July 23

Saint Bridget of Sweden, the Mystic of the North (d. 1373)

Abbey Church of St. Bridget

Vadstena, Sweden

St. Bridget is one of the Patroness' of Europe and she is also the mother of St. Catherine of Sweden. See this lovely story of St. Bridget http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOO5cl2fGtM You can listen to music from the original Abbey Church in Sweden http://www.youtube.com/user/abbeychurchmusic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWnm09hQSU&feature=channel_page St. Bridget of Sweden received "Revelations" from the Lord. In the middle of the 14th century, the Blessed Virgin already told Bridget about the Immaculate Conception:

"The truth is that I was conceived without original sin." (Book VI, Chapter 4)

Mary also revealed many secrets of her heart to Bridget, telling her that at the moment of her conception, her soul, by sanctifying its body, spread a mysterious and inexpressible joy throughout her mother's entire being. Saint Bridget of Sweden, Celestial Revelations, (Chapter 7) The following is a fragment of the Virgin's words to Saint Bridget, explaining her own sorrow at the Passion of Christ, and about how the world was sold through Adam and Eve and bought back through Christ and His Virgin Mother.

“Jesus came and was in me through love. The Word and Love created Him in me. He was for me like my own heart. This is why, when I gave birth to Him, I felt as though half my heart was being born and going out of me. When He was suffering, it felt like my own heart was suffering. When something is half outside and half inside and the part outside gets hurt, the part inside feels a similar pain. In the same way, when my Son was being scourged and wounded, it was as though my own heart was being scourged and wounded.” “I was the person closest to Him at His Passion and was never separated from Him. I was standing near His Cross and, as that which is closest to the heart hurts the worst, so His pain was worse for me than for the others. As He gazed down at me from the cross and I gazed at Him, my tears gushed from my eyes like blood from veins. When He saw me overwhelmed by pain, He grew so distressed over my pain that all the pain of His own wounds subsided when He saw the pain in me.” “I can therefore boldly say that His pain was my pain and His heart my heart. Just as Adam and Eve sold the world for a single apple, you might say that my Son and I bought the world back with a single heart. And so, my daughter, think of me as I was at the death of my Son, and it will not be hard for you to give up the world.”

Below is the link to the Brigittine Order still in existence today. http://birgitta.vadstena.se/english/welcome.htm

Prayer to St. Bridget With hearts full of con­fidence, we turn to you, O Blessed Birgitta, in these times of darkness and unbelief, to invoke your powerful intercession on behalf of those who are separated from the true Church of Jesus Christ. Conscious of your deep knowledge of the cruel sufferings of our crucified Saviour, we beseech you to obtain the gift of Faith for all those who are outside the one fold, so that all the scattered sheep may be return to the one true Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

St. Birgitta, fearless in the service of God, pray for us. St. Birgitta, patient in suffer­ing and humiliation, pray for us. St. Birgitta, marvellous in thy love towards Jesus and Mary, pray for us. Pater, Ave, Gloria.

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Flower of the Day

Twinflower Linnea Borealis

Linnea Borealis or Twinflower is the national flower of Sweden. Named after Linnaeus (the Swedish 'father of taxonomy'), Linnéa is a very delicate wild plant - just about 1 in. high - growing in the deep shadow of Northern spruce forests. The plant has two flowers on top of each very thin stem. Foliage is in the form of creeping runners growing in deep moss. The flowers are pink, bell-like, very fragrant and grow in pairs.

Ave Maria!

www.ChildrenOfMary.com