CatholicIreland.net is, rather self-explanatorily, a site for Irish Catholics and their admirers and friends. A quick search of the site yields a small number of articles on St. Brigit. To whit:
February 1st, the feast of Imbolg in the old Celtic year, marked the beginning of spring. It was Christianised and adapted as the feast of St Brigid and many rituals still associated with the feast are best understood in the light of their pagan Celtic origins. After a Foreword on the life of Brigid as told in the Leabhar Breac, Seán Ó Duinn describes these rites and explores their relevance for today.
236 pp, Columba Press, 2005. To purchase this book online, go to www.columba.ie
On this page are the table of contents, foreword, and a large section of the first chapter of the book.
The Irish in the Middle Ages had an intriguing way of expressing devotion to the Child Jesus. And it was more than mere fancy, writes Gilbert Márkus.
This article, which first appeared in Spirituality, a publication of the Irish Dominicans, explores the idea of Brigit as the Mother of God, and extends it other Christians as well. It ends with the observation:
"Many nations and cultures, not only the Gaels, explored this imagery of the Christian disciple as the mother of God. The application of the Gaelic title már Choimded máthair to Brigit, ‘mother of the great Lord’, is not some kind of weird error or deviation. It is a natural flowering of the creative mind in love, part of that ever unfolding process of finding new ways to express the love poured into our hearts."
Brigid of Kildare is a patroness of those who have a care for the earth, for justice and equality, for peace and she is a model for a contemplative life. Brigidine sister Rita Minehan profiles her here.
"A great resurgence of interest in all aspects of our Celtic heritage is leading many individuals and groups to rediscover - and draw inspiration from - the lives of the early Irish saints. St Brigid, the patroness of Ireland, is emerging as one whose life has relevance and inspiration for us as we try to face the issues that confront our country and our world at this time. When we look at the life of Brigid and at some of these issues we can see more clearly why she continues to be relevant to us today."
The article looks at the many sides of spiritual life that St. Brigit models - carer, inspirer, etc.
For the full text of these articles, follow the links or go to http://brigitssparklingflame.blogspot.com/2004_09_01_archive.html
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