Feast of St. Brigid of Kildare

   St. Brigid lived at the beginning of the Golden Age of the Celtic Irish Catholic Church.  This period, from the late fifth century AD, saw monasteries become social, spiritual and political centers.  They were often huge theocratic villages, associated with a clan, along with their slaves, freemen, celibate monks, married clergy, professed lay people, men and women, all living side by side and serving in various roles.  

   In these times the monastic abbots were not necessarily ordained and, as is the case with St. Brigid, were women too.  These Celtic Christians took their spiritual life very seriously and sought to achieve a personal and organic union between themselves and God (a theosis); with God dwelling in them and they in Him.  They saw the true Christian life as being lived in and with Christ.  During these times the monasteries were universally esteemed and regarded as the utmost expression of the Christian life. 

     Today, as we seek a renewed vision and approach to both the spiritual and the material world, we pray that we may recapture something of the essence of the deeply spiritual, holistic, ecologically sensitive, inclusive and egalitarian Church which St. Brigid knew and led.  Following her example, may we grow each day into greater wholeness of mind, body and spirit!