축일: 2월 1일

아일랜드의 성녀 브리지다(비르지다)

St. Birgitta

St. BRIGID of Ireland

Santa Brigida di Cell Dara Badessa

453 at Faughart, County Louth, Ireland -

1 February 523 at Kildare, Ireland of natural causes; buried in Downpatrick,

Ireland with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba; head removed to Jesuit church in Lisbon, Portugal

Canonized : Pre-Congregation

Name Meaning : fiery arrow (= brigid)

아일랜드 루트의 던달크 근교인 포가르트에서 태어난 그녀의 양친은

성 바트리시오로부터 직접 세례를 받았으며, 아주 가깝게 지냈던 것 같다.

전설에 의하면, 그녀의 부친은 덥타크였는데,

레인스터의 아일랜드계 두목이었고, 그녀의 모친 브로카는 자신의 궁중 시녀였다고 한다.

그러나 브리짓다는 아주 어릴적부터 수도생활에 큰 흥미를 느꼈고,

성 마카일로부터 크로그한에서 수도복을 받았고, 아르그마의 성 멜에 의하여 서약을 발하였다.

그녀는 얼마동안 크로그한 언덕 밑에서 7명의 동정녀들과 정착한 바가 있으나, 468년경에 멜을 따라 미트로 갔다.

470년경에 그녀는 킬-다라(킬다르)에 두 수도원을 세웠고, 아일랜드의 첫 번째 수녀원인 이곳의 원장이 되었다.

이 수도원은 학문과 영성의 중심지로 발전해 나갔고, 킬다르의 주요 도시로 발전케 하였다.

그녀는 킬다르에 예술학교를 세웠으며, 킬다르의 책으로 알려진 저 유명한 원고들을 남겼다.

브리지다는 당대의 가장 유력한 여성 지도자였음은 틀림없다.

겔의 마리아라고도 부르는 브리지다는

성 골롬바와 성 바트리시오와 함께 다운패트릭에 묻혔으며, 그분들과 함께 아이랜드의 수호성인이다.

브리지다는 브리드(Bride),혹은 브리젯(Bridget)으로도 표기한다.

(성바오로수도회홈에서)

*이오나의 성 골롬바 아빠스 축일:6월9일.게시판1806번

*성 바트리시오(패트릭) 축일:3월17일.게시판1048번

*[15기도]스웨덴의 성녀 비르지따 축일: 7월23일.게시판1285번.

균형

브리지다는 5세기 중엽 아일랜드의 던독 근처에서 태어났다.

아일랜드의 소왕국 왕이었던 아버지와 노예 출신 어머니 사이에서 태어난 브리지다는 자신의 삶을 하느님께 봉헌하고,

킬다라에 수녀회를 설립하였다.

그는 자신이 이 땅에만 매이지 않는 더욱 초월적인 삶을 살아가도록 태어났다는 사실을 알았기에 일생 동안 섬김의 삶을 살았다.

인간은 양면성을 가진 존재다.

갈대와 같이 연약하지만 위대한 생각을 할 줄 알고, 유한한 한계를 절감하지만 무한한 세계를 갈망하며 산다.

우리는 지상에 뿌리를 내리고 부대끼며 살아가지만 동시에 초월적인 세계인 하늘나라의 놀라운 영광을 바라보도록 창조되었다.

우리는 유한한 육체와 무한한 영혼을 가지고 창조되었다.

그러므로 어느 한쪽에 지나치게 집착하거나

반대로 한쪽을 무시하지 않으면서 균형을 유지할 때 풍요롭고 창조적인 삶을 살아갈 수 있다.

천국의 영광만 바라보느라고 일상 생활을 가벼이 여겨서도 안 되겠지만,

현재의 삶에 집착해서 영원한 가치, 영원한 생명을 놓쳐서도 안 될 것이다.

성녀 브리지다처럼 우리 각자는 더 위대한 것을 추구하도록 창조되었음을 항상 기억하는 한편,

날마다 부딪히는 일상적인 일들도 그만큼 중요하다는 것을 잊지 말아야 한다.

몸을 돌보는 데 얼마나 많은 시간을 들이고 있는가?

또 영혼을 돌보는 데는 얼마나 많은 시간을 투자하고 있는가?

나의 육신과 영혼, 모두를 돌보는 시간을 갖겠다.

(까리따스수녀회홈에서)

♬As the Deer

*성화를 두군데 수정하였습니다.2004.3.24.

*이오나의 성 골롬바 아빠스 축일:6월9일.게시판1806번.

*성 골롬바노 아빠스 (543-615)축일:11월23일.게시판1486번.(성 골롬반 외방선교회 주보성인)수정.2004.6.9.

☞http://home.catholic.or.kr/gnbbs/ncbbs.dll/chinchang

BRIGID of Ireland

Also known as

Bride; Bride of the Isles; Bridget of Ireland; Bridget; Brigid of Kildare Brigit; Ffraid; Mary of the Gael

Memorial

1 February;

10 June (translation of relics)

Profile

Daughter of Dubtach, pagan Scottish king of Leinster, and Brocca, a Christian Pictish slave who had been baptized by Saint Patrick. Just before Brigid’s birth, her mother was sold to a Druid landowner. Brigid remained with her mother till she was old enough to serve her legal owner Dubtach, her father.

She grew up marked by her high spirits and tender heart, and as a child, she heard Saint Patrick preach, which she never forgot. She could not bear to see anyone hungry or cold, and to help them, often gave away things that were Dubtach’s. When Dubtach protested, she replied that "Christ dwelt in every creature". Dubtach tried to sell her to the King of Leinster, and while they bargained, she gave a treasured sword of her father’s to a leper. Dubtach was about to strike her when Brigid explained she had given the sword to God through the leper, because of its great value. The King, a Christian, forbade Dubtach to strike her, saying "Her merit before God is greater than ours". Dubtach solved this domestic problem by giving Brigid her freedom.

Brigid’s aged mother was in charge of her master’s dairy. Brigid took charge ,and often gave away the produce. But the dairy prospered under her (hence her patronage of milk maids, dairy workers, cattle, etc.), and the Druid freed Brigid’s mother.

Brigid returned to her father, who arranged a marriage for her with a young bard. Bride refused, and to keep her virginity, went to Bishop Mel, a pupil of Saint Patrick’s, and took her first vows. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty be taken from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage; her prayer was granted, and she regained her beauty only after making her vows. Another tale says that when Saint Patrick heard her final vows, he mistakenly used the form for ordaining priests. When told of it he replied, "So be it, my son, she is destined for great things."

Her first convent started with seven nuns. At the invitation of bishops, she started convents all over Ireland. She was a great traveller, especially considering the conditions of the time, which led to her patronage of travellers, sailors, etc. Brigid invented the double monastery, the monastery of Kildare on the Liffey being for both monks and nuns. Combeth, noted for his skill in metalwork, became its first bishop; this connection and the installation of a bell that lasted over 1000 years apparently led to her patronage of blacksmiths and those in related fields.

Born

453 at Faughart, County Louth, Ireland

Died

1 February 523 at Kildare, Ireland of natural causes; buried in Downpatrick, Ireland with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba; head removed to Jesuit church in Lisbon, Portugal

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Name Meaning

fiery arrow (= brigid)

Patronage

babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, cattle, chicken farmers, children whose parents are not married, dairymaids, dairy workers, fugitives, infants, Ireland, Leinster, Ireland, mariners, midwives, milk maids, newborn babies, nuns, poets, poultry farmers, poultry raisers, printing presses, sailors, scholars, travellers, watermen,

Representation

abbess, usually holding a lamp or candle, often with a cow nearby

Readings

I would like the angels of Heaven to be among us. I would like an abundance of peace. I would like full vessels of charity. I would like rich treasures of mercy. I would like cheerfulness to preside over all. I would like Jesus to be present. I would like the three Marys of illustrious renown to be with us. I would like the friends of Heaven to be gathered around us from all parts. I would like myself to be a rent payer to the Lord; that I should suffer distress, that he would bestow a good blessing upon me. I would like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings. I would like to be watching Heaven’s family drinking it through all eternity.

Saint Brigid

Brigid of Ireland

Born: 451 or 452

Died: February 1, 525

Canonized:

Feast Day: February 1

Patron Saint of: dairy workers, scholars

Saint Brigid was born in the year 451 or 452 A.D. to an Irish chieftain who married a servant girl. As a very young girl, Brigid felt the pull to serve her Lord and decided at that time to wed herself to her Lord as a nun. While very young, she made small acts of devotion with her generosity to the poor of the area. At the age of 18, she finally started her devotional life and at about the age of 20, she founded Ireland’s first convent at a place now known as Kildare, Ireland. This convent was known as a place of devotion and of learning, for Brigid saw the connection between the spiritual and the material, and between the intellect and the faith.

Saint Brigid is known as a patron saint of dairy workers because of two well known events. As a very small child, Brigid’s mother gave her money to go to market for butter; instead of buying the butter, Brigid instead gave all of the money to help poor along the way. And as an adult, as legend has it, she once gave some water to a thirsty pauper when the water turned to milk. She is also the patron saint of scholars and of the Irish.

Santa Brigida di Cell Dara Badessa

1 febbraio

Patronato:Poeti, Fabbri, Guaritori

Etimologia: Brigida (come Brigitta) = alta, forte, potente, dall’irlandese

Emblema: Mucca

St. Brigid of Ireland

Brigid was probably born at Faughart near Dundalk, Louth, Ireland. Her parents were baptized by St. Patrick, with whom she developed a close friendship. According to legend, her father was Dubhthach, an Irish chieftain of Lienster, and her mother, Brocca, was a slave at his court. Even as a young girl she evinced an interest for a religious life and took the veil in her youth from St. Macaille at Croghan and probably was professed by St. Mel of Armagh, who is believed to have conferred abbatial authority on her. She settled with seven of her virgins at the foot of Croghan Hill for a time and about the year 468, followed Mel to Meath. About the year 470 she founded a double monastery at Cill-Dara (Kildare) and was Abbess of the convent, the first in Ireland. The foundation developed into a center of learning and spirituality, and around it grew up the Cathedral city of Kildare. She founded a school of art at Kildare and its illuminated manuscripts became famous, notably the Book of Kildare, which was praised as one of the finest of all illuminated Irish manuscripts before its disappearance three centuries ago. Brigid was one of the most remarkable women of her times, and despite the numerous legendary, extravagant, and even fantastic miracles attributed to her, there is no doubt that her extraordinary spirituality, boundless charity, and compassion for those in distress were real. She died at Kildare on February 1. The Mary of the Gael, she is buried at Downpatrick with St. Columba and St. Patrick, with whom she is the patron of Ireland. Her name is sometimes Bridget and Bride. Her feast day is February 1.