Yes, you are truly blessed!’
We who desire t be faithful have the privilege to live like Saint Bridget in God’s presence, living from hope, love and faith. God knows the spiritual value of these women which is great in his eyes.
We ask for the grace to contemplate Jesus in his Passion that saves us.
SAINT BRIDGET of SWEDEN 23rd July Feast Days of July
"Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ’Look, your mother and brother and sisters are outside asking for you.’
Pope John Paul II, aware of the difficulties we are in in Europe, wished for the Church in Europe to have other saints associated to Saint Benedict as the patron Saints of Europe. So these are three woman Saints : Saint Bridget, Saint Catherine of Sienna and Saint Benedict of the Cross. So we have heaven coming to help earth in the combat for Light and Truth in Europe. It is the combat for the Gospel for humanity, and each one of us is concerned by it. Here we contemplate Jesus in a very practical scene, surrounded by a crowd of people from his village. Jesus’ close friends and relatives came form Nazareth to Capharnuum. But on seeing the quantity of people they stay outside and call him out. Mary, following Jesus’ cousins, suffers in silence for their misunderstanding of the Divine Mystery within Him. The “world” like Jesus cousins have the same misgivings. Mary will suffer even more at the Cross when Jesus will reconcile humanity in his crucified flesh. This is where Jesus kills hatred, by his very Person. Ad so He brings to birth a new humanity, he edifies the unity of humanity in Himself, by His Word that gives back to God all his place. In order to do the work of Love of Jesus in our country and to do the Will of the Love of Our Father, we must renounce our own will that is always bringing about division. Each one of us can find his place in the Body of Christ! Together we are going to build up a new world in Christ. The Church continues Jesus’ work, one He began in Mary when she gave Jesus a Body.
"Jesus answered them, ’Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, said, ’ Here are my mother and my brothers.’
Whatever the mysteries of life we are going through : joyful, luminous, sorrowful or glorious, they accomplish God’s Will and this counts the most.The Gospel gives all of its fecundity to our lives when we dwell in the unbelievable Love of God for us. In Jesus’ response, there is no motivation for rejection from his close ones. He had left them to follow the divine call and he shows himself to be presently so close to them by family links because He belongs completely to God His Father.What Jesus asks of his disciples, Jesus had personally lived all of this beforehand. With Saint Bridget we want to participate in the edification of Christ’s Body, the Church.She is known for her ’revelations’, this short book in which she glorifies Christ in His Passion. It is the Mystery of the Bride who follows the Lamb everywhere He goes and who knows a very fecund life. The bride is a support for her Bridegroom in the gift of himself where the Church is being born. “I bless you Lord for your holy agony. You sweated blood. You loved us to this extent, I bless you for it and I glorify you for it.” The psalmist already said : ’Whoever looks to Him will shine’ The bride will find nourishment in the life of Jesus. In Him she continues her praise :’I bless you, you who hung on the wood in order to save us. You poured out your blood for us. Yes, be truly blessed! “”Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.“Jesus founds a new spiritual family. He glances around at those sitting around Him and he says to them : ’See my mother and my brothers. The one who does the Will of God, they are my brother, my sister, my mother.” In other passages of his Gospel, Saint Mark describes other ways of looking like this. Jesus tells us that those who listen to his word and accomplish God’s Wil; this is his brother, his sister, his mother. He exhorts those who are sitting there to enter into communion with Him by the means of accomplishing the divine will. In these words we see how Jesus praises his mother Mary, who is blessed for ever because she believed. It is the Mystery of our humanity, at all times in the breath of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel tells us again what our call is : ’My brother, my sister, my mother is the one who does the will of my Father.“In the mystery of the Eucharist, the Church continues to”bring to birth“the One to whom Mary gave a Body.”Hail, true Body born of the Virgin Mary ’, says the Liturgy. Saint Bridget of
Sweden wanted to accomplish God’s plan of Love in her own flesh. With her, we come back to the gentle voice of God in our daily life so as to accomplish His work. The gentle breeze is given to us to accomplish what we have to bring about at each moment in asking God to protect us so that we can do his Holy Will.