Last Saturday (Feb 1st) was the feast of St Brigid. In Ireland it is a significant feast day as we celebrate the achievements of a remarkable woman. Born in 454 she is famous for her hospitality, her generosity, her concern for the poor, her ability to stand up to those in authority and her unique ability to get what she wanted.

So instead of could have, might have and should have, Brigid just did it! She spoke a message to people who felt lost and alienated. Her message and her voice of hope are so relevant for today and 2020. Her relevance and importance is probably greater than it ever has been. It is time to give Brigid the spotlight she so richly deserves.

She is most famous for her St. Brigid’s cross which she wove together using rushes. The many strands that make up a St. Brigid’s cross represent the different strands of our own lives. They pick up on our joys and blessings but also on our struggles, problems and difficulties. She weaved them all uniquely together. The key message from her cross is that nothing in life is in isolation. Everything is connected and together. Joys and blessings go hand and hand with challenges and difficulties. They are all mixed together. This is the way life is, it is the way it always has been and it is the way it will continue to be.

Brigid’s message is that God is present in this mix too, holding everything together. The message is loud and clear, that God is not the cause of struggles, problems or difficulties but rather the one who helps and guides us through them. As we work our way through them we find and experience the good moments too. We sometimes call them blessings and without them life would be so dull and dark.

The message of Brigid can be summed as follows: live life to the full, be yourself, do your best, expect everything and anything, know that you are always loved and to know that God is there to guide and direct you. Don’t give up when it is easy to do so, keep trying, believe in yourself, nothing is in isolation and everything is connected. In all the connections God is always near and close to you. Such a message seems so relevant for the world of 2020 and especially relevant for how we live today.


Thought For The Week is updated each Monday