A choice between two women today, one from 5th century Ireland and the other from Biblical times. Brigid of Kildare, whose theme song, based on her penchant for giving material possessions to the needy, may well be the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give it Away Now" faces Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, whose theme song would presumably be that early hit known as the Hail Mary.
In yesterday's Madness, Francis of Assisi stormed to victory over John Wycliffe 66% to 34% and will face the winner of Balthazar vs. Cecilia in the next round.
In case you missed yesterday's edition of Monday Madness you can catch it here. Then readjust your Lenten priorities to insure you never again miss Tim and Scott's hard-hitting commentary.
Brigid of Kildare
Brigid was born into slavery in 453 CE in what is now known as Ireland. She was born out of wedlock to a Druid high priest named Dubhtacht and an enslaved woman named Brocca. Dubhtacht promptly sold Brigid off, since he was hoping for a boy.
This plan didn’t work; Brigid arrived back at her father’s house when she came of age — and had freshly converted to Christianity as well. (Saint Patrick was already active in Ireland by this point, so her conversion was not surprising, but it really annoyed her father).
What further irked her father was Brigid’s practice of giving away every single thing in his house to any impoverished person who asked. Food, clothing, silver — Brigid gave it away without a second thought in order to aid the poor who flocked to her generous spirit. When Brigid gave away his jewel-encrusted sword, her father reached the end of his rope and was determined to sell her to the king.
The king didn’t share Dubhtacht’s frustration — and as he was convinced that she was a holy person, the king promptly gave Brigid her freedom.
Brigid had one goal in mind. She marched across Ireland, from Leinster to Connaught, to find and buy her mother’s freedom. After this, Brigid became a nun, and established a monastery at Kildare, where she lived for the rest of her life.
The Kildare monastery was a double monastery —meaning men and women monastics lived together — and Brigid was the abbess over both houses. It was the first such establishment, but others soon followed throughout the Celtic countryside. As abbess,Brigid was sought out for her advice and counsel, and Kildare became a great cathedral city in Ireland and a center for the arts, learning, and spirituality.
Ever the consummate hostess, many of the miracles associated with Brigid had to do with food — especially dairy foods. Her cows were rumored to give milk three times a day. In one of the most mystical stories of Brigid’s life, we find her miraculously whisked through time and space to be the midwife to Mary and wet nurse to baby Jesus. It’s easy to see why Brigid is celebrated as the patron to both dairy farmers and lactating women.
Brigid was known for being wise and generous and good at explaining the gospel in the people’s language and culture. Legend has it that she went to visit a dying man who was out of his mind with fever. She sat beside him to console him, and as she sat, she started weaving together rushes from the floor into a cross shape. The man saw what she was doing and asked what the cross meant. She explained it, and the man was moved to ask for baptism. To this day, Saint Brigid’s cross is omnipresent in Ireland.
Brigid died at Kildare in 525 CE, but her life and her presence echo still across Ireland and throughout the world today.
Collect for Brigid of Kildare
Everliving God, we rejoice today in the fellowship of your blessed servant Brigid, and we give you thanks for her life of devoted service. Inspire us with life and light, and give us perseverance to serve you all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Elizabeth
We are introduced to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in Luke’s Gospel. Elizabeth was said to be a descendant of Aaron, Israel’s first priest. She, like so many of the great mothers of the Jewish faith (for example, Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah), was old and barren. Luke is clear that her sterility was not on account of impiety; she was described as “righteous before God” and said to live “blamelessly according to all commandments and regulations of the Lord.”
Her husband Zechariah was serving as priest, offering incense in the temple, when he was informed that Elizabeth would bear a son in her old age. Zechariah expressed disbelief and was rendered mute until the day John the Baptist was presented in the temple. Elizabeth, on the other hand, modeled trust in God’s promises and was rewarded with a pregnancy entirely free of snarky comments about the amount of pita and hummus she consumed.
Elizabeth lived in seclusion for five months until she was visited by her relative, Mary. At Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in Elizabeth’s womb, leading her to praise Mary proclaiming, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” In this moment she acted as prophet, a role her son would take up when he prepared the way of the Lord in the desert. After the boy was born and when he was presented at the temple, since Zechariah was mute, Elizabeth was obedient to God’s command and named her son John. He would later be described by Jesus as “more than a prophet” and that “among those born of women no one is greater than John.”
The Protoevangelium of James narrated how during Herod’s murderous rage, Zechariah was killed for concealing Elizabeth and John. God led Elizabeth to a mountain and miraculously protected her and her young son so that John could grow and fulfill the mission God had prepared for him. Elizabeth, now an elderly widow with a young child, faithfully raised John, who was later recognized not only as a great prophet and the forerunner to the savior but also as a holy figure to be emulated in his own right.
Collect for Elizabeth
Lord God, we remember before you today Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. May we be so convicted of the presence of Jesus that, like her, we would proclaim as blessed those who bear him into the world. Grant that we would have the deep faith and abiding peace to rest in your promises for this life, no matter how incredible those promises seem to us, and to have the grace and will to proclaim those promises to the world, for the sake of Jesus. Amen.
Vote!
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196 comments on “Brigid of Kildare vs. Elizabeth”
Goo Lord, when do we get an easy match-up, something like Mother Teresa vs. Mama June? Do you have to make Lent so darn hard? I was looking for UConn versus Harrisburg Area Community College, a little rest for for the brain, etc. etc.
The challenge hit me right in the fingers, good Lord!
This is where Lent Madness gets serious for me. Not *too* serious, but I would love to see Elizabeth crowned with the Golden Halo since she and Mary are part of my self-appointed feast day, the Visitation. (As in Mary + Elizabeth = Maribeth?) Like I said, not *too* serious, but Elizabeth is a true heroine and role model for me, calling forth the glory of God, the saving grace of Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. She doesn't point to herself as holy or even important, but brings forth the best in others. As you consider your vote, remember that she inspired Mary to give us her glorious Magnificat.
You have absolutelynailed it. Thank you for this.
Well said! All day I have felt called to vote for Elizabeth. Now I know why. Thank you
Elizabeth has been one of my spiritual heroines for most of my life. i vote for her!
I wanted to vote for both of them, but Brigid won my vote, by a slip of the MOUSE ! I humbly confess that I have been a member of St. John Baptist in Thomaston Maine for 29 years.
Thank you to Phil and Lou for posting the beautiful poem by St. Brigid. Early Celtic poetry is stunning, and this image of Heaven is wonderful: one big party with everyone attending, including the beer drinking angels and people of God, the poor. Although I have a daughter named Elizabeth, I have to vote for St Brigid.
I would probably rather vote for Brigid, but since one of my two churches is named St. Elisabeth's for the mother of John the Baptist, out of loyalty I voted for her.
From James Kiefer's Hagiographies
"The Giveaway" (from THE LOVE LETTERS OF PHYLLIS MCGINLEY, New York, Viking Press, 1957)
Saint Bridget was
A problem child.
Although a lass
Demure and mild,
And one who strove
To please her dad,
Saint Bridget drove
The family mad.
For here's the fault in Bridget lay:
She WOULD give everything away.
To any soul
Whose luck was out
She'd give her bowl
Of stirabout;
She'd give her shawl,
Divide her purse
With one or all.
And what was worse,
When she ran out of things to give
She'd borrow from a relative.
Her father's gold,
Her grandsire's dinner,
She'd hand to cold
and hungry sinner;
Give wine, give meat,
No matter whose;
Take from her feet
The very shoes,
And when her shoes had gone to others,
Fetch forth her sister's and her mother's.
She could not quit.
She had to share;
Gave bit by bit
The silverware,
The barnyard geese,
The parlor rug,
Her little
niece-'s christening mug,
Even her bed to those in want,
And then the mattress of her aunt.
An easy touch
For poor and lowly,
She gave so much
And grew so holy
That when she died
Of years and fame,
The countryside
Put on her name,
And still the Isles of Erin fidget
With generous girls named Bride or Bridget.
Well, one must love her.
Nonetheless,
In thinking of her
Givingness,
There's no denial
She must have been
A sort of trial
Unto her kin.
The moral, too, seems rather quaint.
WHO had the patience of a saint,
From evidence presented here?
Saint Bridget? Or her near and dear?
Ann, Thank you for posting this wonderful poem.
Delightful!
Loved the poem!
'@Ann: Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful poem! I love it!
that poem always makes me snort!
That is giggleworthy!
That is awesome. I will vote for Bridget because she reminds me of my mother!
p.s. My mother became a street person as a result of schizophrenia back in the 50's - 60's. When she moved into a welfare hotel in San Diego I sent things to her which she gave away to her street buddies! Although mentally ill, she always had an awesome loving and giving and unselfish Spirit!
shawn, what a wonderful story! In earlier times many people we'd call "street people" and labelled "mentally ill" were received as holy people or saints. Your mom would very likely have been received in just that way, like the "holy fool" Basil, honored by St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. You know, the one with the multicolored onion domes? Your mom's experience has enabled you to see Christ's presence where most of us would turn aside, and that's a blessing on us all!
Oh...thank you so much....I really appreciate your appreciation. In spite of all her suffering in appearances her spirit never died! I will look up St. Basil....didn't know about him.
Feeling the holy spirit right here. Go Lent Madness ! That's what it's all about.
That last comment was to you, John Lewis, with much gratitude.
As a man of Irish decent, Brigid gets my vote!
I had too vote for the single mom who raised John the Baptist.
A vote for our Celtic roots. This was a hard one, complicated by the somewhat questionable veracity of all the biographical information. So I am forced to choose which myth is more appealing (note: I believe myths are true, just not factual).
I revere the legacy of Brigid, but I must vote for my namesake, in honor of all those women who had to spend one of the most wondrous times of their lives in seclusion (me, due to severe nausea, vomiting and weight loss in the first 6 months of pregnancy--and only at age 37) and for all those parents who prayed much over a brilliant but challenging child.
i love the story of Brigid and voted for her but i also loved the line about Elizabeth, getting to eat pitas and hummus without any snarky weight gain comments!
Another unfair matchup (for the voters, not the saints!). My Marian devotion wants to vote for her kinswoman, and my Irish pride favours Bridget. Reading of Bridget's heroism, charity, and influence in a "man's world" tilted me to her.
Well behaved women rarely make history. Go Brigid!! She had more moxie in her little finger than a 300 lb. anything has in its whole body!
I feel like I really should vote for Elizabeth, but I love time-traveling saints with magic cows, so Brigid it is!
Didn't Brigid also brew really good beer? Didn't she want to share what she brewed with our blessed Lord himself?
Being of the Irish descent, and a lover of a good beer (not Bud, I'm sorry) it is Brigid for me.
(Bud...is NOT beer.)
As Maribeth has pointed out above, let's not forget that the Magnificat is Mary's song in response to Elizabeth's praise. So no Elizabeth means no Magnificat.
From the Book of Common Prayer:
My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
(Gloria Patri.)
And what would Evening Prayer be without the Magnificat?
Elizabeth for me in honor of my not so saintly grandmother whom I called Nana.
Had to go with Elizabeth - mother of John the Baptist - Jesus' cousin. Also, I have a Cousin Elizabeth.
My wife is half-Irish......
Tough choice. I went with Brigid. She traveled thru time and space to be the wet nurse for Jesus. Props to Elizabeth for putting up with Zechariah. Although I thought John was sent to live with the Essenes as a young child?
Really? You can vote *against* the mother of John the Baptist? Give me a break, Irish diaspora.
I certainly wasn't voting _against_ anyone - today is just one of those blessed days when you can't go wrong either way!
I vote Brigid, in honor of my sweet granddaughter, Brigid Grace!
First, as a someone who is a physician (retired/disabled), I have to point out that the average life expectancy of people before the advent of antibiotics was in the 30s to 40s. It still is in countries that have only a primitive level of medical care! The ages of people in the Bible -- when they are in their "100s" and above are clearly not real. The problem is that there were no birth certificates back then and the ages merely signify that the person was "old" (older than most people, I think would be an accurate description). Why specific ages were picked, I am not sure -- perhaps someone who is more of a Biblical scholar has some ideas on the subject!? Suffice it to say is that no one, especially in Biblical times lived that long ...... That does not, however, imply that Elizabeth's pregnancy was not a miracle. The whole age range of the reproductive years from the onset of menses to menopause has actually increased in modern times (there are a lot of reasons for that). So Elizabeth may have been beyond the average reproductive age of most women at that time, as was Zechariah beyond the reproductive age of most men of the time (even men slow down with age)!
Having said that, however, as a quarter Irishman, I had to vote for Brigid! Nothing against Elizabeth, just a personal choice!
Phil Kober, personal choice is a good description of how most of us wind up voting, but we have to remember one thing: we don't choose saints, they choose us!
Wow executive board............Without knowing Brigid personally, I think she would have been grossly offended with the song you chose for her.
Brigid's Well in Kildare is truly a place of healing, once you get past the rather odd shrine. I've experienced it first-hand, and simply must vote for Brigid. Elizabeth and Mary's Visitation tug at my heart--some of my favorite art!--but Brigid claims it.
Tis is a tough one. Got to love Elizabeth who was more obedient and faithful than her husband the priest. Also really gotta love the Abram/Sarai role reversal with Elizabeth and Zechariah. On the other hand Brigid giving away her awful father's stuff is such a great story. Decisions decisions
Hard choice today.
Both always remember worthy.
But Elizabeth it is.
I vote before reading any of the comments and so I am pleased with the results so far, but would not be unhappy if Elizabeth jumps ahead and wins. Either way I am lucky to learn so much about both amazing women. Thank you SEC and Lent Madness for keeping us on our toes!!
For the second day in a row I have battled my temptation to preserve some sense of bragging rights in my bracket, and gone with who i guessed would be the less sentimental favorite. I have twice been blessed (or is that "twice-blessed") to have made two visits to the village of Ein Karem, the traditional home of Elizabeth and Zechariah, and the birthplace of John the Baptist. While I have also walked some of the "thin places" of the Celtic saints, the presence of holiness in Ein Karem, and the spirit of that great lady Elizabeth, will be with me all my earthly days.