(The Blessed Virgin Mary, with St. Patrick & St. Brigid, represented in stained glass in the chapel on Lough Derg in Donegal)

St. Brigid of Ireland is considered the greatest Irish saint after St. Patrick himself. Renowned for her charity to the poor and selflessness, she even gave her father's treasured sword, encrusted with jewels, to a beggar. This of course did not make him very happy, as he was a pagan chieftain. Brigid's mother was a Christian slave. Her feastday is coming up on February 1st, and if we wish to make a novena to her, we should start the prayer tomorrow, on January 23rd. 

In these nine days of prayer, we can ask her to intercede with God for us, like the Blessed Virgin Mary did at the marriage feast of Cana...

"Dear St. Brigid, brilliant star of sanctity in the early days of our Irish faith and love for the omnipotent God Who has never forsaken us, we look up to you now in earnest, hopeful prayer. By your glorious sacrifice of earthly riches, joys and affections, obtain for us grace to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice' with constant trust in His fatherly care. By your life of laborious charity to the poor, the sick, the many seekers for light and comfort, obtain for us grace to be God's helpers to the utmost of our power during our stay on earth, looking forward, as you did, to our life with Him during eternity. By the sanctified peace of your deathbed, obtain for us that we may receive the fullness of pardon and peace when the hour comes that will summon us to the judgment seat of our just and merciful Lord. Amen."

~ St. Anthony's Treasury, 1941.